Escape Artists

The Arcade => Completed Contests => Topic started by: Zathras on February 03, 2009, 10:25:33 PM

Title: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 03, 2009, 10:25:33 PM
OK, ZARGA III will occur someday.  Any ideas for what kind of contest it should be?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Alasdair5000 on February 04, 2009, 11:45:47 AM
-Caption competition

-Haiku

-An exquisite corpse

Any of those any interest?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Russell Nash on February 04, 2009, 12:07:53 PM
Captions are always good.  The hardest part is finding a good picture.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 03:12:03 PM
-Caption competition

-Haiku

-An exquisite corpse

Any of those any interest?

Did haiku/poem/etc for ZARGA I. 

I'll look around for a good picture, feel free to offer some up.

An exquisite corpse?  Over my head.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Alasdair5000 on February 04, 2009, 03:15:41 PM
Ker CHING!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 03:28:27 PM
I should have googled it.   :-[  I'm not sure how to pull that off here.  Maybe after we get more participants we can get a PM chain running.

If anyone has a burning desire to run ZARGA III, I'm fine with that and will provide an EA related prize.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 04, 2009, 04:24:46 PM
How about Twitter stories of 140 characters long?  They could be themed, or use a picture, or be completely open.

Here (http://twitter.com/thaumatrope/status/1174021202) is one that Greg van Eekhout wrote yesterday.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Alasdair5000 on February 04, 2009, 04:37:23 PM
(Does the Perry points at you, points at nose thing from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

Ooo!  That!  That'd be good!
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 05:08:23 PM
Oooooo yeah!  Let me tell ya somethin', brotha!  24 inch pythons ain't got nuthin' on 140 character stories!  So say your prayers, take some vitamins and start writin'!  Wacha gonna do when ZARGA III runs wild on youuuuuuu?!?!?!?!?!
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 05:10:38 PM
ZARGA III is going to be 140 character stories.  I'm going to need help setting up the details.  What kind  of stories do we want to allow?  How many entries per person?  How are we going to judge it?  And, we need the subtitle.  ZARGA III, Swamps Revenge doesn't quite work.   :P
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 05:16:09 PM
I thought about palindrome stories, but who can top Weird Al (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nej4xJe4Tdg)?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Bdoomed on February 04, 2009, 06:23:27 PM
do they have to be exactly 140 characters?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 06:25:54 PM
I would say 140 or less.  Anything that could be tweeted.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 04, 2009, 06:48:14 PM
ZARGA III is going to be 140 character stories.  I'm going to need help setting up the details.  What kind  of stories do we want to allow?  How many entries per person?  How are we going to judge it?  And, we need the subtitle.  ZARGA III, Swamps Revenge doesn't quite work.   :P

If no one objects, I could be the judge who narrows all submissions to the top ten.  Then, it can become a poll.  Maybe 3 entries per person, maybe 2, depends on participation.  I like Swamp's Revenge, but I'm bias.

The only downside for me is that I won't be eligible to enter, but I could throw in a couple exhibition stories just for fun.

Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 06:54:14 PM
Woot!  Swamp is the judge!  You can enter submissions, Swamp, and the rest of us will pick one of yours to go in the final vote. 

ZARGA III:  Swamp's Revenge it shall be!
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 04, 2009, 08:58:23 PM
OK, so I think up to 3 submissions is fine.

Two more things to iron out:

1) Should there be a genre or theme for the stories?  Part of that may depend on what the prize is.  If it comes from EP, it would be sci-fi; PP, horror; PC, fantasy.  The prize could also be more specific like a complitation of all of the Union Dues strories, maybe we could even get Mr. DeRego to throw something in.  However, limiting the story content to "super heroes" may limit originality.  Thoughts?

2) Is there a way to make the submissions anonymus so that I don't show any favoritism?  Maybe submissions could go to Zathras and he can post them all on the forum.  Or am I just making a simple, fun thing more complicated?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 04, 2009, 09:05:39 PM
I am fine with having the submissions sent to me.  Since the only merchandise available right now is from poddisc.com, I'd say that fantasy, horror and SF are fair game.  If there is other merchandise available, I'll gladly consider it.  My goal with ZARGA is to give to Escape Artists and the members of the forums.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Raving_Lunatic on February 05, 2009, 06:18:26 PM
Do spaces count as characters? They do, right?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 05, 2009, 06:50:25 PM
Yes, but single spaces after end-of-sentance punctuation is fine.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 05, 2009, 09:40:52 PM
I can accept submissions at my gmail account, moc.liamg@2622siraeyeht (reverse that) (yes, I am a geek, too), a PM here or direct message me at twitter, "Zorag".  I can then post once per day with the submissions I received.  If you email or twitter me, you don't have to reveal your forum ID until after Swamp makes her selections.

I'm not opening it up for submissions yet.  We still need to figure out a few things, like the prize and how long to accept entries.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 05, 2009, 10:56:15 PM
If you email or twitter me, you don't have to reveal your forum ID until after Swamp makes her selections.

 :D  I find this extremely hilarious and ironic.  I guess I need to get more involved in the forums again.  Just for future reference for everyone, I am a male.  But hey, it's no skin off my nose, but it did start me to wondering so I started a new thread (http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=2370.msg41322#msg41322).
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 06, 2009, 01:29:57 AM
CHANGE OF PLANS!!!!!!!!

ZARGA IV will be Swamp's Revenge.

ZARGA III is "Good Al Hunting"  details in another thread.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: MacArthurBug on February 06, 2009, 02:47:11 AM
so- I at last need to learn how to "tweet"   how to make friends who use twitter.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Zathras on February 06, 2009, 02:49:54 AM
Nope, no tweeting necessary.  You can just PM me the 140 character story when we get it up and running.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: MacArthurBug on February 06, 2009, 02:59:42 AM
Z- will do, when I get my story together. This is just the incentive I need to write something, anything.
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Poppydragon on February 06, 2009, 05:26:47 PM
With the 140 character storys, does this include a title or are titles not required?
Title: Re: Suggestions for contests
Post by: Swamp on February 06, 2009, 05:53:38 PM
With the 140 character storys, does this include a title or are titles not required?

Titles aren't required.  You can give them titles if you want, but they won't go against your character count.