[FAILED 03/09/09] [Artifex] Nevada (Patron: Ramon Gonzales y Garcia)

**Soulghast** · February 28, 2009, 09:37 AM

Client: Nevada
Being an Artifex must be some kind of a nice job. You get this nice and shiny badge under your user-avatar, you can post your opinions in the Curia and therefore also decide upon important topics together with other citizens. But no gift without duties. As an Artifex, you still have to obey to the board rules and the constitution, but an Artifex' duties go far beyond simply obeying to the board rules. An Artifex should be helpful to newbies if they ask him for help when they learn something, he should be an example to other users as should be his behaviour.

But why should i be made an Artifex?
Well, I'm on these forums since June 2007. I wanted to get into modding at that time and Rammstein got me into the materia. I learned some simple but unnerving coding things and I coded Flanders and Jerusalem into Road to Jerusalem 3. As my work there was completed, I was moving the forums and passed a short time in the Renaissance: TW team, but it seemed to me that the mod was stuck into something and didn't get forward, so I left some pictures for HRE units behind and I left again. In autumn, I had learned many things in coding and i decided that I wanted to expand into something more visual: Mapping. So i took part in GED's mapping course at the TWC Uni which I finished successfully. During that time, I also started an own project: Black Sea: Total War. To keep it short, I made a map and then I released an alpha version with only the map. The feed back was rather good (although the map was far from perfection) and it got me a subforum for the mod, but then the horrible awakening came and I started to realise how much work a total conversion requires. As i couldn't find a modeler/skinner then, I decided to give up the project and to be part of other modding teams again. That was during February 2008. I started to work for many different mods then, and my real life has always been an issue during 2008, so I had to leave many times. But I got back on track with GED's basic modding course at the TWC Uni, which i also finished successfully, and after chrstmas, I decided it was the time again to do some serious modding. I joined Invasio Barabarorum 2 and, by cutting from the vanilla, I created a beutiful and working map in less than 2 months (although the optical part still needs improvements) and this map is the reason why Ramon Gonzales y Garcia decided to patronise me.

I met many people during my small modding career here and i want to thank them all, for without them , I surely wouldn't be decided if I'm worth to be an Artifex or not.

That was much talking, but I thinking I'm worth being an Artifex and that I can meet the requirements of this position.

Thanks.

Patron: Ramon Gonzales y Garcia
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Consilium de Civitate,

It is my honor to nominate Nevada for citizenship pursuant to Section III. Article II of the Constitution.
Nevada meets the requirements for citizenship as stipulated in Section III. Article I of the same Constitution - having had no warnings, having 1,782 posts, and has been registered for more than two months.
Moreover, I believe Nevada can contribute more to the betterment of the community. I have worked with Nevada in Invasio Barbarorum 2 and have found him consistently a reliable modder, who delivers results. I could go so far as to say that - without Nevada's help, IB2 may probably not have gone this far (Public Beta planned by early next month - Playable Internal Betas available for DL). Below is Nevada's paragraph (s) and it shows a noble, upstanding young man who deserves to be a citizen of TWC.

Thank you for your time and your kind consideration,
Ramon Gonzales y Garcia

**Pontifex Maximus** · March 03, 2009, 08:42 AM

I'm going to have to look more in depth at his work, but for now I am leaning towards a yes. He already has some work out and INvisio was a great mod.

**Fabolous** · March 03, 2009, 11:15 PM

Poll added. At least, that it what I am telling you.

**B. Ward** · March 03, 2009, 11:39 PM

What the hell is an Artifix?

**Fabolous** · March 03, 2009, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by B. Ward

What the hell is an Artifix?

I fail...

**Augustus Lucifer** · March 08, 2009, 04:23 AM

This is a difficult one. My gut says yes and my head says no. On the one hand, I trust Ramon to recognize a good modder when he sees one, and IB2 is one of the better upcoming mods out there. On the other hand, I'm just not seeing the contributions there.

Joining Uni classes is nice, but that's recognized by the degree and is more bettering yourself than the community(teaching one of course another matter). Leaving pictures for Renaissance is not really worth note.

Coding factions for RTJ might be, but based on the only Credits thread I can find, it sounds like he just added the factions to the game like in DukeOfSerbia's tutorial, which isn't in and of itself that great of a modding feat(took me like a day to add 17 and I'm no all-star coder). A mini-mod of his own might be worth note, but he attests that he abandoned it, and despite my efforts to find it and see if it constituted much, it looks like it was deleted, so can't really factor in.

And then we come to the star attraction, the map for IB2. I've only found maybe... 10 screenshots on it, and it looks like a viable map, nothing extraordinary though, based on the looks if you showed it to me next to Vanilla I don't think I'd be overly impressed, though I could be proven wrong in time. Ramon attests that the mod may not have progressed this far without him, but no quantitative evidence is provided to show what else he contributed that is so fundamental to the mods success.

I like the guy, he shows promise, but I'm not willing to just take Ramon's word at face value on this one without the supporting evidence, since IB2 is pretty much the only thing under his belt. Going to have to vote No on this one, but with an IB2 release reportedly near, it's possible my mind would be changed in a subsequent vote if the map is supremely playable, something that can't be ascertained from the previews, or more is put to his credit in the release.

**Soulghast** · March 08, 2009, 04:36 AM

At the moment, his sole substantial contribution is his mapping for IB 2.

Here are some screenshots of his mapping work. It seems decent enough, though it has its flaws. Of course that might be because it still appears to be a WIP, but I can't vote yes yet. The mod isn't released yet, and we only have a few available screenshots. When the mod is released, I will be able to take a closer look and better evaluate his work. But for now, no.

**aja5191** · March 08, 2009, 11:56 AM

I would love for this to have been after IB2's release, as I don't think voting based on someone's word and a dozen or so screenshots is true testament to his skills, or possible lack thereof.

Normally would be a tenative yes, but as this is essentially his only major contribution, it's an unfortunate no.

**y2day** · March 08, 2009, 04:24 PM

Nevada is a good guy and I would really like to vote yes, but really need to see more. Still on the fence on this one will try to make a decision soon. Hopefully the poll wont close before I have the chance.

y

EDIT:
This does get tuff. lol Nevada is a good guy but I think a little more evidence of his contributions is warranted for a yes vote. He may have done enough but I just can't find it. No this time for me. If he doesn't pass please let him know to continue his work and he will eventually obtain the rank. I have no doubt of that.

y