Since everybody kinda seems to want to know. And here is some constructive criticism, Simon style, for the next time you enter... because this contest was cool and we will definately do it again.
(All the dungeons listed here are very good, but I'm only going to list why exactly they didn't win... which should help the entries next time, I would think.
So don't take the negative comments as meaning that I didn't like these... if I didn't like them, they wouldn't have been runners ups or honorable mentions.)
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The "runner-ups" (the ones in final contention for the win) in no particular order at all, would be:
SylentOne
-dungeon: A very cool trip behind a waterfall.
-didn't win because: Too long-winded. =) The art of the worldbuilder requires interesting descriptions balanced with making them a length that people will actually stop to read.
Abhorr
-dungeon: A pirate ship with a sea monster at the end.
-didn't win because: This is a hard one to describe. Basically didn't win because it wasn't quite as good as Islander's. Yeah, seriously.
Also, I have this weird disposition to dislike anything that is a pirate ship. =( Which is just bad luck since this happened to be a pirate ship.
Mylor
-dungeon: A magical amusement park... also behind a waterfall. Carnies!!!
-didn't win because: Too imaginitive, complicated, and beyond the scope of typical worldbuilding. Seems silly at first, but really makes sense when you think about it, because dungeons must be actually buildable to be good. This level of complication will only be shown when Balthazar's fortress is available for storming, NOT for just a normal dungeon on there. (It will take me as long to make Balthazar's fortress as it takes to make most of Ethucan, most likely.) If we made normal dungeons this complicated and long, we would quickly burn out. =) Still, so interesting it had to be in the finalists.
Topaz (SORRY I FORGOT THIS ONE WHEN I FIRST POSTED!!! =\)
-dungeon: An awesome trip through a cliff dwelling full of ghosties of warriors and such.
-didn't win because: This is another one that just was "not quite as good as Islander's entry." (See Abhorr post.)
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And some additional "Honorable Mentions," too (in no particular order again):
Hayate
-dungeon: A N'rolav tomb for fallen adventurers.
-didn't win because: Very good construction, but its problem was that it was very similar to things already found in the game. Would give a person that "haven't I been here before?" feeling as they went through.
Maji
-dungeon: A village full of crazed centaurs.
-didn't win because: This entry disturbed one of the worldbuilders because of the haphazard slaughtering of an entire village of folks. =) Yeah, there are places like that elsewhere in the game already, but this was done in a way that would make anybody who played this dungeon feel a bit "evil." Characters in DG are supposed to be basically good. One would not feel heroic after finishing this dungeon. Besides that fatal error, this was a very strong entry.
Groloth
-dungeon: A quest through a magical demon realm on a question to upgrade the Ultimate Weapon.
-didn't win because: Was lacking in detail and interesting exposition. (Basically the opposite of Sylent.) Also, I don't know where people are getting this idea that the UW of Power is going to ever be back in the game, so this dungeon was made impossible by the UW's inclusion in the concept.
Fleur
-dungeon: Secret passages under the High King's castle.
-didn't win because: Hard to get into specifics with this one. I guess the concept of giant frogs just didn't appeal to me. =) This was a decent entry, though, and she shouldn't change a lot in style if Fleur enters in the next contest. Just no giant frogs. =\ Especially with such a goofy name. =) As I said, it is hard to go into specifics... but basically this did not win or get to be a finalist because it did not get me to go "oooo!" Sometimes these things come down to that.
We had a lot of entries. Every single one was good, imaginitive, amusing, or some combination of the three. =)