Butterfly Effect

Join in with competitions to make the best trials... with a twist!

Moderator: EN - Forum Moderators

Locked
User avatar
Awsome2464
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2020 4:40 am
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: United States

Butterfly Effect

Post by Awsome2464 »

Butterfly Effect
Co-Hosted by Awsome2464 and DJJ6800

Image
(One small change can make one large difference.)


One of the things that many Ace Attorney fans, including myself, enjoy about the series is its writing, specifically its timeline of events. With proper days and years specified in each entry (except for the Professor Layton crossover), it's easy to piece together what happened when, and how one event flows into the next, creating a straight, linear timeline. But what if something in that timeline was different somehow? How would that affect the plot going forward?


Task:

The goal of this competition is to create a case set in a world where one event in the Ace Attorney timeline is either different or never happened at all. For example, what if Mia wasn't attacked in Turnabout Sisters? What if Edgeworth really DID shoot Robert Hammond in Turnabout Goodbyes? Or, as the above image suggests, what if Phoenix had become a prosecutor rather than a defense attorney?

Please note that just because it's set in a world where an event changed, it does not have to be set during the moment of that change. For example, if you're going with a timeline where Mia didn't die in Turnabout Sisters, the case itself can be set in the Apollo Justice era to showcase how her being alive would affect that time of the timeline. In fact, the farther along from that changed event the story is set, the more opportunities you have to showcase differences.

Also note that while examples were given to set up the idea and give inspiration, you're allowed to use any event from any game set in the official Ace Attorney timeline, including Ace Attorney Investigations 1 and 2 & DGS 1 and 2. For sake of giving more potential ammo, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright is also allowed.


Judging

Story: Like any good case, especially one with a theme like this, you need a well-made story. Do your best to properly keep canon continuity in mind. For example, if Phoenix never met any of the Feys, he would realistically never have a Magatama (unless you come up with a good reason as to how he would get one).

Presentation: It should probably go without saying, but make your case look and feel good. We can't judge a case that's bugged beyond playing.

Gameplay: While standard Ace Attorney gameplay is acceptable, see if you can think outside the box a bit. For example, what if Apollo never got his signature bracelet? Could there be a different method he would use to "perceive" the tells of those on the stand? If you're going the classic AA route, then try to make it more than just reading a kinetic/linear novel.

Theme Relevance: Easily the most important. This competition will really test your knowledge of Ace Attorney and its canon. Do your best to make a world where X being different led to Y happening believable. Something like "Cindy Stone was never murdered, therefore a bombing occurred at Tres Bien" and leaving it at that won't cut it. However, something like "Cindy Stone was never murdered, but she ended up dumping Larry officially and ended up dating and breaking up with a different man who went crazy and bombed Tres Bien because she was eating there" would work. Explain how and why X led to Y in a logical way. The bigger (yet logical) the result of the change is, the better.


Rules
  • Entry must have been created between January 26th, 2021 and April 27th, 2021.
  • Entry and full walkthrough must be submitted to Awsome2464 and DJJ6800 by the deadline.
  • Entry must not be showcased until it has been judged.
  • Entry must not be edited after submission until the competition is over.
  • Entry may contain spoilers from any AA game set in the canon timeline, including PLvsPW. If it contains spoilers for anything non-AA, please specify when submitting.
  • Entry may be an Investigation, Trial, Comedy, or Miscellaneous so long as it follows the comp rules.
  • Entry may be incomplete, but try to plan accordingly so that it can be finished by the deadline.
  • Entry may be a collaboration between no more than 2 people. If a third party is to play test the case, they must not be a judge or other participant.

Deadline

Your entry and a full walkthrough must be sent to Awsome2464 and DJJ6800 by 11:59:59 PM CST (UTC -6) on April 27th, 2021. A 12-hour grace period will be given in case of internet failure or other unforeseen complications.


Entrants

Entered Withdrew
  • FenrirDarkWolf
  • SuperAj3 and Tiagofvarela
  • BrushApocalypse and MasqueradeDemure
  • trialdude
  • ikuzonos
  • drvonkitty and ZekromFan5
  • RiverCastle
  • Bannedfrom7
Last edited by Awsome2464 on Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:46 pm, edited 12 times in total.
Image Image
User avatar
SuperAj3
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:19 am
Spoken languages: English, 日本語(少しだけ)
Location: Legal Land

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by SuperAj3 »

I was contemplating making a bonus case for my Colton Owen Ace Attorney fan game as part of the next comp. I'll consider how to make it theme relevant but this seems like a fun idea! Not entering yet but I'll see.
ImageImageImageImage
Avatar from the TSub website :april:
User avatar
risefromtheashes
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:33 am
Spoken languages: English, Russian, Armenian, Spanish

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by risefromtheashes »

Interesting concept! I have some vague ideas in mind, but I'll hold off on entering officially until I can think of something concrete. Good luck to all!
The Mindcastle System
(Don't know what a system is? Play 6-4, and take a look here.)
----------
OUR CASES:
- Athena Cykes ~ Locks on the Heart (synopsis)
- May Your Memory Be a Blessing
- A Little Piece of Healing
- The Killer Turnabout (~70% complete!)
- I guess we made the Looking Back case comp ceremony with Super legenda, but that's not an actual case

----------
Check out our music & art thread here!
Super legenda
Posts: 860
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:10 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: Español e Ingles

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by Super legenda »

Reaaaally interesting concept! Good luck to any entrants! I won't join this time because I actually want to complete my case. And I don't want to host another comp again so soon when I win.
User avatar
DJJ6800
Posts: 402
Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 3:40 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: Somewhere on the Planet Earth

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by DJJ6800 »

This'll be an interesting one to see who enters. Also, I'm making an obligatory "Until Dawn" reference here because why not. Can't wait to judge the entries with Awsome!
User avatar
clcman
Posts: 1361
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:40 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: Classified

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by clcman »

Ah, that feeling when your entry (or "entry" in this case) for the last competition fits the next competition's theme better than the previous one's.

No joke, risefromtheashes and I have been planning a possible case for a while and hoping for a good comp theme to use it in, and then we both saw this theme and were like "YES!". And then we read what it actually was and went "NO!", because our concept is entirely about butterfly effects, but specifically not related to the AA canon.

Oh well, I guess I'll just go off and make an APET sequel or something. Or finish a case, but who does stuff like that?
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
User avatar
FenrirDarkWolf
Posts: 7559
Joined: Sat May 08, 2010 4:30 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Contact:

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by FenrirDarkWolf »

OhmyGOD
I've had a trial with this EXACT type of theming in my head for a LONG time. Count me in!
AKABuddyFaithAKADiego
Spoiler : Wanted to use these as avatars, but it wouldn't let me. They're by Nibroc-Rock :
Image
User avatar
Awsome2464
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2020 4:40 am
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: United States

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by Awsome2464 »

FenrirDarkWolf, you're officially in!

And clcman, is that an official opt-in?
Image Image
User avatar
risefromtheashes
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:33 am
Spoken languages: English, Russian, Armenian, Spanish

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by risefromtheashes »

clcman wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:34 pm Ah, that feeling when your entry (or "entry" in this case) for the last competition fits the next competition's theme better than the previous one's.

No joke, risefromtheashes and I have been planning a possible case for a while and hoping for a good comp theme to use it in, and then we both saw this theme and were like "YES!". And then we read what it actually was and went "NO!", because our concept is entirely about butterfly effects, but specifically not related to the AA canon.

Oh well, I guess I'll just go off and make an APET sequel or something. Or finish a case, but who does stuff like that?
We literally spent three weeks planning that case (still aren't done) and I was like, "hey, clc, if the next comp allows for it, I think we should try to enter this concept," and we were waiting impatiently, for me to finish the awards ceremony to see if it would work. I am both very amused and very disappointed that this is how it worked out. What a coincidence, am I right?
The Mindcastle System
(Don't know what a system is? Play 6-4, and take a look here.)
----------
OUR CASES:
- Athena Cykes ~ Locks on the Heart (synopsis)
- May Your Memory Be a Blessing
- A Little Piece of Healing
- The Killer Turnabout (~70% complete!)
- I guess we made the Looking Back case comp ceremony with Super legenda, but that's not an actual case

----------
Check out our music & art thread here!
User avatar
clcman
Posts: 1361
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:40 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: Classified

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by clcman »

Awsome2464 wrote: And clcman, is that an official opt-in?
I'm going to refrain from committing to anything at least until the public release of the actual APET is complete. So "no", for now.
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
User avatar
BrushApocalypse
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 7:01 am
Spoken languages: English
Location: yes :)

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by BrushApocalypse »

Ah man, this theme is EXACTLY my kind of thing but there's no way I'll have the time to commit to designing a whole case in the next few months. Not to mention I haven't even made any cases on my own time. Curse you, universe, with your awful awful timing!

...That being said, would anyone be willing to collab with a relative newbie? I've got plenty of experience writing fanfiction, and I'll admit I don't have any hard evidence of this, but making elaborately butterflied AUs is a bit of a hobby of mine. Like I said, I've yet to make anything substantial around here, but I'm quite willing to help someone else plan and write their ideas. I may not be super experienced with this particular medium, but I'm ready to try my best!

(And if it sweetens the pot at all, I'm much more provably good at custom sprites. Who wouldn't want to win on Best Presentation? :wink:)
User avatar
SuperAj3
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:19 am
Spoken languages: English, 日本語(少しだけ)
Location: Legal Land

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by SuperAj3 »

BrushApocalypse wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:19 am Ah man, this theme is EXACTLY my kind of thing but there's no way I'll have the time to commit to designing a whole case in the next few months. Not to mention I haven't even made any cases on my own time. Curse you, universe, with your awful awful timing!

...That being said, would anyone be willing to collab with a relative newbie? I've got plenty of experience writing fanfiction, and I'll admit I don't have any hard evidence of this, but making elaborately butterflied AUs is a bit of a hobby of mine. Like I said, I've yet to make anything substantial around here, but I'm quite willing to help someone else plan and write their ideas. I may not be super experienced with this particular medium, but I'm ready to try my best!

(And if it sweetens the pot at all, I'm much more provably good at custom sprites. Who wouldn't want to win on Best Presentation? :wink:)
If you'd like to collab, I'm up for it! I've got a plan in mind so I'm genuinely considering entering this.
ImageImageImageImage
Avatar from the TSub website :april:
User avatar
MasqueradeDemure
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2021 12:34 am
Gender: Female
Spoken languages: English

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by MasqueradeDemure »

BrushApocalypse wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:19 am Ah man, this theme is EXACTLY my kind of thing but there's no way I'll have the time to commit to designing a whole case in the next few months. Not to mention I haven't even made any cases on my own time. Curse you, universe, with your awful awful timing!

...That being said, would anyone be willing to collab with a relative newbie? I've got plenty of experience writing fanfiction, and I'll admit I don't have any hard evidence of this, but making elaborately butterflied AUs is a bit of a hobby of mine. Like I said, I've yet to make anything substantial around here, but I'm quite willing to help someone else plan and write their ideas. I may not be super experienced with this particular medium, but I'm ready to try my best!

(And if it sweetens the pot at all, I'm much more provably good at custom sprites. Who wouldn't want to win on Best Presentation? :wink:)
Ah! I'm in the exact same boat right now. I have a trunked idea that fits the contest perfectly but I'm in the middle of working on the next case in my PyWright fangame right now :gumshoe:. I'm not that experienced with AAO, but if you really want someone to collab with I'm fairly confident the jump from PyWright to here won't be too difficult (hopefully).
User avatar
BrushApocalypse
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 7:01 am
Spoken languages: English
Location: yes :)

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by BrushApocalypse »

Oh geez, I wasn't expecting multiple people to respond that fast. Now I have to actually make a decision rather than just going with whoever happens to offer!

Well, I'm not gonna pick at random. SuperAj3 is looking like the most tempting contender since he got there first and I've seen his name around, but this seems like something to negotiate first. You can PM me if you want a shot as well, but no promises!
User avatar
DJJ6800
Posts: 402
Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 3:40 pm
Gender: Male
Spoken languages: English
Location: Somewhere on the Planet Earth

Re: Butterfly Effect

Post by DJJ6800 »

clcman wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:34 pm Ah, that feeling when your entry (or "entry" in this case) for the last competition fits the next competition's theme better than the previous one's.

No joke, risefromtheashes and I have been planning a possible case for a while and hoping for a good comp theme to use it in, and then we both saw this theme and were like "YES!". And then we read what it actually was and went "NO!", because our concept is entirely about butterfly effects, but specifically not related to the AA canon.

Oh well, I guess I'll just go off and make an APET sequel or something. Or finish a case, but who does stuff like that?
I was gonna say you should make a Holy Turnabout Batman spinoff or something.
Locked