Just a quick visit… It’s great Sysop that you can host the next challenge, good luck with that. 
From what 've read from the suggestions so far, I put a few things together and, what about ourselves (maybe slightly stylelized) as pilots of our own mech/vehicle?
Anyway I hope I can join this next challenge sometime after all this madness called work. 
Serul: Yup, just the same thing I was thinking of. 
edit: Anybody got an idea about what name we could give a challege with this topic?
just a thought, but has anyone tried hosting a team challenge ?!
maybe smaller groups of 3 so that people can gain experience not only on working towards a team effort, but group management and all that good stuff…
anyways, like i said, it’s just an idea…
modelling Mechas sounds good, modelling ourselves not so…last year i had to model myself for a uni module (apparently, we were supposed to be game characters from a sci fi film… we had been “digitised” and imported into a game, think Tron) and i thought it wasn’t very imaginative, because you have so much source material at hand, it’s hard to make yourself exciting, and anyone doing an exagerated version of themselves either ended up with a body like Arnie Schwarzenegger or in some sort of Sam Fisher getup…
good luck with what you finally decide upon
G…
Stylized pilots AND vehicles would be like two challenges in one. Maybe too difficult for most. But it still involves vehicles. Try a topic that will bring the most effort from many members.
Well, this is the new tradition lol, the last challenge winner passed it on too 
(or one before last?)
Anyway, this will be game art comp #10, so why not break it up this time, Game Char Comp #1 and Game "Something goes here Comp #1.
The char part has always scared me off… cause the texturing seems alot harder, and my texture skills suck.
So maybee instead of the main challenge and the mini challenge we just have a char challenge and a misc one, like make a weapon, vehicle, maybee something involving some tileable textures and map design. Then again though, a vehicle may be just as hard as a char, i know some games they are more detailed and soemtimes use the same code to move around lol… So maybee do one that covers mainly chars and vehicles, and one that covers stuff like weapons and map objects etc.
Why don’t we do a challenge, on cannons? I mean we could really see some interesting entries ranging from mecha sci-fi canon, space satellite canon, some sort of mobile canon train, etc etc, At the same time we would probably get a great big turn out of people that would join this kind of challenge…I mean if you want to do something that takes some whopping effort, then you can. At the same time this wouldn’t scare away those that don’t.
ya know just had to through in an idea…
Not a bad idea - if anyones seen the ‘cannon fodder’ short on the memories DVD, youll like the idea!
I think that a shorter deadline would be required though, cos theres only a certain amount of people who would be willing to model a fancy tube for 2 months…
that’s too complicated for the contests we have here. Normally only 25% of the entries are even finished to begin with, so imagine working on a team of 3 and one or two of the other people don’t do their part. I would be pretty pissed.
Also take note of the differences in time zones and work schedules. It would be a headache.
I like this idea - Personally, id love to do another character because i can really get stuck into it and i just enjoy making characters more. I could do with more variety in my portfolio, but whenever i try and model an environment or a prop, i just get ‘modelers block’
What about making a war machine / tank / gun platform with a huge cannon as a prominent feature?
Maybe make it retro, such as victorian, WWII, cold war etc rather than futuristic?
It can be wheeled, legged, tracked or just static.
Maybe you could make the pilot alongside it to show scale, but keep it part of the polycount?
It could be realistic (think metal gear) or cartoony (think metal slug)
I could really get stuck into this one…
Cmon sysop - crank out some ideas - it doesnt seem right having us decide for you…
Neil, I forgot to say something about that O_o, that’s one great point you have, noted very true and I agree. I’ve worked with a lot of people on many projects half way around the planet and the time zones alone are a great hassle, and that takes us back to the effort vs people joining point…
Andy H, hehe lol, PAIN IN THE ARRSS! I WANT TO MAKE BIG GUN!! then I feel tingly, about character, we’re like a bunch of kids, we just can’t help our selves, can’t get enough of what we just love to do, as a forecast character will probably be the choice… 
or do I speak to soon?
stylized vehicles with pilots is my fav idea, I’d have to make some extra time and enter that comp if that idea gets picked.
I think a vehicle with a non mistakeable main gun would be an interesting topic(the main gun would have to be at least 1/3 of the vehicle’s size. The vehicle could be built around the gun, or the gun turned into a vehicle). This also allows people to not be limited to just a cannon.
As for having a pilot(character) in the challenge, we could have this be a 2 part challenge.
The first part would be modeling a vehicle, and the second part would be choosing someone else’s vehicle, and creating a concept of a pilot off of it. It wouldn’t be manditory to model both a vehicle and a pilot, and they would be judged as two individual catagories. This way those who spend the extra time and effort to do both has a better chance of winning. And those who dont have the time or interest to do both can only do one.
Anyways, just some thoughts I had when reading everyone’s response. Even if it seems like it would be too complicated to actually work, manure can be a really good firestarter.
Were there ever is a better question, and yes there were. Will they ever return? I hope so. But it doesn’t look that way. The unofficial challenges started when they canned the official ones, in favor of the sponsored challenges like the alienware and machineflesh challenges. Unfortunately for us, those challenges didn’t have a game art catagory, so we were left to our own devices, thus, the unofficial challenges were born. Eventually we got a sub forum, and that’s how you see it today.
Here’s a peek at the archives:
http://www.cgtalk.com/archive/index.php/f-107.html
but it doesn’t seem to keep the image links in the archive…
I believe you are half right Dargon. The Unofficial Challenge started because there was no Official Game Challenge. CGtalk had challenges for high poly, and 2D art. The Unofficial Challenges made it to #4 I think, before CGtalk added it to the Official challenge. There were two Official Game Art Challenges. I found it difficult to finish those entries, since the guidelines were not intended for game assets, and honestly, not great ideas. They did bring some great art work from some members.
Then the Alienware and MachineFlesh challenges, with no room for Game Artist. Since then, the Unofficial Challenge has once again been the place to compete and learn. Game Art is and interesting genre. You can have those who are just getting started and know little about the key points of game design. Then you have those who are professionals with skills in high poly and texturing who serve as masters to the novice, not to mention tough competition.
So how about we get this thing started soon, eh? Unique Armed Vehicles with Pilots is it?
My suggestion: Keep the guidelines loose so many people can participate.
when someone said about idea stylized veichle and main gun.
I first thinked on veichle painted by grafites.
It’s gonna be ql
cmooon - lets get this shidd on the road!
any idea what the decided comp is gonna be and when its gonna start?
After my break from it, im gettin that modeling twitch again…