Colossal Classic Castle Contest Suggestion

[Stone Goblin]

I notice Administrators that the CCC rules have that "can't be entered if it's been posted before ?/??/?? date" rule. I find this makes some people hide their mocs until the next contest. I was thinking of a way we can see these great mocs earlier and yet still be able enter in the next contest by way of a certification from the Admins, if they ask for one when they post their castle moc.

Of course there be certain rules that each moc must pass before being given a certification:

1. Must be entirely a new moc that wasn't in previous CCC contests.

2. Can not be a exact copy of someone else's moc.
3. The moc can't enter if it was posted before the previous contest's entry deadline.
4.(optional) The moc was posted on CC forum "Castle Section".
5. Creator asked for certification in the moc's post or either asked in the "Certification List" forum section and passed all the other rules for certification. When asking you must also post your name/nickname, moc thumbnail/link image and name of moc.

Being "Certified" does mean:

1. you can enter for the next contest. As long as it fits in the next contest's entry rules.

Being "Certified" does not mean:

1. the Admins post your moc for you. You still have to follow the CCC's entry rules that the certification applies too and apply when the contest allows for entry posting.

I'm guessing each time a Admin certifies someone's moc the Admins will have to write on a "certified mocs" list, in which the moc's name, creator's name and maybe one thumbnail image of each moc will be listed.

This is just a suggestion and I know this idea might create a lot more entries for future contests if it was applied. Which I think isn't a bad thing having more entries except the judging will probably take even longer to finish.

I guess I'm saying here, is to move the "posts before rule" deadline to the end of the previous contest's entry deadline. Which would probably require the "certification list" to keep track of the mocs of the people who ask for the certification and pass the certification rules, which will entitle their moc for the next contest, as long it follows/fits the next contest's entry rules. I hate repeating myself.

I welcome any comments and answers if this could be applied or why it can't? Or what might be missing in this idea so it could be applied in future contests.

[architect]

I am not in favor of your proposed changes but I will let the other admins comment. The "must be a new creation not posted online before the start of the contest" rule is fairly standard for online LEGO contests. If you know the contest is coming up, you can start building in October and have several mocs to enter when the contest begins.

Our main goal of the Colossal Castle Contests is to have the castle community build more great creations which will inspire everyone throughout the next year.

Building should be fun for all of us anyway and not need to be done for rewards year round. Plus the increased number of creations entered by the proposed system would cause grading to take even longer for the admins. Another problem is the contest categories are based on the prizes. Each year prizes, categories, and category rules are not finalized until the last minute before the contest begins. So many people would end up building for non-existant categories.

Ben E.
Contest Admin

[Bruce N H]

I agree with Ben. The point of CCC is not to spend all year working towards winning some prize, but rather a fun way to inspire building and also to attract builders from the larger AFOL community to check out classic-castle. Also, we have a variety of smaller contests throughout the year, some sponsored by the admins, some by members, like the MOC the Admins, the chess contest, the battle contest and the microscale contest, not to mention occasional non-prize challenges like captioning and seed part challenges. In addition, if you really need to have contests to inspire your building, there are things like the Halloween and Joe Vig contests run by Nate and Nelson over at lugnet.build.vignette, the current town building contest and iron mecha contests at lugnet, jlug's contest, a continuing run of contests at FBTB, the ISCC (well, okay, at least it inspired building, if not actual judging), contests sponsored by LEGO, things at individual LUGs or at cons like Brickfest, etc etc etc.

Bruce

[Glencaer]

I'd like to add that I dislike anything that adds complexity. Your plan may work better, but it adds more work to the Admin side of things with a marginal gain. If people hide their MOCs waiting for a contest, that is their problem. That sounds completely silly to me, especially since 99% of entries don't win. I don't enter a contest to win, I enter to be inspired and have fun building.

Does this really seem like a big problem to you?

-Lenny

[Formendacil]

One final problem with your suggestion, Master Goblin, is that the categories change from year to year, and the Admins may or may not know ahead of time what categories will be around each year.

Not that I'm an admin... I just like poking holes in things...

[Stone Goblin]

This whole idea was for people actually to post more things when there is no contest. Of course I'm not sure that there is more moc posts during a contest then before/after contests, it just seems like it to me. Sure most members post things not for any contest or at least they should. I agree there be certain problems with the idea, like longer judging and more work keeping track of possible entries. I wouldn't be bothered being the one who keeps track of the list.

Fine, I guess this is settled. . You Admins have enough work as it is, forget the idea.
Thanks for your time and comments.

How about another suggestion? That the contest picture limit be increased to four images. Just a thought. I just find I need two exterior and two interior shots for most of my entries.

[Lord_Of_The_LEGO]

How about another suggestion? That the contest picture limit be increased to four images. Just a thought. I just find I need two exterior and two interior shots for most of my entries.

You try grading a million entries in a limited amount of time one year and you'll understand the 3-picture-limit. Trust me.

[Stone Goblin]

How about another suggestion? That the contest picture limit be increased to four images. Just a thought. I just find I need two exterior and two interior shots for most of my entries.

You try grading a million entries in a limited amount of time one year and you'll understand the 3-picture-limit. Trust me.

A "million" meaning 243 entries x 3 images each = 729 images total. It's huge but don't exaggerate. There is other contests, so that might be another 150 entries. So 400 entries, nope still 999,600 entries unaccounted for. I understand by the amount of stuff you have to go through in addition to the amount of time given for it. Would the judging be faster having less judges? Less pionts to tally up.

[Glencaer]

The time comes because several of the Admins still use slow dail-up. It may be quicker with less judges, but it would still take Nathan just as long to do it whether it was Nathan and I or the whole bunch of us.

Besides, I am amazed how often I don't need more than 3 pictures to tell how cool or not a model is. You can tell a lot from one nicely framed and exposed photo.

-Lenny