"Why hasn't CAP 9 started yet?"

[DougJustDoug]

We normally discourage people asking questions like "When is X going to happen?", since we really don't have timelines for most things, and no clear schedule. The answer is almost always, "Be patient. It will happen when it happens." But, in this case, we have had the longest layoff between CAP's in the project's entire history. For those of you that are not involved in all the off-forum activity of the CAP project (the server, the IRC channel, etc.) -- you are most likely completely in the dark on the current state of the project. So this will serve as an update for everyone to know where we stand.

It's very normal to have a lag between CAP projects. The biggest factor in the length of the intermission is Policy Review. We constantly evaluate the project and try to improve it. For a variety of reasons, we have discovered that it is a bad idea to alter the project's rules while we are in the middle of a creating a pokemon. So, we make all our process changes in between CAP projects.

After CAP 8, we made some fundamental changes to the CAP project -- most notably to the role of Topic Leader. In addition to the time required to complete the Policy Reviews threads, the PR changes have required us to make numerous updates to several reference documents. Completing those changes has been a very slow process. Also, many senior members of the project are on summer break from school, and have a variety of RL complications that have constrained their involvement with the project. For these reasons, this "PR intermission" has taken much longer than it has in the past.

Here is a list of "Things To Do" that we have been working on, listed roughly in order of difficulty/time to complete. The hardest/longest stuff is listed at the top.

1. Policy Review threads *Done*
2. Write a new Topic Leader Guide *Done*
3. Update the Process Guide:
   • Topic Leader *Done*
   • Policy Review Committee *Done*
   • Concepts *Done*
   • Art Submissions *Done*
   • Style and Build
   • Stat Spread
   • Move Discussions
   • Movepool
4. Add "thread hogging" rule to general forum rules *Done*
5. Add the TL Guide to the EnCAPlopedia

As you can see, there's still several items left to be finished. But, a lot of the difficult, time-consuming stuff is done. I'm working on this as much as my schedule allows, and several other folks are helping wherever they can. When this list gets completed, or is almost all complete -- then we can kickoff CAP 9.

So, for anyone curious about the state of the next CAP, and wondering why we haven't started yet -- there's your answer.

 

[Fuzznip]

Yeah, this has been taking quite a while, but there has been a lot of PR threads and a lot of changes being done to our current process.

I'm thinking CAP 9 will start in about a week or so, everything should be close to be finished, if not finished.


By the way, is there anyway I can help with the incomplete areas? I would like to take part.

 

[VKCA]

Don't forget about the playtesting of the first six cap's.
edit:
We wouldn't be able to playtest cap 9 if we are still playtesting the other 6, not that the playtesting would take that long.

 

[Stellar]

Playtesting isn't hindering the start of CAP9. They can run concurrently.

 

[tennisace]

Don't forget about the playtesting of the first six cap's.
edit:
We wouldn't be able to playtest cap 9 if we are still playtesting the other 6, not that the playtesting would take that long.

I'm pretty sure that Stellar and I designed the playtesting time period to end at the beginning of the playtesting of CAP9; the delay of CAP9 only cemented that.

EDIT: Finished my part of the TL guide, I just need Doug to look over it. Then step #5 can be completed.

 

[Lord Jesseus]

wen r cap 9????!!!!

Seriously though, "Be patient. It will happen when it happens." seemed obvious to me.

In any case, the massive amount of policy review going on must surely be a good thing, it's worth the wait if you ask me.

 

[mushtool]

Thank God I found this post...
Having recently joined, I had no idea what the hell was going on, with all the posts about playtesting and that stuff, so now I happily accept the wait to CaP 9

 

[DougJustDoug]

I've made a lot of progress on the To Do List in the OP, with help from Tennisace, Darkie, and Stellar. Hopefully we can get the last few items knocked out -- and get CAP 9 underway soon!

 

[Aerodactyl Legend]

I've made a lot of progress on the To Do List in the OP, with help from Tennisace, Darkie, and Stellar. Hopefully we can get the last few items knocked out -- and get CAP 9 underway soon!

In a way, the more things to be done, the better. Ensures fresher, possibly more effective processes to be used in the project.

 

[darkie]

ALSO TO DO:
~ A Newcomer's Guide to CAP to be written
~ Update individual analyses as per results of playtesting
~ New metagame analysis to be written once all CAPs are together

none of these will hinder the start of CAP9. They are just random things that randomly need to get done.

 

[R S E FR LG]

~ A Newcomer's Guide to CAP to be written

YES!!!

none of these will hinder the start of CAP9. They are just random things that randomly need to get done.

NOO!!!

I need the guide to help me with my concept submission, I think my Justification and Questions suck, and the example doesn't help me with the Questions as my idea isn't theme based. Does anyone want to help me?

EDIT: @Below: No, what I mean is that it's not based on a type of weather, etc. My actual Pokemon has a theme, but most of the Questions for the example deal with Sunny Day in general instead of the Pokemon specifically.

EDIT2: @Below: How are the games random? They go in order and are seperated by system.

 

[tennisace]

I have completed and revised the following:

Style and Build
Stat Spread
Move Discussions

I'm not sure what goes in the "movepool" category; I already updated the Complete Movepool Submission part and the move discussions. I think "movepool" is superfluous because the TL chooses the competitive moves now, and selects people to make movepools.

Also isn't the TL guide done? I looked over it and thought the revisions were fine.

I think we're done now!

EDIT: @A bunch of random games -- if it's not theme based it's probably not legal, check the rules again. Other than that, the guide should cover it fine.

 

[Nik S D]

~ A Newcomer's Guide to CAP to be written

Great! I recently found the CAP forum, and it seems pretty interesting. But here's a quick question: How up to date is the list at the top? It's just, someone said that they had finished #5...

Also isn't the TL guide done? I looked over it and thought the revisions were fine.

Yep, there it is. Also, what about this?

I have completed and revised the following:

Style and Build
Stat Spread
Move Discussions

I think we're done now!

So technically, shouldn't CAP 9 start now? I'm new to this, so I don't know all of the small details involved, so I would appreciate it if someone would fill me in.

 

[tennisace]

There are still some loose ends to be tied up with a project, so hang in there!

 

[DougJustDoug]

Although most people here in the CAP forum may think nothing is going on -- there has been quite a bit happening behind-the-scenes recently. CAP 9 is going to be part of a big "re-launch" of the CAP project. There are many facets to the re-launch, and everything is almost complete. I don't want to list all the details of the re-launch, because that would ruin the surprise. But, it's gonna be big!

There are some frustrating bottlenecks that are hampering progress at the moment, but this has nothing to do with contributions of members, or willingness to help. Several people have been helping put together the re-launch, and their work has been outstanding! So we don't need any new volunteers, or anything like that. We just need to get some technical details worked out, and hopefully we'll be on our way.

Getting the CAP project moving is my top priority right now. I'm frustrated over the length of the current "lull" and the many delays that we have faced. But, I'm also incredibly excited about the re-launch! With any luck, it will be happening very soon... stay tuned.

 

[Class]

Thanks for the update Doug. It sounds great. Keep it up!

 

[Cybeny]

Hi, I'm kinda new to this whole competitive battling thing, and when I found CAP it actually sounds really interesting. But is everybody allowed to participate in it, or is it only for experienced people?

 

[Erazor]

Hi, I'm kinda new to this whole competitive battling thing, and when I found CAP it actually sounds really interesting. But is everybody allowed to participate in it, or is it only for experienced people?

Everyone.

 

[Cybeny]

Sweet, then I'm really, really looking foward to CAP 9.

 

[Intentionally Wrong]

Looks like this thread isn't quite dead yet! I'll ask my question here, then:

In the "why hasn't CAP 9 started yet" thread, Doug listed a bunch of different additions and updates to the Process Guide. Was the post-playtesting "Moral of the Story" reflections or rating thread going to be added, or were the ideas from that particular policy review just being incorporated into the section on Concept threads?

 

[AJC]

by "re-launch" what do you mean by that?