I'll be counting up the Challenge votes and be announcing the winners tonight. This months 1st place winner will recieve a prize, a Bryce materials pack from ardphil. Big thanks to ardphil for offering this! Which raises an idea; I'm thinking of having prizes in the Challenges, just for fun. Basically, if a Renderosity merchant wants to give up one of their products to be a prize, I would "thank" them by giving a link to their Marketplace store, in the Bryce forum header, until next month when the next prize would be given out. There would be a few rules, but that's the basic idea. I feel it would stimulate more Bryce-specific products being created in the Marketplace, and more hopefully leading more Brycers to create said items. AgentSmith

Great idea. In the spirit of reciprocity, how about a merchant challenge? Sort of a reverse auction where the best prize offering gets to sponsor the monthly challenge...

Whereas I like the idea of a prize, I worry that it would ruin the nature of the Bryce Challenge. Without a prize, we are most likely to truthfully critique wips as the are posted, with the sincere desire that the artist becomes better. With a "prize" lurking in the shadows, are we to be as honest with each other? Will we jeopardize our position in the voting to aid a fellow Brycer? If a merchant wishes to sponsor a Brycian contest, allowing all participants access to the "prize" then I'm all for it, and would personally patronize said sponsor. My $0.02

I think open forum voting and no defined evaluation criterea already established the nature of the challenge. It is what it is. Any prize-induced subversion would be limited to either people who thought they could win and were willing to do so at any cost, or those who wished to skew the results. I don't think either of these types are represented here to any real extent, and even if they are, they were gonna throw a monkey wrench in whether there's a prize or not.

I agree, with above said. I don't think that anyone here would ever give "bad" advice to anyone's WIP in hopes of increasing their chances of winning a prize. We are already a family here and it would be glaringly obvious if anyone were to subvert the challenge in any way. So if a prize gets added all the better I say and I agree that it should be a Bryce type prize, thats a great idea. But prize aside, I most eagerly await the topic of next month's challenge. I got sidetracked in March and didn't even make a still life. Hopefully April will be different. And Long live the Challenge prize or not!

As someone who hasn't entered a challenge, I think it's a great idea. I have read all the posts here and I agree that it would be very obvious if someone tried to give bad advice. Plus, I don't really see anyone here that would do that. When I read the post I thought what a nice idea. I don't have a chance of winning a challenge for a long time and I still think it's a great idea. It may get more people interested in it. Just my $.02 :)

So my concerns are laid to rest. An honorable bunch we are. With the aforesaid testimony, bring on the challenge with its prize!

Don't you just love it when AS gets generous? I can't wait till the next challenge comes up......;-)

I'm not sure where i stand on the issue, but i think the details of the issue were not about people giving bad advice, but about their level of honesty in giving advice, which includes not commenting on particular aspects that one could comment on. I don't think it would be easy to tell if this were happening - there's really no external sign. I would hate to see it become common practice for people to give some advice but hold back the rest in an effort to benefit their chances of winning.

If you really think about it,posting wips for a challenge seems to make the artwork a combination of everyone elses thoughts and ideas. This is fine for regular gallery images,but as a challenge,should'nt the be kept a secret until finished?As far as the prize goes, great idea to bring everyone together as part of a community.
Just remember to: Look at the full size entries.Be honest in judgements.Favor no-one,(just because someone may be a close buddy,have confidence that they are a friend and understand it is only images we are talking here.) Pay attention to what the output is,and what the rules of the challenge are. Most important..Have Fun

Personally I think a Prize is great,But I think that renderosity should download the product to a seperate page that way the Merchants SELLING count doesnt change because of the Free downloads of the Product....?

i'll offer free stuff to the winners. Shrug Drac (not a merchant)

In partaking of several challenges since these challenges started and seeing how the members of this forum work so hard to help out when help is requested.... I think that the prize thing is a good thing. I have a hard time thinking that the people in this forum might try to dupe/skew/give bad advice. We all try to help each other out any way we can regardless as to whether it is helping with a challenge image or not. I have seen this practice since I have been a member here. I think we are an honorable bunch of Brycers. Personally I think it is a good idea.... given that the merchants that would be involved would think likewise. This is a good honest bunch... sometimes too honest. lol Damia... you aren't alone. I don't see myself winning for quite some time either. I do these challenges more for the learning than for winning. Winning would be fun though.

So, here's a twist, and possible compromise... What if there were a prize, BUT, it was kept secret just what the prize was until after the winner was announced? That way a specific item wouldn't be the cause for undue tension, or motivation either positive or negative. Just a thought.

@dBgrafix - Granted i'm new here. Granted i haven't entered a challenge yet. Still, what i see to be one of the most educational parts of the challenges is the WIP process. I'd hate to see that go. Yes, there are other WIPs, but it seems that most of the WIPs are for the challenges (ok, at least half).

As a Bryce artist I'm on the fence about a prize...one one hand, if one is offered it should be a secret until the votes are in...on the other hand, after reading threads some of our newer members post in, I can't help but think with a prize, there would be more undue stress placed on 'winning' for new people and not as much on the 'learning process' the challenges are supposed to foster... As a Merchant, I have no problems offering a Bryce product as a prize, Bryce is a very small part of the overall marketplace here, and any advertisement is welcome... However, the prize should come from the merchant offering it, we do get a file locker that it could be downloaded from, this would not kink up our store reports or otherwise involve the Marketplace, because the item is being donated and not purchased...

Manipulation of the Monthly Challenge by biased and unscrupulous members of this community? Unthinkable, just wouldn't happen, everybody here is honest as the day is long. You only have to view the Bryce Hot 20 to see how unbiased and scrupulous people in this community are, not a hint of manipulation there so why do some members think a Challenge Prize would lead to skullduggery. Not a chance, bring on the prizes, let the games begin!! Bye now..........Dennis

well whatever you decide about 'trust' you are welcome to have something from my store.

Hi!!

I'd like to pipe in here too. I started making products for sale just before the new rules came in on the limit to 3 products until reaching $600 worth of sales (or was it $300?) Anyway, of course that means I only have 3 products for sale here at RMP and only 1 is specific for Bryce (the other 2 can be used in any app), but I DO have other Bryce products both at my own online store and also at another site's store. I'd be happy to donate any of my products but would I be limited to just the 3 on sale here in RMP???

I'm on the fence with Zahn,I've learned a great deal from the past challenges and enjoyed them.But what prizes can be better than the enthusiasm a challenge promotes or the knowledge gained through attempting something new.....

gillbrooks, what your personal store adress, not the RMP one plz.

Merchants aside - how cool would it be to have your artwork embalzoned on a t-shit with R'osity Bryce Challenge winner? Alright, not as cool as a Bryce Forum Select Gallery Award, but you'd still feel proud...

I wouldnt wear it..lol

I'd let my dog sleep in it. ...iffen i had a dog. ;o)

lol, i let ma cat sleep in it.

actually, id give it to oxfam....lol...shore they woud give it 2 someone else

Attached Link: http://www.gillsthemes.biz/marketplace/

I would also love.....to creat my own store, i can design websites well....but i just dont know how to make the scripts for poeple to purchase items, or logins scripts....im done....:( PhIl

You don't need to create scripts if you use PayPal - they supply everything you need - you can even use a plugin if you have Front Page, makes it even easier :-) As for logins and password protected pages - you can do it via your webhost account pages, or - for some of mine I use Coffee Cup Password Wizard that creates in either flash or java. Hope this helps

Bravenet also has a password gate, free....

I can make my set of spaceship models available as price, but I won't be able to host it myself since it's kinda a lot of data, even when zipped 'cause all the ships are high-detail.

Thanks, but I havent got a credit card, do I need one for PaYPal

As far as I know, yes you need one if you're going to open a business account. But there are others who will accept payments for you - RegNow and World Pay are 2 that spring to mind.

do u have a site please!

@ ardphil, I have a busines account with PayPal and it did not require me to have a credit card, but it did require a business account at a bank. I went to my bank, got the papers to register my business with the state, went back to the bank and opened a business account, DBA(doing business as), ZhannsArtWerX, and then applied to PayPal. You will need to keep records of all the transactions for the IRS if you are in the US, and at tax time file your earnings from your site store.

The thing is, i am 13...lol...and my parentss dont even know that i am sellnig things on here!!lol

Well, that could be a problem for your parents, especially because you are under age, and to make any money at a job, you'd need their permission. If the IRS found out you made money selling stuff on the interenet, especially 'internationally', you could get into a heap of trouble. Best thing is to discuss it with them, so that everybody is on the same page, to avoid problems later...

What is the IRS, by the way im from England, and surely its no different from sellnig things on ebay

IRS is the US version of our Inland Revenue - the taxman in other words. Not sure on English policies on income for minors, but it would be advisable for you or your parents to contact the local tax office

Actually...I havent sold anything yet (I would have if one person had Bryce, he would have bought something!) Anyway, in England, I think taht you can work when you are 13, but not too many hours a day, or in school time, but it being international maybe a problem.....:S PhIl :S

Actually...I havent sold anything yet (I would have if one person had Bryce, he would have bought something!) Anyway, in England, I think taht you can work when you are 13, but not too many hours a day, or in school time, but it being international maybe a problem.....:S PhIl :S

You can work at 14 but only for 2 hours a day (school days). You can work at 13 in certain jobs (paper round, shop, waiter etc). But in anycase it looks like you have to be employed by someone else who will work out tax and NI etc. Any money you make goes straight in your pocket, which ain't exactly legal. I think you might be asking for trouble either now on in the future.

Murphy's Law, if it can happen, it will...;] Don't know the laws in England on taxing incomes, so I will defer to those who live there and do know the in's and out's...but it's still a good idea to let your parents in on what you plan to do.... If you started a store, you never know, you could make enough money to pay for college!

I'll be posting up some general rules I have devised, and we'll take a vote on whether or not Challenge prizes will go on or not past this month. (in a new thread), tomorrow. AgentSmith

LOL!!, theres a sixth form college at my school!!...anyways, I jsut want to earn a bit, anyway, it is sorta like work experience, gerat for the future, if I dont get nicked.....