Just as an aside, I believe Lusternia is the most generous of any IRE game when it comes to these contests. Keep in mind that we take time out from doing other things to judge these contests and certainly it would be easier for us not to have them at all.

Keep up the good work!

Dear Estarra *bows* The contests are one of the primary reasons I (and I'm sure many others) find Lusternia so wonderful.

And when there's something you love, you tend to get fussy over it - just like I am now.

to Fallen: I haven't submitted a single work into the contest. So while it's easy for you to assume I'm being critical for selfish reasons, this isn't the case. What triggered me off was reading a new poem in the Bardic contest archives - it was sincerely, one of the best poems I've EVER READ, one of those poems that makes you envious of the poet; so simple yet so artistic and creative! So I was simply disappointed.

Without further ado and without more stupidity on my part, I come to the conclusion that the contests are not rated for pure aesthetic value, but for the ropeplaying aspect. Which is okay. Just wanted to straighten that out


p.s.: it hurts when people think you oughta shut up when you want to speak out, especially when you've been stifling yourself and your essence all your life. Sorry but I hate that.

I agree. I find it annoying that I have to talk to people about the game who themselves are not players.

The month of my first bardic (two stars) a collection of short poems by Axella won one star. I thought her poems were better than my story (and I liked my story a lot).

But there are other months when poems won, sometimes (to my mind) deservingly and sometimes not. Such as two months later when a poem (that didn't even mention anything Lusternian) won three stars.

It's very subjective. I don't think there's any particular prejudice for or against poetry, or by length.

That's indeed it, as for the correlation between long stories and winning. Generally if you've planned a longer story out, it'll be more intrinsically Lusternian because they will be able to include more references. If you're referencing the Supernals poem, yeah that puppy is very very well done. Why it got one star? The judging is inherently about taste and preference. I will give props to the author though.

?



Cool, congrats Gwylifar. Subjective, huh? A new word in my vocabulary...



Riv you hit the nail on the head in every single way.

I have no idea what to make of that. Is it really?

Often I find there are things yo ucan't really talk about with the playerbase

Like ginger snaps. Man, just try bring up the subject of ginger snaps around here and somebody's going to lynch you.

Or did that happen when I brought up toothpaste? *shrug*

*gasp* Omg, what did you say?! *lynches Exarius*







(*hugs* I'm just kidding, so you know )

Quite all right. I'd start to think I was losing my touch without the ocassional lynching.

Peony:


Without further ado and without more stupidity on my part, I come to the conclusion that the contests are not rated for pure aesthetic value, but for the ropeplaying aspect. Which is okay. Just wanted to straighten that out

They are rated for both. A really badly written peice that is entirely based in Lusternia is not going to win. A peice the judges think is beautiful that is not entirely based in Lusternia is not going to win.

There is no contest of talent in the entire world that is judged by humans that will not vary depending who is judging it. It will always be a matter of taste. Different people like different styles, plots, character types, and so forth. A close friend of mine enjoys soft, peaceful music. I however, prefer something with a strong beat. If we were both asked to judge a tune, we would rate it on our personal criterion. It's the same with this.



p.s.: it hurts when people think you oughta shut up when you want to speak out, especially when you've been stifling yourself and your essence all your life. Sorry but I hate that.


I am sorry if we have all made you feel this way. Unless you mean just a few people who have pissed you off, in which case, shrug it off, and accept that they are bitchy.

I seem to be using the word bitchy waaay to much today.

Here's an example of exploiting a percieved bias.

I have a friend who's noticed that at a certain con, the art of unicorns and/or fairies do best. Friend could have complained that the judges shouldn't care so much about unicors and fairies, but instead, the next time this friend takes work to that con, the pieces taken are loaded up unicorns and/or fairies.

Percieved bias exploited.

Advising you to work the system if you think you see a way to work it isn't the same thing as telling you to shut up.

Personally, I think that each judge probably has a personal preference, but that trying to predict which one for each month is a pointless exercise.

All art is subjective (as has been pointed out about a jillion times). I've seen things in museums that I thought were awful, but somebody must like them.

Do what I do. Create what you want for your own pleasure. Enter it. Sometimes it gets an award. Sometimes it doesn't.

It's all good,
Rhosyn



It's probably just that sort of day.

Rhosyn: I, of course read the rest of your post, but I quoted that text because you missed something: This is the post that clearly sent me the "you-should-shut-up" message:



I was referring to that.

You're right that I missed the other post.


Rhosyn

Some good words of advice in that one there too, that and you had something that you didn't know/feel right about, and pretty much asking/talking to others is the only way to find out about this, mark it up to learning. And we all know one can't learn unless they ask.