Announcement

**Paddy** · June 21, 2004, 20:28

Having read through the various posts in the runoff thread I have a mixed opinion now on the contest.

So if not the contest as it is, maybe we need to change the very core ideals of it...

We could make it more relevant to what we are trying to achieve... that being the promotion of this forum within this site.

Yes polls are dangerous items:
- people can just vote without reading the stories
- people in the contests can feel challenged by being included
- people in the contests can feel challenged by not being included
- people in the contests can feel challenged by the results

**SKILORD** · June 22, 2004, 09:42

Apolyton Civilization Site

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114917

I believe that a post made by Rasputin on that thread makes the case for keeping the contest, I dare to venture that Rasputin is not alone in his habit of checking the finalists.

I'm also pretty sure that vovan is right about the civgroup.

As for the AU story, yeah, vovan's right again. I, frankly, hardly have time to write my own stuff, but I'll see...

-

Paddy, the ideals don't need to change as far as I can see, we need to reform the rules (perhaps) to bring it closer to its ideals...

I'm not sure how, though, I'll think about it.

**vovan** · June 22, 2004, 12:17

Okay, how about this:

Whenever we get 8 stories, we set up a multiple-choice poll with all of them included. The reason it is multiple choice, is because that way, we one voting doesn't need to choose one and only one story he likes - just pick all the stories a person likes, and praise the authors through voting.

Now, the poll would not have an expiration date. Instead, it would remain open untill the next eight stories are ready. And when the next batch is up, the poll would be closed, and thus that round of the contest would be done. No finals, or runoffs or aything like that. Whatever is the outcome is the outcome. That way, nobody knows when the poll will end, really (and thus the win would not be so much in sight, and would thus, hopefully, cease to be a goal in itself), and anyone can vote any time. Also, the poll would be open for over a month maybe and that way many more people would be able to vote, and the outcome would be more fair than it might have been last contest. For people like Rasputin, we could also call it The Finals.

**Metaliturtle** · June 22, 2004, 13:26

I hate to drag this up but this seems to make sense to me. When we were doing NESes here there was a lot more activity, and I wonder if there were more people reading the stories since they saw all the info on their way to the NES.

Just an idea, I know Apolyton wants NESes over in the S&D, but maybe they would let us do one Stories Forum Revival NES. Maybe do something like "most obscure story reference NES" Where each author got to take a character that they might not have developed and turn it into the leader of their nation.

Just a thought, but it could get some CFC guys at least posting stories and digging through old ones.

**SKILORD** · June 22, 2004, 18:02

Well, vovan, I like the idea, but it seems to, if you don't mind me saying so, almost remove the 'Contest' aspect of the contest.

As for voters, I'm not sure that time was an issue for them this time, I think our opponent is apathy.

I see a lot of ties coming out of your system, vovan... I'm not sure that we shouldn't at least have runoffs for ties in 1st second and third, keep at least some of the competition.

-

As for the NES idea, I would support it I think, but few others would. I'm also pretty sure it would mess up the Civgroup. NESes helped form the backbone of the CFC stories community, they do have merit. I think that at the very least some sort of interactive thing should be attempted.... interactive stuff always garnishes some interest, even if it isn't Mark's NES idea.

**Grandpa Troll** · June 22, 2004, 22:11

I love this CIVIII Stories so much and am having a fricking blast!!

So..I just..~ahem~ linked from another forums section here and THIS IS WHAT I AM ALSO DEALING WITH!!
Ok..Thats my $0.02 worth of free promotional activity!!

Ok..I am "Milking this for all it worth"

Peace Gramps

Attached Files

**SKILORD** · June 23, 2004, 21:15

Do SG's have a seperate forum? They're kinda dead here, but I thought I saw some a while ago... :shrug:

**DarkCloud** · June 23, 2004, 23:01

Next, I think this: we wanted a civgroup; we got it. That's great. But the civgroup news thing may not be helping. With it, we cannot any more bug people to include news of the contest in the main Civ3 news section. And far fewer people read civgroup news - just look at how many news there are - almost all are from us. Hence, I am thinking this is not helping. Oh well, nothing we can do about it now.

Civgroup news really is useless...

Next, I think that another really good way to promote the stories contest would be to do Nuclear Master's AU story. I know there are a lot of fans of the AU out there, and I think that visibility on that front would definitely be good.

I'd agree, if Nuclear Master posts links in the apolyton Unviersity section to it- then we might be able to get at least 5 new readers and one new author

(hopefully)

---

Now, the poll would not have an expiration date. Instead, it would remain open untill the next eight stories are ready. And when the next batch is up, the poll would be closed, and thus that round of the contest would be done.

Ah... I don't really like that idea vovan. A better idea, I would think is to leave the voting on that open until the next round achieved 8 stories (making certain to leave the semifinals open for at least 2 weeks)... then have a FINALS... based on the top 4 of that round as per usual business.

Also, the poll would be open for over a month maybe and that way many more people would be able to vote,

It is my experience that people tend to have an attention span of at most 2 weeks. That's about the longest that anyone would take to read the threads mentioned in the polls. Any longer and you might get "one" vote or two, but threads tend to go invisible (even if they're at the top of a page)... people just won't vote.

As for the NES idea, I would support it I think, but few others would. I'm also pretty sure it would mess up the Civgroup. NESes helped form the backbone of the CFC stories community, they do have merit. I think that at the very least some sort of interactive thing should be attempted.... interactive stuff always garnishes some interest, even if it isn't Mark's NES idea.

NESes were moved to Stories/Diplomacy because people complained. I think that hurt both the Civ III Stories and the NESes. I agree with Metaliturtle on that issue. However, I would not have the time to contribute.

If someone here would like to write up a proposal for moving the NESes back to the stories forum, please post it here and I'll get the info to Markos.
-
SKILORD SG's? What does that mean?

**SKILORD** · June 24, 2004, 08:12

Succession Games, I saw a couple here a while ago, but I'm not sure that they really help since they drew few people then. We need something new and flashy...flashified.... flashlicious.

**DarkCloud** · June 24, 2004, 11:13

I don't think they're allowed here. They belong in Civ II-General and the general sections or multiplaying sections, If I remember correctly.

**vovan** · June 24, 2004, 13:14

Yeah, SG's used to belong here, though there never were many. And now especially that people have PBEM, they are totally dead.

As far as the NES issue is concerned... I honestly believe we never had any problems with NESes as such, but, instead, with one particular person that plays them. I mean, seriously, NESes have been around this forum from the very beginning, and never was there a problem, until that one person showed up. That's when **** started happening, Ming had to step in, and in the end NESs were banished.

They probably did bring more people to these here parts of 'Poly, but I believe we won't get NESs back here even if we asked. For one thing, they now have their own civgroup, and it would probably be an extra pain in the ass for Gramphos or whoever to not only move the threads around, but also reassign civgroups and etc. Additionally... Noone ever came back from the Diplomacy forums...

I agree with what SKI said, though. We need something flashy. What would it be though? DC, you still thinking about that commemorative 25th contest or so? We could still do something cool with it...

**DarkCloud** · June 24, 2004, 15:07

DC, you still thinking about that commemorative 25th contest or so? We could still do something cool with it...

I remember I had plans a while in the past... Can't remember exactly what I had planned however... I think it was something like topic themes grouping.

Another idea would be to hold a 'themed-contest' where people have to fulfill several requirements to enter... and I bet if we limit the length of the tales to 5,000 words we might get at least 3-5 entries... and if they're that short, then people might read them.

And also, coming up is another Best of the Best contest...

But in addition to that, another Idea I have had is the "Best Story of All Time" for the 25th contest.

We could have links to all the winners of the first 25, then post reviews of them, and email/PM all the old story contest authors (and perhaps some of the voters/reviewers) and that would lead to increased traffic.

**Metaliturtle** · June 24, 2004, 15:19

I like that Idee!

**DarkCloud** · June 24, 2004, 15:36

which one?

The themed contest?

Announcement

Promoting the Stories Forum

Promoting the Stories Forum

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment