Leading the server into new year, I would like to start a new contest format. Why?
As you know, I have been notoriously late in closing contests and announcing new ones. This has caused a lot of contest entries to be erased since users expired before the contest was closed. Further, upgrades of great people have been delayed of this and have been existing only far-and-between. I think we fixed the upgrade issue with the new voting system, the question is now how we can continue to run the contests so we do not lose it as a great thing on the server.
So the issue why it took me so long is the following: I needed to go on the server and rate 20+ entries. Since I want to take this seriously and give everyone a fair chance (my rating power is higher than normal users), I wanted to take time for this, which I usually do not have. I cannot not do it from work, since my internet connection is not fast enough there. So I stated to procrastinate it, with the outcome well known. Further, moving the contest entries back to the city took quite some time always because I had to find a location for each single building and copy-paste the items over. Only that would take me 3-4 hours.
So the proposal is to change as follows:
- Shorter contests. The time to build something should be max 6-8 weeks. We often took 3 months from the get-go and then more due to delayed closure.
- No more votes from me. If I do not need to vote, no issue for me to delay.
- I will try to copy landscape to the contest area from the beginning so that people can prepare what they build to fit into the landscape from the beginning. We can build roads already during the contest. I am not sure if this works, but will try.
- Winnings will be Steam items contributed by users as promised before. On top of that, winners will get a proposal vote from me. I usually did not vote on proposals, but for contests wins, you will get a proposal from my side which is worth 16 points – provided that you did not get promoted in the last 2 months. On top of that of course diamonds etc as we had it.
So my question is what you guys think about that. Please comment.
This sounds reasonable. I support this.
-If the roads are built while the contest runs, the roads should only be able to be built by, say Architect or Designer and above.
-The already copied landscape sounds good toosince it allows better integration into the enviroment. If the randomly allocated contest lot doesn’t fit your purpose, make it fit, you’re human.
-Your vote pretty much can turn around all the votes before by 180°. But if it makes stuff too time consuming, you don’t have to imo.
-The shorter time period is reasonable too for it makes everything faster.
I like the idea and JoBilly’s addition of level restrictions for roads and whatnot.
The natural landscape is a fantastic addition to contest builds! This will allow for more creativity in design and application. And roads and foot paths will enable the community to integrate our lots/builds together.
I hope I am on the server when you claim your contest lot JoBilly and pagreifer. I would love to border yours. Four sides to a center lot, terrain to consider, this adds a whole new dynamic to contests.
So I assume that it will be against the rules to modify terrain so that the builds can be copied over more easily?
This sounds like a great change to the contest format. I also hope to be on when Pag and Owl sign up to be adjacent.
I hope we are moderate on the rules for modifying terrain as long as impenetrable barriers or cliffs between lots is not the result. I would like the ability to fill my lot up 40 blocks or so and match the original topography. I could then have Owl’s haunted mines/tombs/catacombs under my contest build. Unc could then plant my lot at grade level when it is moved to the city. My surface roads will look crazy until transferred to the city.
There will be only 4-5 blocks high of terrain pasted into the contest lot. When you build your entry, you are asked to make it so it lines up with the surface. We never allowed cellars/underground structures in the contests.
Terrain: I really like the idea.
From what I’ve seen many people flatten their build sites anyways, so I’m not sure about the terrain copying – maybe for specific contests,
such as to have the contests structured around an area or biome, like a witches house in a swamp, a dwarven house in a mountain, etc.
Roads: Problem.
I’m not sure if building roads during the contest will be more efficient unless every build will be copied including the winners. If only the winning builds are copied then there will be lost effort on the roads.
To fix this…
Sharing Method 1: [There is a set standard for road material in each contest build] and each lot owner will be required to use those blocks and cooperate with a neighbor.
Sharing Method 2: [The roads could be included in each contest build to be voted upon] OR [There is a set standard for road material in each contest build]. To fix possible overlapping of lanes the roads could be halved (this would not require cooperation). The missing linkage between winners then could be added by Architects and above.
Winning Method: The roads are added post-contest in the aether by the winners or by Architects and above.
Sponsor Method: The roads are added during each contest by Architects and above based on the progress of each lot. The only issue with this method is possible favoritism and that there could still be lost effort on the roads based on the winners. However, this would be the smoothest way of transitioning to the final copy state and it will allow more of a community feel.
There are surely issues if a large part of the contest entries fails some minimum standard to get copied to the city or never gets finished. I will think about a way around this.