First Place

Best Overall Skin: Model that made the best 
    combined use of art and shaders

Best SFX: Model whose use of shader-based 
    special effects sets it apart

What can I say? Moving parts, steam, pistons, and sound, it just makes it feel likes it's really doing something sitting there. The author also did a nice job skinning the model adding in just enough shader effects and not over doing it. – AstroCreep, Map-Center

Very big, a level in itself.  The Engine had a nice skin, along with a nice use of shaders… the fire light on the ground was cool. Good movement and modeling. – Eric Biessman, Raven Software

A great technical application of skin and shader effects to model a commanding centerpiece. – Duncan Brown

This is a great model that shows how you can pretty much just build a level as a bunch of models and clip off areas so people can interact with it.  I don't know how they did the animation, but it works and will no doubt inspire people to make levels based on this method.  I can see people making crazy machine levels where you have to dodge all sorts of stuff.  Fantastic timing on the animation in terms of syncing up shaders with the motion of the machine... Very cool. – Jay Brushwood, Nerve Software

The engine - This was cool as well.  I like all the animating parts and the skin work.  Lots of nice touches like the flame dancing on the inside.  I thought this skin really enhanced the model with its cool effects.  I could see this model being a huge centerpiece for a mechanical looking level. - Jim Hughes, Raven Software

My first and second slot was the biggest difficulty to decide. The premise for this competition was to create a model so grand that mappers would want to create a map specifically around it. I believe that both the first and second place winners did just that. As soon as I turned the corner and saw the grandness of these two models, a flood of ideas came rushing in. Ultimately I had to go with The Engine due to the sheer complexity of it. A lot of time and effort went into the creation of this model and if set up properly it could not only be visually pleasing, but would be enjoyable to death match on and around as well. – Brian Jones, Ritual Entertainment

It’s big and impressive. It animates, has a good skin texture and nice use of shaders. It had the most artistic care taken for all the different pieces of the engine  - Brian Pelletier, Raven Software

This is by far the most ambitious use of the Q3 shader language ever. It makes my head hurt to think about it. Bravo! – Kenneth Scott, id software

Good scale and great shader usage made this model feel like it could power a map. – John Turner, Nerve Software

When I first saw this model (and it was the first model submitted), I thought to myself, “this guy really wants to win the contest.” I felt that it had the ability, as a model, to cross theme genres. It could work in a gothic map, a steam-punk styled map, even in a techno map. And, I could see it showing up in some realism style maps. It wouldn’t surprise me to find it deep beneath some future Return to Castle Wolfenstein map, for that matter. I don’t think I’ve much to say that could change this map for the better. I would like to suggest however, that Karloff do some additional things with his creation: craft more small models based on it. Some additional boilers, and machines, smaller of course, using his texture set would be great. – Paul Jaquays, Ensemble Studios