The next Iron Modders will be held as follows:

Special Tutu Edition: FEBRUARY 5, 2005
Iron Modder 7: MARCH 6, 2005

commencing at 12 noon Central US time (6 PM UK, 7 PM Europe, 10 AM Pacific US, 1 PM Eastern US.) Mark your calendars.

For those of you new to the Iron Modder concept, here's how it works:

The TV show Iron Chef depicts world-class chefs in an hour-long battle of wits and will at Kitchen Stadium. At the top of the hour, an insane overlord announces a secret theme ingredient, around which the Iron Chefs must design and prepare a multi-course meal.

Things are very similar in Infinity Stadium.

- I am the insane overlord.

- At an appointed time, I announce a secret theme for a mod. (Past Iron Modder themes: "A Hero For All the Wrong Reasons", "The Price Of Friendship", "A Broken Promise," "A Kiss Before Dying", "Some of My Best Friends Are Slimes" and "The Last Mug of Ale In Amn.")

- Iron Modders have four hours to design, prepare, and submit a functioning mod that exhibits the theme. Standard Iron Modder contests work to BG2: SOA or TOB, but the special Tutu edition works to the BG1Tutu conversion.

- Iron Mods are judged by an arbitrarily assembled panel on a 25 point scale:

EXposition of the Theme (1-10)
Originality (1-5)
Innovation (1-5)
ENtertainment (1-5)

- Entries are only credited to one author, although it is permitted to work with anonymous sous-chefs.

- Entries may contain prefabricated content, for instance pieces of another mod the modder is working on, or the use of community AI scripting, if that content is disclosed to the judges. It has been my observation that the use of prefab content has very little positive impact on scoring, however.

- It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that Iron Modders allocate a block of time for testing before the 4-hour period expires. Iron Modders are also encouraged to use an external tester if possible.

- The winner earns the right to be known as IRON MODDER!

Domi took the Iron Modder crown in Iron Modder 6. Do you have what it takes to dethrone her?

The complete history of Iron Modder, including download packs of submitted mods, is available at http://www.pocketplane.net/ironmod

ALLEZ MODDING!