Keen Awards 2024: Nominations

[Quillax]

The list of nominations is all up to date once again! It's looking really great!

1.5: Best Galaxy/Dreams Level (from any 2024 Galaxy/Dreams mod or level pack)
Rhubarb Rapids - Keen Dreams Gold Gold by Szemigi

I found out that the level originally came from Keen Dreams Plus, with the only modifications being the addition of the rhubarbs. Since it came from an older mod (released in 2011) made by a different author (Ceilick) and received minimal edits, I decided to remove it from the list.

My question is: Should the Aurora Bliss soundtrack be nominated as a singular whole, or as separate individual nominations? Should the former or latter also apply to the Keen Dreams Gold Edition soundtrack? (This is assuming the latter soundtrack is mostly original songs.)

As no one answered my question, I decided to nominate the Revival of Bliss (somehow I accidentally called it Aurora Bliss...) soundtrack as a whole, and then merged the Keen Dreams Gold Edition songs into one nomination. Quite a few authors credited for the latter now, but I think it looks good.

Even if you finished the update by the time of the nominations, it still wouldn't qualify, right? I mean, this year you could get nominated for the update for KD gold, not the previous one?

Last year's Keen Awards (2023 awards), Keen Is At It Again got updated after the year, yet no distinction was made on what version is qualified for the awards. I think if the Keen Dreams Gold Edition update got finished soon, it would qualify (even for 2024 awards), at least as long as it's not too different maybe.

Unfortunately, KD Gold has nasty bugs that randomly happens and had to caught on video. Some of them are fixed, but as I promised: It's my child!

Maybe for now, just put up a link to the older version, szemi? Right now, though, there's no download link available for the mod, which could potentially put it at a disadvantage.

Well, I could do some cheeky self-nomination from my mod. I do think some levels were pretty neat.
Temple of Khalid
Void Pith
Temple Harepan
Water Abode

Heh, I was thinking of nominating Water Abode, just from the looks of it. It's a very noble concept! Having not played the mod yet, though, I just wasn't sure how well the levels would be gameplay-wise. Sometimes that's not easy to judge when you're just looking at maps.

Well, you know. It makes sense that you wouldn't particularly like it. Considering that you appearantly also don't like playtesting your own levels. to see if they are not only a reasonable difficulty but also, you know, are even completable at all.

To be honest, I kind of agree with Vortlike here, Sodium. You keep updating your mods like all the time, usually for the smallest fixes. I suggest doing more playtesting. Like, if you're tweaking a level, then you should play through it to make sure it can actually be beaten. Also, when you tweak a level or two, instead of just updating right away, it might be good to wait for a while to see if anything else needs fixing. I think the players would appreciate it if you did less updates but make them more meaty; it would mean they have to do less downloads and have more incentive when the updates do come.

[SodiumtheGlitcher]

@Vortlike and Quillax: I do playtest my levels. I just sometimes miss things. One of the reasons for me updating that specific levelpack is that I'm a terrible Vorticons player (I grew up on Keen:Galaxy and that only. When I was little, I didn't even know Keen:Vorticons was a thing), and I was rushing. As for why it's called LOL Town, well, that's just me and my weird sense of humor. I wasn't being mean and mocking the player. I didn't even know it wasn't possible because I couldn't get there myself. If only Keen:Vorticons had in-level saving...

@Vortlike: I'm not sure if you're complimenting me or not. It sounds like you're critiquing my work and giving some praise for it at the same time. And I get it. Like I said earlier, I miss these errors because of my not-so-great skill level at Vorticons (which is also why Billy Can't had less updates, and some of the ones it did have were for my personal taste, like the demos. I'm just much better at Galaxy in general).

[Vortlike]

As for why it's called LOL Town, well, that's just me and my weird sense of humor. I wasn't being mean and mocking the player.

Okay, well thanks for clarifying. I was wondering about that. It does seem ironic.

I didn't even know it wasn't possible because I couldn't get there myself. If only Keen:Vorticons had in-level saving...

So you figured it was too hard for you to even try but that it was probably doable for other more skilled players. And you ended up guessing wrong. This does seem kind of problematic. I don't mean that in a moralizing way but how are you gonna make a level that is any good that way? You want it to be so hard that you can't play it yourself. Like what was the plan here? As a general rule the creator should be able to finish the level relatively easy knowing where to go and what to expect and so on.

I'm not sure if you're complimenting me or not. It sounds like you're critiquing my work and giving some praise for it at the same time.

I mean yea it was alright until I realize I'm trying to solve a puzzle that can't be solved. It does have some other imperfections but I could overcome them up to that point. I feel less motivated now to suggest improvements. Because you obviously haven't even tried all levels yourself. For example the vorticon in level 4 "Green Mars Capital". Seems too hard. But I was able to do it, but I am pretty sure it required to risk death and hoping the vorticon doesn't jump at the wrong time. And even with the risk it seems a bit too challenging for most players and if you do die there you have to retry a relatively big level just to again take a gamble. But now I'm kinda curious. Are you even able to do it yourself? Have you tried it even once? Since you said yourself you aren't very good probably not right? I'm kind of assuming that since you already put the effort into making these levels that you actually care about them being playable and fun. That may not be the case at all apparently. And that seems kinda odd to me. Just saying.

[SodiumtheGlitcher]

Because you obviously haven't even tried all levels yourself. For example the vorticon in level 4 "Green Mars Capital". Seems too hard. But I was able to do it, but I am pretty sure it required to risk death and hoping the vorticon doesn't jump at the wrong time. And even with the risk it seems a bit too challenging for most players and if you do die there you have to retry a relatively big level just to again take a gamble. But now I'm kinda curious. Are you even able to do it yourself? Have you tried it even once? Since you said yourself you aren't very good probably not right? I'm kind of assuming that since you already put the effort into making these levels that you actually care about them being playable and fun. That may not be the case at all apparently. And that seems kinda odd to me. Just saying.

Oh, believe me, I have tested that level a LOT, and it IS difficult. But as for the end, I just wait for the Vorticon to run to the right or get stuck in the wall, then I just run past him. That one, I have tested. But the shrines with near pixel perfect jumps? Nah. I can barely get past the one in the secret level. But I have tested all the other ones that aren't so hard. As for the sequel, I'll try to make it easier.

I'm trying to make the required levels fun, but like I said, I was rushing and building levels extremely fast, which is why they aren't good and tested and reasonable. Sorry if that spoils the fun. I think that my Galaxy stuff is/will be better than my Vorticon levels.

[Quillax]

2.2: Best Narrative (fanfic, story of a fangame/mod/comic etc.)

• Mura by Nospike

I nominated this recently, but I'm starting to wonder if it should really count. Mura in of itself is a Vorticons mod, and the level I nominated is a Vorticons level file loaded by the Vorticons engine and is played somewhat like the Vorticons games. The story could qualify as it's a story for a Keen mod, but the story also has no relation to Keen at all. Does anyone have an opinion on this? I like the story, but at the same time I'd like to preserve the Keen in Keen Awards.

EDIT: I think I'll let it be. The story may not have Keen in it, but it's told in a Keen mod and within the confines of the Vorticons engine. It's a bit of a gray area, but for this year it'll stay.

[Soul Monster]

It seems like most of the nominations I had in mind have been added to the list, but I have a few last minute nominations of my own to include (I meant to do this sooner, but I've been sick lately).

4.1: Keenest Person Of The Year
Szemi: For the creation of Keen Dreams Gold, which is the first source mod to use the Keen Dreams engine, and finally allows so many innovations to said engine that modders have been trying to achieve for years. Also, for his dedication to modding and continuous work on new material.

4.3: Most Promising Project
Keen Meets The Meats Gold Edition by Szemi

[Quillax]

Well, that's a wrap for nominations! Thank you all for your contributions! It's a very keen list!

The polls have officially started. They will end in two weeks, the deadline being February 2, 2025. Have fun voting!

1.1: Best Vorticon Mod
1.2: Best Galaxy/Dreams Mod
1.4: Best Vorticon Level
1.5: Best Galaxy/Dreams Level
1.7: Best Tool

2.1: Best Graphical Artwork
2.2: Best Narrative
2.3: Best Music
2.5: Best Non-Computerized art
2.6: Best Gameplay Video

3.1: Best Website
3.3: Online Community Service Recognition

4.1: Keenest Person of the Year
4.2: Really Keen Stuff
4.3: Most Promising Project

[Tormentor667]

Somehow a category is missing for making Commander Keen Galaxy Reimagined the winner

[Snortimer]

The X link for "Get Well" artwork for Emmxyzzy by The Pixel Apothecary is down. As a result, I couldn't look at it before I made my vote (though ultimately it wouldn't have changed).

It should be replaced by this one, which seems to work:
"https://pckf.com/viewtopic.php?p=110678#p110678"

[Quillax]

The X link for "Get Well" artwork for Emmxyzzy by The Pixel Apothecary is down. As a result, I couldn't look at it before I made my vote (though ultimately it wouldn't have changed).

It should be replaced by this one, which seems to work:
"https://pckf.com/viewtopic.php?p=110678#p110678"

Thanks for pointing that out! I just replaced the link with the working one you posted.