[Ldraw-content] Forwarding thoughts about the MOTM/SOTM contest

Mon Oct 16 17:23:00 EDT 2006

Of course we could also keep the special competitions as a rare event
(say two a year) announced two months in advance. That would give
people the time and a greater inclination to enter them.

TIm

On 10/16/06, LDraw <ldraw at holly-wood.it> wrote:
> I like the idea of the 100 pieces or a theme-bound contest. we could
> alternate them. also a rotation challenge or using at least two given
> pieces could work.
>
> w.
>
>
>
>
> Timothy Gould schrieb:
> > I do agree that the MOTM could do with some tweaking. Personally I
> > won't enter it because it doesn't make any sense to me. I quite like
> > SOTM as it is presently run since judging a complete picture is
> > arbitrary anyway and it can really be boiled down to what you like
> > best.
> >
> > As I expressed in my private response to Zach my worry is that by
> > making either more precise we limit entrants from what is already a
> > very small pool. That said if we keep the categories broad enough (eg.
> > castle models, models under 100 pieces) then people might have stuff
> > already done that they can submit.
> >
> > It's a difficult question though.
> >
> > Tim
> >
> > On 10/16/06, Orion Pobursky <orion at ldraw.org> wrote:
> >> LDraw wrote:
> >> > hi,
> >> >
> >> > I'll forward the following email. if you feel this belongs more to the
> >> > steerco please let me know.
> >> >
> >> > w.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >  >----Messaggio originale----
> >> > Da: zach.best at gmail.com
> >> > Data: 16-ott-2006 7.05 PM
> >> > A: <WILLY.TSCHAGER at tin.it>
> >> > Ogg: Re: LDraw.org MOTM/SOTM Relaunch
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Hi,
> >> >
> >> > Thank you for restarting the MOTM/SOTM.  I am excited to take part in
> >> > the challenges.
> >> >
> >> > I would like to propose a change to MOTM/SOTM.
> >> >
> >> > As it stands, the challenges are very unfocused. A person can basically
> >> > use any model they have built in ages past.  Scenes are a little
> >> > different, but many times old works can be used.  There is also a
> >> > discrepancy in who "wins."  Are we supposed to judge each separately?
> >> > Well we want our favorite entry to win, but how do you decide between
> >> > clever (bonsai tree) vs. technical (starship) vs. cool (???)?  It seems
> >> > so mish-mash.
> >> >
> >> > The change I would like to propose is to have a monthly theme for each
> >> > MOTM/SOTM.  The themes can be really simple and ambiguous (see the
> >> > Internet Ray Tracing Contest irtc.org for ideas).
> >> >
> >> > I think this would help the MOTM/SOTM for the following reasons:
> >> > (1) Focus.  Part of the MOTM/SOTM is to give other LDRAW users
> >> ideas. We
> >> > want to share knowledge.  When you have a 50,000 piece starship sitting
> >> > next to a 500 piece vignette, the reader loses focus.  They can't
> >> > compare how the builder of the starship created his radar dishes to how
> >> > the vignette builder posed the minifig.  If the challenges were themed,
> >> > a reader could do exactly that.  There would be a bigger reason to
> >> > compare what has been entered and thereby expand the reader's knowledge
> >> > of Lego and LDRAW.
> >> > (2) Interest. While I can't speak for everyone, a
> >> > 'submit-whatever-you-want' contest is not interesting.  This directly
> >> > correlates with focus.  An unfocused challenge will not draw the
> >> > interest that the MOTM/SOTM has the potential to draw. If the monthly
> >> > challenge has a theme, I believe the interest in those challenges will
> >> > increase.  First is the creativity factor.  A theme will force
> >> people to
> >> > draw upon the theme in a creative manner.  You don't want your entry to
> >> > look like everyone elses.  The use of the brain in this manner leads to
> >> > a more fun experience.  Second is the technical factor. You were
> >> playing
> >> > with Legos the other day and came up with a creative way to use certain
> >> > parts.  If people are closely examining your entry because it is
> >> similar
> >> > enough to their own that they might find ways to improve upon it, this
> >> > technical expertise will become more apparent.  Less experienced
> >> > modelers will be able to get better ideas in a easier swallowed form
> >> > than the current MOTM/SOTM, and more experienced modelers will enjoy
> >> the
> >> > competition and new ideas that are brought.
> >> > (3) Community Strength. Finally, I will come up on my last factor.
> >> LDRAW
> >> > is a very powerful tool and can be a fun past time. The first place
> >> > people go to look is most likely ldraw.org, and there people will want
> >> > examples.  What better way to give examples than themed challenges.
> >> >  Sure, people can kind of do that anyway with the current MOTM/SOTM,
> >> but
> >> > in that case they are wading through lots of randomness.  Look at how
> >> > IRTC.org works, they only show you the top entries when you click on
> >> the
> >> > bi-monthly contest, but if you want you can see all of them. Finally it
> >> > gives people something to look forward to.  It is not very exciting to
> >> > look forward to "just submitting another model."  It is exciting to
> >> look
> >> > forward to seeing the new theme and then coming up with a new
> >> > model/scene for that theme.  Which is my final point, the draw of a
> >> > themed contest is greater than an unthemed contest.  More people
> >> will be
> >> > interested, leads to a better contest, leads to more enthusiasm in
> >> > LDRAW, circle on ad infinitum.
> >> >
> >> > Thank you for your time and consideration. You may forward this to
> >> > whomever you feel should read it.
> >> >
> >> > Sincerely,
> >> >
> >> > Zach Best
> >>
> >> Some very good points.  We should probably discuss this further.  I've
> >> been somewhat unsatisfied with the format contests for some time now.  I
> >> did a little of tweaking when I issued the MOTM rule change a year and a
> >> half ago but this was more to shift the focus of the MOTM contest from
> >> the rendering technique back to the models themselves.  I don't know,
> >> maybe a theme based challenge is the way to go.  Thoughts?
> >>
> >> Also, based on past precedence, we, meaning the website admins, have
> >> complete control over the format, rules, etc. of the MOTM/SOTM contest
> >> so SteerCo involvement is not required.
> >>
> >> -Orion
> >>
> >> --
> >> We don't stop playing because we grow old;
> >> we grow old because we stop playing
> >> -George Bernard Shaw
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> >>
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