We'll be starting up EpiComp again soon. Can I have people's thoughts on how entries will be handed this year. As a way of explanation:

Anonymous and Simultaneous

What we're currently doing, you e-mail in a picture and we post all the images at once when we're ready to start voting.

In a perfect world the anonymity would ensure people vote for the models and not the painter but voters recognize painting styles easy enough and pictures can be posted elsewhere and gain exposure.

The simultaneity creates a bit of shock and awe (all pics are released at the same time) and in a perfect world would be fairer but again nothing's stopping people from posting elsewhere.

Anonymous and Real Time

Close to what we're doing now, you would e-mail in a picture and we post them as they came in.

The "real time" aspect would keep it at the front of everyone's mind as the entries trickle in (translation => more entries). However, the older entries might summer from "old news" or simply get more exposure than the later ones.

"Nonymous" and Simultaneous

Close to what we're doing now, you would e-mail in a picture and we post them with their painter's name.

The nonymity (ya I'm completely making up words now) would put every voter on an even playing field, but might result in people voting for the painter and not the entry.

"Nonymous" and Real Time

What we used to. We create the threads and you post your entries.

Beyond what I covered above it's the simplest.

_________________
Dave

Blog

NetEA Tournament Pack Website

Squats 2019-10-17

I reckon it worked pretty well last year, although a reduction in category count would probably help matters

compared to previous years did we get more/less/the same number of entries last year?

_________________
Just some guy

My hobby/painting threads

Army Forge List Co-ordinator

I reckon real time uploading of photos on the way would be a good idea as it'd very likely encourage more people to paint and complete entries.

With the archives being down I don't have the exact numbers. From memory though we had been on a slow decline since switching to anon/simul, but last year picked up a bit probably due to advertising.

_________________
Dave

Blog

NetEA Tournament Pack Website

Squats 2019-10-17

I don't think anonymity is needed. We're grown ups.

_________________
http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/
Epic: Hive Development Thread

Grown ups have things unintentionally become popularity contests too. I wish elections were anonymous submission right about now.

Seriously, the benefit of anonymous submission is not that it's not possible to figure out who the artist is, but that who the artist is isn't emphasised. This helps to concentrate on the technical and artistic talent as distinct from the name on the cover.

I also like simuntaneous entry for the same reason - the age or novelty of information could bias the voting, which is avoided (as much as possible) by releasing entries simuntaneously. Of course even the order the entries are listed introduces subtle bias, but that can't be helped outside of randomizing the order for each viewer which is frankly not worth coding for the effect it would have.

_________________
SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

BFG GothiComp is no longer anomynous. This was voted for last year. People who can enter may ask to have their name not shown.
I think the community shows respect and integrity. Voting isn't 'weird' this year. heh.

Simulatnous upload is best!

Realtime= some people already do not enter because of previous year high quality entries. Seeing one show up in realtime might cause more people to drop (as in : you can try to paint better & better but that is years work, not weeks).

_________________
Light at the Horizon.

Warp Rift
Project Distant Darkness
Eldar MMS

GothiComp Hall of Fame
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19176