So much to reply to!
Right, here goes:
Anon vs Nonanon: this is used in BFGcomp, and it does not seem to have affected it. I am not outright in favour of either of the two methods, but this had been decided on a couple of years back by more or less popular demand. Someone suggested showing the pics anonymously once they are sent in, to generate more interest - this could work, but it has also been pointed out that in the past people have been discouraged by the quality of models submitted - this is avoided by having the gallery shown after the deadline.
Availability of information and rules: these were in a pinned thread, with rules being posted at the start of the thread. Any changes were posted as new posts and also applied to the rules at the start of the thread. Anything better (and more practical) than a pinned thread is hard to imagine. Any queries by participants could easily be settled by asking on the thread or PMing me.
Notices on Epicomp in the forum: as there is a subforum entirely for painting competitions, this location is clear and easy to find; and a check on 'view new posts' should present any news easily.
Indicating the start of Epicomp on several threads is time-consuming, especially if this is to be repeated several times over the course of the competition. New posts in the Epicomp thread were posted regularly, and thus the 'view new posts' would have picked it up regularly. A possible alternative (if supported by the forum) could be a mail shot to all forum members.
Notices beyond the forum: due to my time allocation I only regularly visit one modelling forum - and this is it. Thus I would need help with this. There's nothing stopping anyone who frequents other fora or sites, or has a blog, from advertising Epicomp.
Other issues:
Ghudra's poppy-border idea is grand, and should solve any local visibility issues.
Prizes for other categories (best 1st timer and non-GW ranges): we had very few entries in Exodus Wars and DRM categories when these existed, and due to the number of prizes available I kept the usual main categories. Note that DRM and Exodus Wars and other ranges can still be entered in any category - these are not only intended for GW models. New first timer could be an idea, keeping track of who's who might be more difficult - suggestions are welcome, but not the sort where I'd have to trawl through the whole list of members or a year of posts!
