Yeah, thanks to everyone for taking part in the contests! I think we had a good run for a long time and I enjoyed that a lot. Maybe I find some time to summarize a few things.
The participation dropped significantly during the last few months, though, so the the question remains if there is enough interest in the contests to have a restart.
It's a good time for some fresh ideas as well I guess
Thank you for having these contests. I know it probably took more effort to organized & manage these than what was apparent to the average visitor. Hopefully interest will return in the future.
Well, considering the last idea I had went over as really interesting, and it was something I was challenging myself with, I'll toss my newest personal challenge up here.
At the moment, I'm going through art descriptions, not looking at what card it was for or the original piece of art that is on the card, and painting my own take on whichever art description I choose. I'm trying to pick descriptions that don't require looking at particular setting references, such as a certain character in the game, or something like "a boros soldier", where you have to get the armor just right. It's a fun challenge.
Thanks everyone for throwing new and challenging ideas. Still, at this point what we are talking about and trying to figure out how to improve it, is the contest strubcture and the possibility of modifying the prizing system as well. If any of you has any idea or even a personal opinion of what did you really liked about the old contests, and what didn't (or even what would you like to see modified), it would be great. Even if such ideas could not end being part of the new strubcture of the contests, they will be useful hints and help us to figure out the best way to bring them back.
At the moment, I'm not at my place, so I had few if not zero time to sit and brainstorm with the crew about the matter. Still, we're considering to reduce the percentaje of rounds per year, and also trying to figure out if it could be possible to add a sort of extra prizes, like other contests in other sites have. Since this would mean to inolve third parties in the contests (players, organizers and donators/sponsors) We're discussing all the ariables involved here, wich includes the general forums rules. Once we have something decided, expect to see the official announcements here.
We want the contests to be back, but we also want (and it is a MUST) them to come back in an improved form that we could call a success that will never face an auto-win or a 1VS1 poll again. It's not an easy goal to achieve, but certainly it's neither an impossible one. Time will tell, and your opinion will be the best thing we can have fur our task.
For me personally, it's really not a given the contests should or even will make a comeback.
As of now, only 3 people responded to Bulls announcement (thanks for that! :)), two of which are seasoned contest and forum veterans. That sort of reflects the interest in the contests quite well.
We had times the contest saw a lot of attention and many users enjoyed taking part just for the fun and also for seeing how their stuff compared to others. While some users were remarkable exceptions, this kind of intrinsic motivation has generally declined.
I also disagree with Bull that the contests need a more attractive prize system. A trophy is an attractive prize and that alone made some users try to bend the polls behind the scenes in their favor.
Also, if extrinsic motivation is the only thing that keeps this alive, then forget it.
All things in life have their place and time, and maybe the time of contests is simply over.
Yeah, that's another thing, and even if we want the contests back and healty in our harts, one of the possibilities is that these don't come back soon, or perhaps ever (my call is that they'll be back, but we never know. It all deppends, as adunakhor said, on the interest you, the community, demostrate about them.)
I don't belive the time for the contests is over, but it's certainly over as they used to be. If they come back, they should come back evolved. if not, they will face extintion and trying to insist in the old shape will mean just a vain attempt of necroing. Since the fuel for the contests is your interest on them, you're the ones that have the power to help them to survive, or to bury them for ever. Do you love them enough? Do you need them to be there? It's up to you, folks...
I would like to participate in altered-art contest. Is there one planned anytime soon?
Hello, Rhaegys
Thanks for asking and welcome to our forums!
Well, the idea is to have them back, but we do not want to do so in a rush. We have been talking about a completely new proposal for them, but I belive it would be better to leave holidays behind to sit and polish details. As the soonest, they could be back in February. As late, we don't know. You're invited to come round from time to time and check
I enjoy the contests when I participate and when I don't. I only get to participate when I have time or when I remember. I sometimes forget about the contests, even though I spend about 90%+ of my time in the Art section of the forums.
I do hope that someday they come back. I have to agree with adunakhor that a prize outside of the cup by your name could be detrimental to the contest. I like my cup, and would like more of them.
Well, what we were discussing the last time about the contests' return was something like the following:
Instead of proposing a task each month (and all the things involved in such process), there would be a comitee that would take care of the selection of a determined amount of alters and artwork pieces from the whole production shared by the users during the month, then these would be added to a poll for votation.
This way, we would never have an attendance issue anymore, while also ppl wouldn't need to adjust to a particular task (there are many gifted alterists that just can't afford to spend time in a non-comissioned piece to jump in the competition every month). We would discuss the possibility of adding limitations for each month, so the group of valid entries could be reduced (we would be announcing these in advance in case we decide to apply them). Or... We could add a special prize for those pieces that meet a given condition (it wouldn't probably be a cup, but perhaps it would be a sort of score table that would reléase a cup after a given time frame).
Also, the comitee would be conformed by people that has experience in the area, such as renowned alterists, mods, etc).
I actually miss the challenges set out by the artwork contests. My current work schedule wouldn't give me the time to do a contest every month, but have you considered rotating the contests seasonally? Have a spring contest from March until May, summer contest from June until August, etc.
Contests aren't priority right now, so they will stay in recess by the moment (we're working on other stuff right now). Still, when these come back (they will), we want to mantain them as a monthly thing. There's a high chance of them to be as described in post #180.
The participation dropped significantly during the last few months, though, so the the question remains if there is enough interest in the contests to have a restart.
It's a good time for some fresh ideas as well I guess
My gallery of altered cards
At the moment, I'm going through art descriptions, not looking at what card it was for or the original piece of art that is on the card, and painting my own take on whichever art description I choose. I'm trying to pick descriptions that don't require looking at particular setting references, such as a certain character in the game, or something like "a boros soldier", where you have to get the armor just right. It's a fun challenge.
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
At the moment, I'm not at my place, so I had few if not zero time to sit and brainstorm with the crew about the matter. Still, we're considering to reduce the percentaje of rounds per year, and also trying to figure out if it could be possible to add a sort of extra prizes, like other contests in other sites have. Since this would mean to inolve third parties in the contests (players, organizers and donators/sponsors) We're discussing all the ariables involved here, wich includes the general forums rules. Once we have something decided, expect to see the official announcements here.
We want the contests to be back, but we also want (and it is a MUST) them to come back in an improved form that we could call a success that will never face an auto-win or a 1VS1 poll again. It's not an easy goal to achieve, but certainly it's neither an impossible one. Time will tell, and your opinion will be the best thing we can have fur our task.
As of now, only 3 people responded to Bulls announcement (thanks for that! :)), two of which are seasoned contest and forum veterans. That sort of reflects the interest in the contests quite well.
We had times the contest saw a lot of attention and many users enjoyed taking part just for the fun and also for seeing how their stuff compared to others. While some users were remarkable exceptions, this kind of intrinsic motivation has generally declined.
I also disagree with Bull that the contests need a more attractive prize system. A trophy is an attractive prize and that alone made some users try to bend the polls behind the scenes in their favor.
Also, if extrinsic motivation is the only thing that keeps this alive, then forget it.
All things in life have their place and time, and maybe the time of contests is simply over.
My gallery of altered cards
I don't belive the time for the contests is over, but it's certainly over as they used to be. If they come back, they should come back evolved. if not, they will face extintion and trying to insist in the old shape will mean just a vain attempt of necroing. Since the fuel for the contests is your interest on them, you're the ones that have the power to help them to survive, or to bury them for ever. Do you love them enough? Do you need them to be there? It's up to you, folks...
Hello, Rhaegys
Thanks for asking and welcome to our forums!
Well, the idea is to have them back, but we do not want to do so in a rush. We have been talking about a completely new proposal for them, but I belive it would be better to leave holidays behind to sit and polish details. As the soonest, they could be back in February. As late, we don't know. You're invited to come round from time to time and check
-BBull
I do hope that someday they come back. I have to agree with adunakhor that a prize outside of the cup by your name could be detrimental to the contest. I like my cup, and would like more of them.
URGEDH Biovisionary.dec BShirei WBSelenia
The brain is the muscle that pumps stupid through the body
Instead of proposing a task each month (and all the things involved in such process), there would be a comitee that would take care of the selection of a determined amount of alters and artwork pieces from the whole production shared by the users during the month, then these would be added to a poll for votation.
This way, we would never have an attendance issue anymore, while also ppl wouldn't need to adjust to a particular task (there are many gifted alterists that just can't afford to spend time in a non-comissioned piece to jump in the competition every month). We would discuss the possibility of adding limitations for each month, so the group of valid entries could be reduced (we would be announcing these in advance in case we decide to apply them). Or... We could add a special prize for those pieces that meet a given condition (it wouldn't probably be a cup, but perhaps it would be a sort of score table that would reléase a cup after a given time frame).
Also, the comitee would be conformed by people that has experience in the area, such as renowned alterists, mods, etc).
Thoughts?
The idea is to keep the one entry per artista thing, of course (as well as no selfvoting, etc. etc.)
I'm glad you like the idea, ZS
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH