Format for Monthly Competitions

[againsttheflow]

I tend to like the idea of some runners up because there are many worthy monthly submissions that would probably deserve to be in the annuals but aren't due to the month of submission but I lean towards not changing anything for reasons already present in the thread.

The one thing I would perhaps like to see is one annual LH competition with all the years LH's present (or maybe 2/creator chosen by the creator) and not having any monthlies in this category (while they could perhaps be submitted in the pcx comp this could complicate things in the annual for the pcx category since they could technically be both competitions...).

Monthly winners are in the Annual contest yes but only One Entry to represent them...

In this last annual there were 8 unit makers represented in the 11 submissions.

Unless you want to change the Contest to the Best Unit Of the Year, Best pcx of the Year and Best Leaderhead of the Year... That may not be such a Bad Idea to focus more on the end result of the Work.

Despite the title of the threads I've always assumed this was the current method of implementation. The title probably could use a change.

 

[Pounder]

I'm not going to make any changes unless there is an overwhelmimg majority in the vote.

Looks like an overwhelming vote against, so looks like there will be no changes.

 

[Vuldacon]

Glad you are continuing the Contests Pounder...Good Man
Sorry the same Four Posts...there was a problem with the Site and I did not believe it posted.

 

[Plotinus]

Unless you want to change the Contest to the Best Unit Of the Year, Best pcx of the Year and Best Leaderhead of the Year... That may not be such a Bad Idea to focus more on the end result of the Work.

I think this is a good idea. It means that it's not a problem when one creator has different entries competing against each other, because the contest is to determine the best entry, not the best creator. It also makes the outcome a bit less personal - saying X is the best unit is preferable to saying X is the best creator.

Obviously the best creator is whoever has had the most winning entries...

 

[Pounder]

I always thought that it was for the best piece of work, not the best contributor.

Your right that it would be better if it was more explicit and less implicit.

Should an artist have the right to withdraw an entry in the annual draw, lets says the artist had no competiton one month and it was not his favourite work and he has other monthly winners that he would prefer to be in the annual competition.

 

[RedAlert]

I too like the idea of having entries besides the monthlies present in the yearly competition, but as I expressed earlier, I think the main problem is with the execution of that idea. One method mentioned a couple of times that I think is worth exploring is some kind of a nominating system, but I have not yet taken the time to think about the details of such a system or the pros and cons.

On the topic of the meaning of the titles of the competition, I was always under the impression (and I would guess most of us were as well) that despite the titles being [Graphicstype] Maker of the Month/Year, we were actually just voting for the [Graphicstype] of the Month/Year. It wouldn't hurt to change the naming to make this clear, I think.

On the topic of 'reasons for voting', while we may find it regrettable that some vote for a certain entry for what we may consider to be a poor reason, I don't believe that is something that we can control, or should. If we wanted some kind of an objective, consistent method of chosing winners, our best bet, I believe, would be to do away with voting and have some kind of a panel of judges preside over the competitions. I would not support such a measure, though.

And before I forget, thank you very much, Pounder, for ensuring the continuation of the competitions.

 

[Vuldacon]

Plotinus... Yes, to the Point. I just simply believe that the Competitions should be about the Submitted Works and not add to any possible existing Personal Individual Connection...of course this will take place but it seems to me that an approach that specifically goes for the Work rather than the Individual will Help the competitions to be focused on the Submissions.

Pounder... I believe it would be Fair to allow the Artist to submit the One Entry of their choice for the Annual Competition from any they can Enter.
...Otherwise I suggest using the method of choosing the entry that gained the most Votes from the monthly competitions. The bottom line is to have one entry and the Competitions should be about the Entry, Not the Artist or any personal relations. Of course, if the Competitions are about the Entries, More than One Entry could be submitted if the Artist wants to because the Contest would be to find out what single Entry is the Over all Best... by the Vote.

Rather than State "Who" should be the "XXX" of the Year, it seems best to state What "XXX" should be THE "XXX" of the Year. This takes the Contest where it is about the Entry and Not so personal toward the Artists

 

[Kyriakos]

I agree with the idea that only one work should be allowed by each artist, even in the yearly competition. The problem is that in theory the same artist can win a lot of competitions and then the final one will be a poorer one as a result of that.
That said, i almost got to have two entries in this year's competition, since my Warhmmer empire city set was second only with one vote of difference from the first one. Possibly if i did have two entries some people would have voted for my warhammer set, leading to me losing the contest.

 

[againsttheflow]

I still make a move to change the LH competion to yearly one. To the point: there are very few new LH's coming off the lines. If, say, an LH creator released two quality LH's released in the same month we can see how they shape up against the other and the others without having an overwhelming number of choices.

Otherwise we could perhaps have a quarterly comp every 3 months with the top two from each going to the annuals. I'm basing the suggestion off last year's LH production which (optimism aside) will probably not be surpassed this year.

 

[Vuldacon]

againsttheflow... Good Point. I certainly agree that the Competitions could be assessed where they can be held according to the amount of work finished each month. Some Contests may afford a Monthly while others would be better Quarterly or Yearly. Pounder can "see how it goes" for a time then adjust the competitions to better suit what is needed. This would also ease the "work load" for handling all competitions each month but I am sure Pounder can judge for himself what is suitable.

 

[Vuldacon]

Varwnos... The Yearly Competition should be one where the Artist can submit Any of the eligible Entries he or she has done over the Year that has won a monthly competition. So I am not sure what you mean by the last one being a poorer one.
It is true, as Plotinus pointed out, that if the Yearly Competition is to find the best single entry then perhaps any and all eligible entries should be entered... Obviously, there would be many possible entries that would not be in the Yearly Competition IF only one could be entered but perhaps if there is a good way to enter all Winning Entries, this would be Best because in the Words of "The Highlander"...there can be Only One in the end.

I say Leave that choice to the Artist who has many Eligible Entries at the end of the Year. If they want to submit one or all of them, that should be their choice.

 

[Blue Monkey]

As to categories with few entries -

Why not let them roll over to the next month(s) until there are, say , 3 entries?

 

[againsttheflow]

We could, personally I prefer a time-based system over a "Best LH of the last 3 submitted" thread p). Thinking about it though, this might be a good system for a new tech icon competition... If it came to a vote I would go it that but still stick with a quarterly or annual LH comp.

 

[RedAlert]

Should an artist have the right to withdraw an entry in the annual draw, lets says the artist had no competiton one month and it was not his favourite work and he has other monthly winners that he would prefer to be in the annual competition.

I am going to come out in opposition here. Speaking more of giving the artist the right to withdraw from the annual competition in general and not in particular of the example given, I don't think that allowing such kinds of strategic moves is a good thing.

If we are indeed accepting the more precise definition of the competitions as between graphics and not graphics makers (and regardless, they have been the former de facto), then we recognize that the titles and trophies belong to those graphics first, and to the creators only insofar that those graphics are the creators' creation. Therefore I believe it is right and suitable for all eligible graphics to stand in the yearly competitions, no matter if more than one graphic per competition is created by the same author.

This, of course, addresses more my opposition to having one graphic per author style yearly competitions than it does the question of whether a creator should be able to pull out any entries, given multiple entries, from the yearly competition. To that question I will say this: While I believe that a creator, having chosen to participate in the monthly competitions, has the right to choose to withdraw from those competitions (and indeed that is in the rules), all entries in the yearly competitions are first and foremost chosen to be there by the voters, and that therefore control over those entries is at the very least partially ceded by the creators.

 

[Blue Monkey]

all entries in the yearly competitions are first and foremost chosen to be there by the voters, and that therefore control over those entries is at the very least partially ceded by the creators.

And if they don't like winning they can pull a "Brando" or a "Scott".

 

[againsttheflow]

Speaking more of giving the artist the right to withdraw from the annual competition in general and not [perhaps] in particular of the example given, I don't think that allowing such kinds of strategic moves is a good thing.

...all entries in the yearly competitions are first and foremost chosen to be there by the voters, and that therefore control over those entries is at the very least partially ceded by the creators.

^

. . . . . . .

 

[Pounder]

We could, personally I prefer a time-based system over a "Best LH of the last 3 submitted" thread p). Thinking about it though, this might be a good system for a new tech icon competition... If it came to a vote I would go it that but still stick with a quarterly or annual LH comp.

Personally, I'm hoping we get a pickup in LH entries.

But if it comes to single entries in any category, should they get a walk and an automatic entry in the annuals, or should they be entered in the next months competition and be able to make a second entry in that competition.

They may end up competing with their self, should they get both their entries in the HOF or just the one. In the past single entries always made it to the HOF.

December would be a problem as they would be bumped into the next year.

I am thinking that we should stick with monthly competitions regardless of the number of entries. The person making the contribution made the effort and there was nothing better than their entry for the month ( maybe their entry was so good, that they scared off the competition).

I'm thinking leave things as is.

 

[Pounder]

Originally Posted by RedAlert
Speaking more of giving the artist the right to withdraw from the annual competition in general and not [perhaps] in particular of the example given, I don't think that allowing such kinds of strategic moves is a good thing.

...all entries in the yearly competitions are first and foremost chosen to be there by the voters, and that therefore control over those entries is at the very least partially ceded by the creators.

Good point, well made.

 

[Vuldacon]

Pounder... Because these Contests are Competitions... it stands to reason that if there is no competition, the single submitted Entry should be carried over until there is at least one other Entry. Otherwise the Win would only be given and not hold true to these compititions. This would also cause unfair Annual Competitions where the Entry did not actually Win a monthly contest by any competition.

 

[Pounder]

Pounder... Because these Contests are Competitions... it stands to reason that if there is no competition, the single submitted Entry should be carried over until there is at least one other Entry. Otherwise the Win would only be given and not hold true to these compititions. This would also cause unfair Annual Competitions where the Entry did not actually Win a monthly contest by any competition.

That was my initial thought.

It then follow that the artist could enter another entry the next month and compete against himself, thus; eliminating his own hard work.

What should we do if this happens in December, I guess we should make that the exception (or should we still forward it to the next month/year).

I can see both sides, I'm playing devil's advocate.

It's possible that only one artist submits two months in a row and possibly neither of them worthy of making it to the annual competition, and then another artist with the only submission two months in a row with two masterpieces and one would be eliminated. It might be best that with the numbers so low save them all for the year end.

I would suggest that if it works out to be multi-month competitions that a single artist can submit one entry per month and have multiple entries in the competition.