Is it almost time again??
Well, September started, so it probably is!!

We're doing this again!
BotB Advent Calendar 2021!!

Just to explain what this is about for new peepz:
From Dec 1st to Dec 24th, we will have daily battles featuring one format and bitpack. You have this day to make an entry and submit it. On the next day, a different format+bitpack will show up.
You can check out the previous battle for more information!
You will not know which format or bitpack is next (surprise, surprise whoooo~)

There's also this lyceum article in case you wanna read even more about it: Advent Calendar (Battle series)

Now, why do I post this bulletin even tho there are like 3 months left until the battle actually starts?
Well, I need format ideas and bitpack ideas! For formats, you can just simply post some of your favorites in this thread and people can like or hait their favs, so that I know which formats to prioritize when compiling the final list! keep in mind, we will not do allgear for 24 days.... ... (Full list of BotB formats)

For bitpacks, please send me a private message on Discord (kleeder#0056) with your idea(s). This can either be a prompt or a samplepack! I need samples for remix-based battles and prompts for basically everything else, so every idea is welcome!

hype hype hype! :D :D

channelf please!!

my wishlist

PC-98
Genesis
NSF/+
2600
C64
S3XMODIT
MPT Module
DAW (Allgear)
Gameboy

oh yeah also saves the best for last

acepalla (oops typo)

vcv, sunvox, tic80, mptm, klangfreude, paired sample and remix

Paired sample and remix would be cool

formats:

- Sample & Remix paired
- PXTone
- SNES/Super Famicom
- ModPlugTracker/.mptm
- AmigaMOD
- MSGS Midi

Also,
Jummbox
Nsf-c
Pixel
Allgear
Vocal
Svg (inkscape)

MUSESCORE TOP PRIORITY
midi
channelf
MUSESCORE TOP PRIORITY
fsound
pcx801
MUSESCORE TOP PRIORITY
awoooooooo :3

nice, i was just thinking yesterday about advent calendar (and being excited for this year's). i will send over some samples too

formats i hope return from last year:
openmpt
pxtone
renoise
amigamod

formats i'd like to see this year:
remix
midi
snes
gameboy
nsf classic
classic DOS module
famitracker/0cc

snibbe and the nsfs :]

midi
mt32
remix
fakebit
sms
vcv

I haven’t done many formats but I’d like to see these!

Sega Genesis
Pxtone
Pixel
Renoise
Jummbox/beepbox
Famitracker

allgear
wildchip
visuall
draw
remix
midi

please include something that will let a tracker-less pleb like me participate...

the one-day setup does give you some leeway to figure out new programs/formats; last year's advent calendar was my first openmpt, renoise, pxtone, sms, tiny module, and amigamod !

good low-stakes opportunity to try new things without such an impending deadline as an XHB imo

i kinda wanna split these into multiple lists for better organization. some of these i know will kinda be obvious but i'd still advocate for them just because i know a lot of people would be asking for them.

the popular choices
- allgear, wildchip, visuall, remix, fakebit(?)
bitpack: honestly idfk aside from remix. these formats are tough for making specific bitpacks for, ngl

the more general formats, in a sense. i'd prolly just limit it to one of these and keep it at that but it's your major to decide.

- draw, pixel
bitpack: you find a snowman on the side of the road...what doth it do?

more or less the "chic drawing formats". i'd personally go more with pixel, if only because there's a stronger pixel art presence on botb than traditional art has. at least, i notice more pixel artists than regular artists here.

returning to the ring
- zxbeep
bitpack: make some pentatonic punk! nice lil contrast from last year's theme

really been meaning to do more zxbeep shit, perfect time to do so too. zx spectrum really evolved into being one of my favorite systems to make music for, especially after discovering 1tracker. dunno how likely it'd be for you to put it in but we'll see

- html
bitpack: government website on a fictional department of spreading and maintaining holiday cheer.

it's advent calendar. either this gets in or i eat my fuckin pinecones.

- sms
bitpack: you see them beyond the pier...the glaciers have returned. their ominous arrival sends chills down your spine as they encroach upon the shoreline.

sms is a prime winter chiptune format, hands down. it's simple 4-channel design and unique quirks alone are gonna give people a ton of ideas i'd imagine.

- doom
bitpack: idk, last year's???

this is purely a dream scenario, ngl; doom was so wild last year, i kinda just wanna have a repeat of it. if not that, probably boom then?

- aym
bitpack: santa stays up too late after delivering presents. he is currently doing something whilst listening to his aym beats

i know for a FACT opm would be down for aym, he loves this format to death. can't blame him! it's a really fun format, tho i'd have to regain my footing on it.

the personal wish list
- nsfc/nsf+
bitpack: ice fishing time!

i kinda want this rather than nsf plain again out of intrigue of what people would make with this. nsfc i'd imagine would be pretty similar, just take out sample capabilities. nsf+ on the other hand, i have no clue what to expect...there are a SHIT TON of expansions out there so the variety would be wide for sure. if it were nsf+, idk whether limiting it to one or two expansions or just opening the flood gates would be the better option. either way, both would be very interesting to see

- ansi
bitpack: comic time, make a comic about the holidays

2021 got me fucking addicted to this format, you bet i'm gonna vouch for it for this advent calendar. i've been entering ansi majors mainly for two reasons: 1) i really enjoy whittling away at ansi entries in general, it's a really fun pasttime of mine, and 2) i wanna use ansi as a platform to help myself improve as an artist. it's why i do kixels and ascii, as well: they're all good ways to limit yourself and train your artistic skills. just so happens that ansi is my favorite way of doing that!

- sap
bitpack: you've been so middle of the road that santa doesn't even know what to do with you! are you naughty?! are you nice!?!?!?! ...tell you what. let's play a game for your placement.

as fun as sapx2 is, there's a respect in me for the og that will never die. dunno if that makes me crazy or foolish but i know i'm gonna be repping it for this advent calendar over its stereo counterpart, tho i'd also take sapx2 if necessary.

- sample > remix
bitpack: made by the botbrs

i feel like it's a bit of a crime that a big majority of all botbrs here haven't experienced anything remotely close to the 25 samples 48 hours format of the detroit and ann arbor series. let's have advent calendar rectify that this year, if only because i wanna see what botb has to submit as samples nowadays.

- ntrq
bitpack: the first few rhymes of that one christmas story everyone knows. y'know, where santa commits burglary to leave presents for a family

i'm kinda mad ntrq is as neglected as it is honestly? like god damn, native nes tracker that gets its own format (only real native tracker to get that distinction ngl) and it gets barely used. we need to rectify this PRONTO or else the format is gonna die!!!

...and that's about it for now. it's 2 am so i'm gonna drop for now and come up with more formats for tomorrow/monday if i don't have the time.

I literally just read aym in big lumby's post and I am now 100% in coalition with whatever he's saying.

Also sms! Santa Master System

every day game boy

thank you deved, that seems like a very realistic scenario

this looks like it's going to be fun.
I'm still learning about all the formats so I don't have any favorites yet.
but here are some I'm eager to play with (in no particular order).

- NEC PC-x801 FM / sgen (any fm stuff really)
- s3xmmodit
- mptm
- Renoise
- famitracker
- sgen
- allgear
- remix
- html (i also like big lumby's idea of doing some classsic alternate reality web world building)
- sample (the winning samples can be part of the bitpack for one of the following battles)
- pd/vcv

I'll put my support in for SPC.

vcv, s3xmodit, doom wad, html5 (suggesting this as a counterpart to every year's html/css), amigamod, remix would be cool (but yeah we shouldn't host a sample day because that would be a bit lame tbh)

maybe you could have the major start a day or two before the start of december as the "bit period" for the battle.
If you collect enough bits, you might be able to use them for any pxtone/s3xmodit/allgear battles too,

i think it makes more sense to me to host one or two sample 4hbs before the actual batol to get more stuff (if needed, i already got a lot of samples)

Is 4 hrs enough time to get good samples? For synthesized effects sure, but for found sounds (recordings and archive digging) that seems like it would be a bit hard. Unless of course the 4hb doesn't have a theme.

you can find some sounds really easily if you go out and look for them! sampling people talking, busy traffic, construction noises, etc. and turning them into instruments i feel would be a really cool theme ngl. while it would be a trite difficult if you're trying to find sounds that are difficult to find in the first place, there's also nothing stopping you from just sifting through what you got and making it as usable as you can.

but ofc, the theme could be anything for the 4hbs. synthesized stuff only, drums only, etc....the possibilities are pretty vast for what amy can do with this concept.

_{also quick side note: i am completely fine with you relegating samples to a 4hb or two, a whole day of samples would be a bit much}

Since there's no XG, MT-32 for sure
Perhaps AdLib/AdLib Gold too

Thanks for your input everyone.
Stage 2 of Planning Phase is gonna start soon!