Extra round: Summer Rewind

[neonspider]

The mods here at somein30 have been working very hard and are quite honestly in need of a break, and what better time for a break than summer. So unfortunately I have decided to put the community sort of into summer hiatus; we'll be back at the start of September with a new challenge. I understand this is a very long break, but that's honestly what is needed right now, I hope you understand. But don't worry! You can still make icons. There just won't be any new challenges. Instead, we're opening all the old challenges for the summer so that you can enter the ones you missed, or enter something you already did, maybe trying a different mode.

WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTISE
What this hiatus means is that the mods aren't guaranteed to be around. For myself I can already say this will be a hectic summer, so I probably won't be around at all, so don't expect comments, answers, reminders, anything. If you think you can independently keep entering our old challenges, and I don't see why you couldn't, go for it! When the next actual round is posted in the fall, I will close the old challenges again and compose all the summer sets into a voting post. So yes, there will eventually be a voting, it just won't be in a while.

Unfortunately since I won't be around to see your sets as you post them (I'll probably only look at them once I start composing them into the voting), this means that if there are any sets that need to be disqualified, I won't be able to give you a notice in time, so those sets or icons will just be dropped from the voting without any time for the maker to fix the mistakes. So please enter challenges you fully understand, take a look at what kind of entries were already entered for the round originally if you're at all unsure. Also please help each other out! If you see a set that you don't think fulfills the challenge, let the maker know (in a kind, respectful way of course).
If you really have a burning question, I mean I won't be dead so maybe I'll see your question and answer it, but there's no guarantee about the timing. If you ask fast, say within a week from this post, you'll probably get a fast answer. Further into the summer it gets less likely. thyla87 might be around, but it's not guaranteed either. If you do ask a question, please do so directly as a comment to this post so I'll get a notification; I definitely won't see any questions in the text of your entry post.

LIST OF OLD CHALLENGES
Feel free to enter one or more of these!

Round 01: Technical Game *
Round 02: Heroes vs Villains
Round 03: Vibrant vs Muted
Round 04: Memory Lane
Round 05: Atmospheric
Round 06: Minimalism vs Complexity
(Round 07: All Things Random)**
Round 08: Relationships
Round 09: Coordinates of Style

Or just browse them all. Remember to re-read the entire post even if you think you remember the idea, there's a lot of rules and I'd hate to have to enforce them especially now that there won't be any time to fix mistakes.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT CHALLENGES 1 & 7, which originally required mod input:
* Round 1 is still doable. If you originally got a set or prompts but didn't enter the challenge, you can now use that set of prompts. If you didn't ask for a set but would like to enter now, OR if you already entered with the prompts you got, you need to generate a new set. Game board images won't be available but you can do the challenge without them. You can use an online Python interpreter, for example this one. Copypaste the following code and click Run!
import os import random import math random.seed() coloring_themes = ["Muted", "Vibrant", "Monochrome", "Duochrome", "Color explosion (*)", "Fully black and white", "Black and white + color", "Pastels", "Complementary colors", "Unnatural"] contrast_lighting_themes = ["Dark", "Bright", "Low contrast", "High contrast", "Matte", "Shiny", "Dramatic", "Soft, dreamy lighting", "Blob(s) of light", "Ray(s) of light"] cropping_themes = ["No eyes", "Full body", "Close crop", "Far away", "Subjects from varying distances", "Center crop", "Side crop", "Both sides", "Low/bottom crop", "Focus on top"] composition_themes = ["Negative space", "Fake background", "Original background", "Levels", "Blocking", "Minimalism", "Text", "Blending (**)", "Collage (***)", "Silhouette"] texture_themes = ["Painty", "Geometric", "Light", "Stock", "Decorative accent", "Borders", "Frame", "Grunge", "Patterned", "Text, tiny text or numbers"] category_names = ["Coloring", "Contrast/lighting", "Cropping", "Composition", "Textures"] all_themes = [coloring_themes, contrast_lighting_themes, cropping_themes, composition_themes, texture_themes] squares = [ [1,2,3], [2,3,4], [3,4,5], [4,5,1], [5,1,2], [1,3,4], [2,4,5], [3,5,1], [4,1,2], [5,2,3], [1,4,5], [2,5,1], [3,1,2], [4,2,3], [5,3,4], [1,5,2], [2,1,3], [3,2,4], [4,3,5], [5,4,1], [1,2,4], [2,3,5], [3,4,1], [4,5,2], [5,1,3], [1,3,5], [2,4,1], [3,5,2], [4,1,3], [5,2,4], [1,4,2], [2,5,3], [3,1,4], [4,2,5], [5,3,1], [1,5,3], [2,1,4], [3,2,5], [4,3,1], [5,4,2], [1,2,5], [2,3,1], [3,4,2], [4,5,3], [5,1,4], [1,3,2], [2,4,3], [3,5,4], [4,1,5], [5,2,1], [1,4,3], [2,5,4], [3,1,5], [4,2,1], [5,3,2], [1,5,4], [2,1,5], [3,2,1], [4,3,2], [5,4,3] ] # generate 20 dice rolls current_place = -1 throws = [] for i in range(20): throws.append(random.randint(1,6)) tmp = map(lambda x: str(x), throws) print("Here are your dice throws: ") print("") print(' '.join(tmp)) print("") print("And the randomized prompts for these icons are:""") for i in range(20): # calculate where we are now by taking the current dice throw and adding it to the placement current_place = current_place + throws[i] print("") if current_place < 60: main_cat = squares[current_place][0]-1 # 0-4 hard_cat = squares[current_place][1]-1 extra_hard_cat = squares[current_place][2]-1 main_theme = random.randint(0, 9) hard_theme = random.randint(0, 9) extra_hard_theme = random.randint(0, 9) print(str(i+1) + ". MAIN - " + category_names[main_cat] + " #" + str(main_theme+1) + ": " + all_themes[main_cat][main_theme]) print("HARD - " + category_names[hard_cat] + " #" + str(hard_theme+1) + ": " + all_themes[hard_cat][hard_theme]) print("EXTRA HARD - " + category_names[extra_hard_cat] + " #" + str(extra_hard_theme+1) + ": " + all_themes[extra_hard_cat][extra_hard_theme]) else: print(str(i+1) + ". AC") print("")
I'm trusting you guys not to cheat, PLEASE don't just keep generating sets until you get one you like! This challenge is supposed to be hard!

** Round 7 required so much complex randomizing that there is no way to effortlessly generate a new set of prompts, sorry. However, if you're one of the people who got a set of prompts but didn't enter, you can enter now. If you entered with a set that only had some of the prompts filled, and you still have at least 5 unused prompts OR you really want to give some of your used prompts another go, go for it!
ETA: You can also use a set created for another maker, if that other maker is ok with it (I'll allow anyone to use mine), with one modification. The prompt "random remake" is maker-specific, so you need to re-randomize that one instead of using the other maker's icon. Here's a simple method to do that:
1. Choose how many icon posts you're willing to go back to (min 10). This number is N.
2. Use a random number generator (this one for example) to randomize between 1-N.
3. Count N sets back from the latest icon post in your icon community. This is the post from which a random remake icon is selected.
4. Use a random number generator to pick an icon from the post.
I used a much more complex method that considered every single post in the community, but that's too much effort and counting so you can use this simplified version.

FAQ
When are these challenges closing?
At the start of September, when a new challenge will be posted. So the deadline for all of these is August 31st.

How do I tag these summer entries?
Please use tag round: extra for all entries, don't add any of the original round tags (but clearly specify in the text of your entry which challenge and mode was used). As always, use a tag with your username. So the full list of tags in any of these summer entries is:
maker: yourname, round: extra

Can you add a maker tag for me?
No, but you can - anyone can add tags here. If you accidentally use a wrong tag don't worry about it, I'll try to do some checking in the fall when I return.

Are the icon limits still 5-20? I've seen some makers enter more icons into a round, is that allowed now?
As it stands, the limit is 5-20 per set. You can still make more than one separate set for a challenge. The reason there is any upper limit is just to avoid low effort spam iconing, nobody wants to look at a giant set of 100+ icons in a single poll. If the maker at least has to think about how to arrange those icons into different sets, and preferably also create separate entries into this comm for each one, that should avoid this problem, and even if not, at least voting in 5 20-icon sets is much easier than in a single 100-icon set. I realize this is splitting hairs and we might need to revisit this rule in the future if something like this starts happening a lot, but for the moment I think allowing more than one separate set for a challenge has been a positive thing.
TL;DR - Yes, the rule is to make 5-20 icons per set (except for round 9 which you can still enter 4-21 icons per set), but you can make as many sets as you want for a round, including this extra round.

Can I make as hybrid set where I combine different challenges? Like 5 icons for round 1, 5 for round 2 etc?
No, that would be confusing. If you want to, you can post multiple entries for different challenges in one post in your icon community, but those will still be considered separate sets and will have their own votings, so clearly mark what round each entry is for.

If you've already entered everything you want to enter here, and are still looking for challenges accepting larger sets, might I suggest iconspirations:





JOIN | WATCH




THANK YOU GUYS <3
Finally, I'd just like to thank everyone for the truly awesome time we've had here this far, and hope to continue having in the fall! You guys are so talented, creative and active, it's a joy to look at how you conquer these challenges, even the really hard ones we sometimes like to throw your way :D I wasn't sure if there's still enough iconmakers around to warrant a new icon challenge community, but the amount of participants more than justifies the existence of this community, so a huge thank you is in order for every single participant. And in addition to that, I'd especially like to give extra thanks and huge respect for the ones who make it a priority to comment to all the other participants. My hope is that all participants for a round would want to do this, regardless of skill, iconmaking style, or fandoms. The ones who do, you are freaking superstars and your effort doesn't go unnoticed.

Anyway, I'm wishing you all a great summer, please don't hate us for the hiatus, I hope you'll be fine here without us mods for a while :)

Comments

QUESTIONS?

[neonspider]

Ask them here! (Please be patient, answer might take a while.)

Re: QUESTIONS?

[tinny]

Okay, one question: (in addition to the one about challenge 7 I asked further down)

You didn't give any deadlines at all. I can understand that you don't want to specify an exact time right now yet.

I think what would work is if you made a "deadline approaching" post at some point. Maybe a week before you stop accepting entries? Could you do that?

RE: Re: QUESTIONS?

[neonspider]

Oh, I guess I left the deadline kind of between the lines... it was supposed to be that we'll be back at the start of September with a new challenge, so that's when these old ones will close. I'll edit this one in too :D I'll try to remember to do one reminder as the deadline approaches!

Re: QUESTIONS?

[tinny]

Cool! "fall" can be any number of things. :D But September is clear-cut.

Thank you!

[emiels.livejournal.com]

Oh cool, I can make sets for the past rounds I missed... or.... more grids probably.

Have a good summer!

[neonspider]

Haha I was just thinking about how you definitely don't need this extra round since you've already entered so many sets for many of these rounds xD

[emiels.livejournal.com]

oh no no, I definitely want to enter at least round 8... which I missed only because I spent too long trying to decide the ships I want to icon lol
And round 7, since I got my themes and ended up not iconing them.....

[tinebrella.livejournal.com]

AW YISSSSSS THE FREE FOR ALL! \o/
And I can do the first challenge!!! With Python code, no less *______*
I'm going to try and use snake textures on the icons to celebrate!

ETA: almost forgot, thanks for the promo, I'll try to hold the fort over at iconspiration!

[neonspider]

Hee I'm glad you appreciate the (super simple) Python :D I'm sure there would have been a more efficient randomizing method but hey, this got the job done...

[kitamikeita.livejournal.com]

This is just what I needed! LOL
I feel inspired already. I want to say I'll make many sets but I don't want to jinx it.

Anyway, thank you both for all the work you've put in this community :)

[alexia_drake]

I've been sooo busy this year that the only round I did was the first one. lol This will hopefully give me plenty of time to participate :D

Enjoy your summer break!

[applepips]

Enjoy your summer break, the two of you! <3

[thesleepingbeauty]

This is wonderful idea! It’s been a while since I’ve been able to participate here, so it’s nice that you’re giving everyone another chance to do previous rounds. :)

Enjoy your summer break! <3

[abyss-valkyrie.livejournal.com]

OOHH!You guys are the sweetest! Good luck with the summer and hope you won't be tooo busy to enjoy it. :D

[debris4spike]

Just wanted to wish you a "Happy Summer"... enjoy. The challenges are great, so it's not surprising you would like a break ... Enjoy, and see you in September x

[violateraindrop]

Enjoy your break! You deserve it ;)
Now I really want to make something for the rounds I missed...

[tinny]

Enjoy your summer! <3

Would you think it a bad idea to enter round 7 with someone else's prompts? (Except for the remake maybe?) You did generate 20+ sets - that's more than, say, mystery box challenges have.

I personally would not mind at all if someone else had a go at the set of prompts you created for me, for example.

[neonspider]

Thank you! :)

Hmm, I thought of that for round 7, but the problem is that the random character, random remake and random screencap pool are maker-specific. Especially the remake. And I thought maybe people wouldn't like someone else using the same prompts, since that creates almost a competitive situation, but then again you raise a good point about mystery box challenges where this doesn't seem to have been an issue. I guess there's no reason to forbid this, but it would be polite to ask the maker who got the prompts first (anyone can use mine if they want, but they're not in the challenge post since I didn't see the need to reply to myself there :p, so I just went ahead and randomized a set. It can be found in my entry.)

This was a great question, I'll edit the answer into the post!
//ETA the post now has info on what to do with the random remake!

[tinny]

Yes, that sounds good!

I will say again that I don't mind anyone using my prompts.

I definitely want to do that round again, because it was amazing, so I'll go ask and I can always use yours if noone else is up for it. Thank you! <3

eta: but for now I have started another round 1, thanks for providing the script! Worked like a charm!