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Contests on forum

Himbeere

Community Managers
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
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Dear Players,

We have noticed less interest in the contests that are held on the forum (Drawing/House Deco/Cooking etc.). Besides, some of you are not quite satisfied with the way the works are judged or the prizes etc.

Therefore, we would like to ask for your help/suggestions. Would you like new contests organized on the forum or in the game? If so, we would like to ask for your suggestions.

Thank you for your cooperation!

mewlove


comments that are off-topic or not directly related to the game, will be deleted by the moderators
 
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To be honest, you can notice less people getting involved even in-game events (at least in plat)... But prolly this is not the thread for this topic.

One point is: events in game are getting more and more unnecessarily time-consuming, so you expect less people having time to put effort into something that we don't even know how it will be judged.
A suggestion for forum contests could be: make voting sheets with the name of the people voting and their votes. For example: drawing contest, you judge for effort, coloring, concept regarding the event, and the drawing itself (just an example). Then you make a table for everyone that vote with the grades and make it available in the end:
8pNbUrW.png

Things will be clearer. And if someone is maliciously tending to vote on the same person over and over again, it will be possible to be noticed.
Then apply this to every contest.

But overall, somehow I feel like staff is getting more and more distant from players and their suggestions. For example, last event (Hoopa) we asked a clearer event. Then you made an event where you posted (not in the promised frequency) the amount, BUT if the person haven't used the tokens, it wouldn't appear, so people only needed not to use them and no one would have clue of how the event was going, even tho staff had access to all the tokens used/not used by player.

I once took part on a crazy cars event. People from Diamond knew the path cause they have way more events like that there due low players amount in plat, I didn't (noticed diamond players changing cars in a part where theres nothing, then I stood in a path _|-|_|-|_|-|_ where if you had a damaged car, you most likely wouldnt pass). So there's no way to be fair.
Simple and small things that whenever a player points, someone rushes to tell "cry" instead taking it in properly consideration.

Instead of trying to hug the entire world and make tons of events, focus on fewer with more quality, especially due the low amount of staff to help. In game events are a big example for this. We still have some bugs from the last event, items in map from an event before last one, and now we have new bugs for the current one. Go small and better than going big and failing in make a good time for everyone (the reason events exists, right?). Seems like events now are just an excuse to drop p2w features (I could also discuss this point for some goooood lines).

My 2 cents, cheers.
 
Cooking and drawing skills are very specific skills. The "perfect ones" always win.
If you lose when you thought your work was better, art is subjective and there is no way to dispute that.
In these long years I guess I made 2 or 3 drawings for fun cause I knew I wasnt good enough.

However after losing a drawing contest we had to use a website - in a way that I considered unfair - I decreed for myself never to participate again. I have nothing against the staff or players, but my draw was fucking detailed and i lost to someone that used a classic pokemon pic + one draw icone (a windmill) from its website while mine had a bunch of details and MUCH MORE CONCEPT/IDEA.

House contests should have categories, cause its kinda impossible to a cozy apartment beats those huge palaces/mansions that some players always keep and win. PLUS the fact a lot of houses are EMPTY and locked by secondary charcs avoiding competition.
 
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To be honest, you can notice less people getting involved even in-game events (at least in plat)... But prolly this is not the thread for this topic.

One point is: events in game are getting more and more unnecessarily time-consuming, so you expect less people having time to put effort into something that we don't even know how it will be judged.
A suggestion for forum contests could be: make voting sheets with the name of the people voting and their votes. For example: drawing contest, you judge for effort, coloring, concept regarding the event, and the drawing itself (just an example). Then you make a table for everyone that vote with the grades and make it available in the end:
8pNbUrW.png

Things will be clearer. And if someone is maliciously tending to vote on the same person over and over again, it will be possible to be noticed.
Then apply this to every contest.

But overall, somehow I feel like staff is getting more and more distant from players and their suggestions. For example, last event (Hoopa) we asked a clearer event. Then you made an event where you posted (not in the promised frequency) the amount, BUT if the person haven't used the tokens, it wouldn't appear, so people only needed not to use them and no one would have clue of how the event was going, even tho staff had access to all the tokens used/not used by player.

I once took part on a crazy cars event. People from Diamond knew the path cause they have way more events like that there due low players amount in plat, I didn't (noticed diamond players changing cars in a part where theres nothing, then I stood in a path _|-|_|-|_|-|_ where if you had a damaged car, you most likely wouldnt pass). So there's no way to be fair.
Simple and small things that whenever a player points, someone rushes to tell "cry" instead taking it in properly consideration.

Instead of trying to hug the entire world and make tons of events, focus on fewer with more quality, especially due the low amount of staff to help. In game events are a big example for this. We still have some bugs from the last event, items in map from an event before last one, and now we have new bugs for the current one. Go small and better than going big and failing in make a good time for everyone (the reason events exists, right?). Seems like events now are just an excuse to drop p2w features (I could also discuss this point for some goooood lines).

My 2 cents, cheers.
Exactly, it's about contests on forum not mini events in-game. For now we would like to take your suggestions and change/improve contests on forum ;) Voting - we used to do it but even though you will do it for players, someone can ask his/her friends to vote on him so it's also not a solution.
 
Instead of trying to hug the entire world and make tons of events, focus on fewer with more quality, especially due the low amount of staff to help. In game events are a big example for this. We still have some bugs from the last event, items in map from an event before last one, and now we have new bugs for the current one. Go small and better than going big and failing in make a good time for everyone (the reason events exists, right?). Seems like events now are just an excuse to drop p2w features (I could also discuss this point for some goooood lines).
I agree. The unfulfilled promises drove many players away from the game as well. Basic example: professions.
Could waste less time bringing new items "with fishing mechanics" and deliver it.
 
Hola y saludos, en mi humilde opinión la verdad es que es muy buena idea poner una tabla de posiciones y de los que han votado y los que han participado, para ver los ganadores y puedan ver las posiciones de los que participaron, que estuvieron cerca de ganar. y me parece muy buena idea y un referente para las posiciones, esto impulsa, incluso incentiva, la participación y la mejora, entre otras opiniones que quedan por mejorar...
 
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An alternative idea that could PERHAPS help with motivation.. would be to place a certain type of restriction on competitions.

Do we hold annual contests such as: Valentine's Day, Easter, Season Event, Halloween and Christmas?

for example, of these six supposed annual contests, if I, Trafalgar Water Law, decides to participate in the Valentine contest, and I WIN in any place, be it 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.. I would be restricted from participating of any other contest (Easter, Season event, Halloween, Christmas). that happens in the year.
Considering that the prizes are great, and that we can "swipe" from one side to the other throughout the year and decide who or which we will compete with.
 
Exactly, it's about contests on forum not mini events in-game. For now we would like to take your suggestions and change/improve contests on forum ;) Voting - we used to do it but even though you will do it for players, someone can ask his/her friends to vote on him so it's also not a solution.
Make community votes be only a part of the score of the voting, with the staff being also part. For example, 4 staff members voting + community. You grade the community votes like: the most voted by community 10, the 2nd place, 9, the 3rd place, 8, and so on. This will only make the community vote weigh 20% of the score. Enough to change results but not enough to make "cheating" win only by itself.
 
Cooking and drawing skills are very specific skills. The "perfect ones" always win.
If you lose when you thought your work was better, art is subjective and there is no way to dispute that.
In these long years I guess I made 2 or 3 drawings for fun cause I knew I wasnt good enough.

However after losing a drawing contest we had to use a website - in a way that I considered unfair - I decreed for myself never to participate again. I have nothing against the staff or players, but my draw was fucking detailed and i lost to someone that used a classic pokemon pic + one draw icone (a windmill) from its website while mine had a bunch of details and MUCH MORE CONCEPT/IDEA.

House contests should have categories, cause its kinda impossible to a cozy apartment beats those huge palaces/mansions that some players always keep and win. PLUS the fact a lot of houses are EMPTY and locked by secondary charcs avoiding competition.
Thats why you can suggest other contests which do not require such skills like drawing/cooking and are more accessible for all players. For example something what require skills or spending more time in-game. It doesn't have to be something you need to do in real life :) Also we understand that you can never be sure if it was X player who drew/cooked something - you will never be able to verify it.
 
What if the number of winners increased in all contest, 5 place maybe

No extremely expensive rewards, maybe a "contest box" reward in which you could get, with small chances :
*shiny box
*cloned box
* paradox box (chance to get shiny)
and an additional rewards 50-150 diamond (random)

That way it would give more chances for more people to be winners. Without a choice of shinys maybe use this mechanics for other events

Maybe someone can improve my idea
 
Make community votes be only a part of the score of the voting, with the staff being also part. For example, 4 staff members voting + community. You grade the community votes like: the most voted by community 10, the 2nd place, 9, the 3rd place, 8, and so on. This will only make the community vote weigh 20% of the score. Enough to change results but not enough to make "cheating" win only by itself.
My point here is: it's not about we hating staff taking part on voting, is not knowing how the votes are being cast. If is something clear like I've suggested above, there's no problem of making your votes being the highest weight of the voting. We have an example for this on Brazilian Carnaval, where the judges evaluate all the teams by a standard table, and in the end they call the name of the judge and the grades they assigned for every team. With this kind of transparency, community vote can be a small part to add the final score and everyone is happy. Also, as a player mentioned above, in a drawing contest, knowing the score for each attribute, helps to improve this particular point, instead having only the final result "you were 3rd, you suck, bye". This also applies to houses.
 
Hello, everyone!

I think it would be great to expand the range of real-life contests. Everyone has something they’re good at, and sometimes it’s not cooking or drawing, as is the case for me.

My suggestion for the organizers is to open up more possibilities (I know there are few dates, so there wouldn’t need to be a contest every month), but there are so many talented people beyond cooking and drawing, such as carpentry, musicians, clay art, and I could give more than 10 examples.

(and I agree with what was said above about voting being open to the public)
 
Hello, everyone!

I think it would be great to expand the range of real-life contests. Everyone has something they’re good at, and sometimes it’s not cooking or drawing, as is the case for me.

My suggestion for the organizers is to open up more possibilities (I know there are few dates, so there wouldn’t need to be a contest every month), but there are so many talented people beyond cooking and drawing, such as carpentry, musicians, clay art, and I could give more than 10 examples.

(and I agree with what was said above about voting being open to the public)
There are also people who are not interested in contests like these ones at all and they prefer to do something in-game so we are open to all suggestions both in real life and in-game so everyone is satisfied and have choice :) We don't have to organize all the time drawing/house deco contests so you can suggest whatever comes to your mind and is realated to our server and Pokemon.

Once again, thank you for all your suggestions/comments above.
 
There are also people who are not interested in contests like these ones at all and they prefer to do something in-game so we are open to all suggestions both in real life and in-game so everyone is satisfied and have choice :) We don't have to organize all the time drawing/house deco contests so you can suggest whatever comes to your mind and is realated to our server and Pokemon.

Once again, thank you for all your suggestions/comments above.
As cooking and drawing are specific skills, you could do a contest with a general, artistic but general theme, for example: Artistic contest you have to make a Christmas model, be it carpentry, clay, modeling clay, etc.
I don't know how exactly I would implement this in contests, because I know it's not that simple, but that's my opinion. Open more possibilities so that more people can participate.
 
An alternative idea that could PERHAPS help with motivation.. would be to place a certain type of restriction on competitions.

Do we hold annual contests such as: Valentine's Day, Easter, Season Event, Halloween and Christmas?

for example, of these six supposed annual contests, if I, Trafalgar Water Law, decides to participate in the Valentine contest, and I WIN in any place, be it 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.. I would be restricted from participating of any other contest (Easter, Season event, Halloween, Christmas). that happens in the year.
Considering that the prizes are great, and that we can "swipe" from one side to the other throughout the year and decide who or which we will compete with.
So glad that someone other saw this point here on forum and someone who is part of Staff members. This is exactly what I meant today on polish chat near afternoon.

It kinda be offtopic, but just don't get it why players can't win in some tournaments one after one (when they are close to each other). It's all about players' skill, not kind of "I like it more or no", like there is on forum contests (and no, its not about hating staff decision or whatever) - its not on my mind. But when we have every 1/2 months similar contests, just the thread is changed, like Christmas, Valentines and so, the same player can win in a row amazing rewards without any restriction. We have, as Trafalgar mentioned, 5/6 forum contests every year with same system, just only appropriately for the exact "holiday", Christmas Deco/Valentine Deco/.... and the same person can win, but on tournaments which we have 1/2 during the year (or lets say 3) and they mostly are one after another (like this month), we can not win twice, whats winning part is defined by player, not any voting or whatever (not saying about Treasure Hunt where people can cooperate in different ways).

For example from Deco House contests (Ambar here is just for example, I am not against him):
- Summer 2023 - Ambar 2nd place (17/08/23)
- Halloween 2023 - Ambar 1st place (09/11/23) - close to 3 months difference
- Christmas 2023 - Ambar 1st place (23/01/24) - 2 months ~ difference
- Valentine 2024 - Ambar 1st place (04/03/24) - 1,5 months ~ difference.

Here its ok when player wins main reward one after another, where are theme contests, but on tournament sadly no (which are simply rarer than those contests). Some restriction could be made that is someone take 1st/2nd/3rd places from one theme contest can not win in next one. It could encourage some more players to participe in, just to showing that some other people have also chances to win, not every the same players.

Also what is kind of dissapointing on forum contests is fact that you (Staff generally) make something, announce something, players take part in and what we have in the end - nothing. Still have in mind Hall of Fame 2021 - some people realy spent time to give the best argument why they chosen exact player, then took part in voting and what we had? Just guess...

Also another one contest from previous/this year, like "Screen of the month" - it was quite fun, even if reward wasn't as big as on some contests/tournaments, but was nice. Sadly the last this forum event ended without any winner, even saying more - without any announcent that this kind of event is done, people lost some time (even if is couples of minutes) to make something for event and all ended with nothing.


What can be solution for forum contests aka Cooking/Drawing and so (what Karl suggested), maybe let players vote with less weight of voting than Staff ones, but just random people (maybe small awarding people who voting, but when they realy try to be fair).
Maybe is worth to try make a restriction for forum contests that if someone wins in 1, can not win twice in a row, just in another one, maybe is worth to give a shot for this and see how the things will go.
 
I participated some years ago in a banner birthday contest, the winner was goin to appear as the main banner in the client and some gifts.

The staff's vote seemed more goin on friends, not about the quality, even tho the winner design never appeared on the client, and no offense but that design wasnt good, dunno if he was a kid with some problem and you all tried to cheer him up.

So I decided not to participate anymore in further contests.
 
Ideas for New Community Contests/Events
Created by: Himbeere, Gressik & Patriot.

The proposed events focus on team-based games for players who are not artistically gifted, as they have been excluded so far and haven’t had a chance to compete for unique rewards available only to artist-players.

The initial idea is to create two types of contests: one for non-artistic players and one for artistic players. There should be no restrictions on participation—every player should have the opportunity to join any type of event, but they can only win once.

Artistic contests could be rotational. This means that events would vary, avoiding repetition and bringing diversity. For example, during Halloween, there could be house decorating contests, while on Valentine’s Day, painting competitions could take place, and so on. Regarding house decorating, as someone previously suggested, it would be advisable to introduce two categories for small and large houses, ensuring everyone has an equal chance.

As previously suggested, the number of mini-events could be reduced in favor of larger events, and the organization of battle tournaments could be reinstated.

Proposed Adjustments and Group Event Ideas

The types of rewards from community events should also be revised, as they are currently too powerful. Additionally, a voting system for artistic events should be introduced, with 50% of the votes coming from staff and 50% from players.

Examples of Group Events:
(All details are provided as examples and are not final suggestions.)

Group House Decorating:
  1. Number of participants: 4-5 players per team
  2. Decoration time: 3 hours
  3. Rules:
    1. Each team receives an NPC that provides free, thematic items.
    2. The house for decoration is the same for all teams to ensure equal conditions.
    3. Players take a screenshot of their decorated house and submit it to the administration. The houses are then shared anonymously to avoid favoritism.
    4. Players have 24 hours to cast their votes once all submissions are published.
Tower Hunger Games:
  1. Number of participants: 4 players per team
  2. Duration: Unlimited—until the entire team is defeated.
  3. Rules:
    1. Each team has three attempts to complete the tower.
    2. Teams receive special boxes containing random Pokémon at level 130, without TMs.
    3. Each player has a limited number of revives and potions.
    4. The main objective is to progress through as many floors as possible until the entire team is defeated.
    5. Teams that advance the furthest win rewards.
Outdoor Team Game:
Example: A treasure hunt conducted on a separate server to avoid third-party assistance and ensure a balanced experience tailored to the event's requirements.

Bingo:
Players have a week to collect a specific set of required items, unique Pokémon, or other collectibles to complete a bingo card.

Additional Suggestions:
Event Scheduling: Major events and rate events should not overlap. For example, the current balloon event is being neglected by players, as they prioritize leveraging the boosted server rates over searching for balloons that offer weak rewards.
 
I am 100% against contests that have nothing to do with the game. Painting, cooking, this kind of shit doesnt have anything to do with the experience of playing the game. Specially when all these event have a subjective factor that is preponderant for the results. Disclosing individual's voting is welcome but doesnt solve the fact these kinds of event are still subject to friendly biases.

End game achievements for once finally started rewarding players that would actually live the game experience to its fullest, and not just trained monkeys like 90% of players. New contests should follow the same path. I dont have a concrete suggestion but IMHO it should reward knowledge of the game most of all (egg hunt that happened a few years back is a good example, even though nowadays id suggest something different because u could only participate if u had huge amounts of free time), but also ingame skills. Its not easy task to come up with with such kind of contest but i believe its feasible and i'll try to think of suggestions, even though at this point i dont have any (just wanted to make a statement).
 
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