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http://blog.smallworlds.com/2009/04/09/and-the-winners-are/ SmallWorlds Blog
And The Winners Are…
April 9th, 2009 - SmallWorlds Chronicle
Buckle your seatbelts, SmallWorlds citizens! I, Kent Kronkite, am going to take you on a wild ride through some of SmallWorlds’ most extraordinary experiences!
We had a fantastic response to the Extraordinary Experiences competition and although the winners will receive some great prizes, we think that the real winner is the whole SmallWorlds community! Thanks to your wonderful efforts, there are now a whole lot more cool missions to do and places to visit. A very big thank you to all those talented people who made missions and spaces - and to those who took the trouble to rate them.
And now, here are our winners…
Top-Rated MissionsThis was a hotly contested category - the top 3 places were changing every few minutes right up until the competition closed at midnight on the 31st of March. In the end, the top two missions were separated by only 0.0003 of a rating point!
First Prize: Sarah Spunda - Hollywood House Decorator mission.
Sarah wins a 32 GB iPod Touch.
I spoke to a very excited Sarah just hours after her fantastic win (she lives in Tampa Florida in the USA). “When I found out I won, the first words out of my mouth were literally ‘WOOT WOOT!!’ hehe. Too much SmallWorlds I guess!” I was amazed to learn that Hollywood House Decorator is the very first mission that Sarah has ever made. She thinks her mission rated high due to it having a “storyline that everyone can relate to. Celebrities are everywhere in the media so most people have knowledge of them. I tried to add a comical twist to names and stories to make it funny and appealing….and I guess it worked!“ It sure did, Sarah!
And the Ipod Touch? “I can’t WAIT to get it! I watched the overview about it and I saw it has games. The first thing I thought was “I wonder if SmallWorlds is on there?!?” We’re working on total tech gadget domination Sarah… just give us more time!- our congrats once again!
Second Prize: Barry Cymro’s - Beam me up! Barry wins a 16 GB iPod Touch.
Barry’s initial reaction to winning was disbelief - “I never win anything!” he told me. Barry lives in Wales and has been playing SmallWorlds since our Beta days. He thinks that the Beam Me Up missions’ winning formula lay in giving people a bit of a challenge: “Beam Me Up makes people use their brains a bit, rather than spoon-feeding them with all the information they need to complete the mission“. Barry confessed to me that in order to pay for the Space Station, he signed up for VIP membership and “…basically blew most of my gold in one go! It was worth it though!”
Barry plans to evolve the Space Station further, and is working on another mission, with a completely different theme, still loosely Welsh in flavor though! [not sure if that means Barry is himself a loose Welshman
Third prize: Willow Storm - Yoville Museum. Willow wins a 8 GB iPod Touch.
Third prize winner Willow spent a long time collecting together all the screenshots & images she wanted to use, although found that "the text just kind of fell into place". Willow, who lives in Michigan USA, usually tends to start with a plan when creating her missions but finds that they "always develop a life of their own and take off on me. I'm usually surprised by where they end up".
Willow is really looking forward to receiving her prize; "I may have to get my husband set it up though... I don't like being away from SmallWorlds any longer than I have to!" Willow joined the SmallWorlds community in Jan 09. "I now know the true meaning of addiction...but for this, I don't want a cure! Thanks SmallWorlds and a special thank you to all the Mods and Helpers!" Thanks to you also Willow, we love your enthusiasm!
Top 100 Missions win 2000 Gold!The one hundred top-rated missions each win 2000 gold. You'll find a full list of the winners at the bottom of this story.
Best Storyline
Winner: Silver Foxx - Funky Fairy Tales mission.
It's easy to see why this is such a popular mission. Silver has used popular fairy tales and given them her own personal touch to make them fresh and original. We thought it was a clever and inventive mission - not a standard narrative, but a fun way to experience lots of fairy stories.
Silver lives in the south of the U.S. She says that it was the St Valentines bears which provided her initial inspiration for the mission "I saw them and the idea just popped in my head. From there it practically wrote itself" She had heaps of fun making the mission "I was smiling and laughing at times myself, so I believe it won because it was fun and humorous and different." She'd like to thank everyone who played her mission and enjoyed it "I hope you all had as much fun playing it as I did making it!".
Best Interactions
Winner: Duchess Bean - TREC 2 & 3 mission.
Duchess has put together a horse-riding competition where you have to perform all sorts of riding tasks to win, including jumping over streams and fences, crossing obstacles, and going through markers. I enjoyed playing this mission and found it both fun and informative. My horse Scoop was a little unruly going through the final gate, but by gripping with my knees and taking a firm hand with him, I managed to guide him into first place.
Duchess said "I wanted avatars to go beyond their limitations and jump obstacles, go through forbidden waters and climb out of reach cliffs. I created the effects using teleports and the results were pretty cool. I think people enjoyed the mission because the obstacles were unlike other tasks encountered on SW." Duchess also wanted to acknowledge her SW friends Cathy Canuck, Heather Nomoyo and Thomas Gardener who's "knowledge, patience and determination really made it possible. They are the best! Thanks guys! I just love SmallWorlds!"
Duchess was also kind enough to make this picture of me.
Thanks Duchess! I'm going to hang it on the wall of the SmallWorlds Chronicle Head Office.
Best Dressed SpaceThis award was the hardest to judge! So many of you had created fantastic spaces that it was really hard narrowing it down, and even harder to pick a final winner.
In the end, we had to give out two extra prizes for the runners-up in this category.Winner: Nelvea Moonchild - Home Space. Nelvea wins a $200 Amazon gift voucher.
It's a small space, but it has real charm. I especially liked Nelvea's guitars hanging on the wall, and her noticeboard. Overall, the space is simple but has a wonderful homely feel. The kind of homespace you love to hang out and relax in! Nelvea is a Frenchspeaking Canadian and she told me that she had always "dreamed to have a studio looking similar to this. Cosy and warm with a touch of chic."
The competition has inspired me to do some more work on 'Kave Kronkite' (the place I go to write my most top secret news stories), and I asked her for a tip or two. "Be creative! My trick? Play with posters! They come in all sizes and offer lots of possibilities. Why not integrate every day life objects into it? For example, a calendar, a phone, a window image, a stereo on the wall. Anything can be done. It'll add a lot of charm and fun." Charm I have plenty of, so that should come naturally. Many thanks and well done Nelvea!
Runners-Up - Best Dressed Space
Josh & Cody's Grand Hall - owned by Cody Carter
Cody and his friend Omega have made many wonderful SmallWorlds spaces, but I think Cody's Grand Hall is the most impressive. Going inside, you weave your way through a beautiful maze of flowers to get to a choice of several other well-decorated rooms. I like the way the outer rooms all flow from the large central courtyard. Cody was really pleased for the recognition. "Yeah it was nice to hear that the hall made runner up; it always feels good when you put a lot of work into something and people let you know they like it."
Fantazy Island - owned by Valerie Lol
Fantazy Island is a lovely and atmospheric island where you can find lots of different spaces to get away from it all. Have a soak in one of the hot tubs, a drink at one of the bars, or how about a game of mini golf? I caught up with Valerie in one of the many secluded hang-out spots on the island for a celebratory glass of grape juice. Valerie told me that she was "speechless and amazed" when she told of her win. She felt that her space was recognized "because it looks like in "a real life paradise" in SmallWorlds! Everyone loves all paradise dreams".
Congratulations to you All!Well it was a total pleasure to meet all these talented people and spend some time with them in their amazing virtual creations. I have to say to you all that I have reflected with some guilt upon my moment of weakness... the one where that rascally Dan SmallWorlds offered me one of the competition prizes and (gulp) I accepted. Where was my head? I promise I only used it once.
Many congratulations to our talented winners. I have no doubt that your creations will inspire many SmallWorlds citizens and that we'll be seeing a creative explosion of other extraordinary experiences happening... Kave Kronkite, here I come - get ready to become extraordinary!
And Finally...
Here are the 100 top-rated missions that each win 2000 goldHollywood House Decorator Sarah Spunda
Beam me up! Barry Cymro
Yoville Museum Willow Storm
You are #1 Manny Faces
Escape the Magic Kingdom Castle Queenof Hearts
Funky Fairy Tales Silver Foxx
Garden of Dreams Sweet Sunset
Modern Day Gold Rush Aone Getdismoney
Doc's Assistant Doc Adams
Saving Atlantis Lisa Roader
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Mission Summer Daze
Not Hollywood, but NYC! Sarah Spunda
Natie Needs a Maid Natie Love
Housewarming Party !! Lyn Lyn
Hollywood Paparazzi Invasion Sarah Spunda
Go to Jail! Matt Dillon
Hollywood Party Invite Sarah Spunda
A1 Spaceship Aone Getdismoney
Uncle's Hidden Treasure Ani Sin
MY DOG TOOK MY KEYS!!! Amber Shortcake
Finding Jack Sparrow [Social Xp] Shanzy Elledge
Job at Delmonico’s Matt Dillon
Lost & Found Part I Lyn Lyn
Finding Atlantis Lisa Roader
Deputy For a Day Matt Dillon
New Advanced Pet Training Manny Faces
Easter Egg Hunt Heather Nomoyo
The Lord of the Rings Geno Lindley
Treasure Pyramid Tjs Kicker
Chocolaty Mission Chocolate Pancakes
Gilligan’s Island Willow Storm
Candy Deliveries Lisa Roader
Yard Care Mission Caellisto Starr
New Pet Training Mission Manny Faces
New Year’s Chaos Kristian Aguila
Musical Chair Emotes Puresunrays Shine
I LOVE NEW YORK!! Part 1 Lady Masters
Firehouse mission Danny Mccoy
Laughter Is The Best Medicine! Puresunrays Shine
Jack’s Compass Part 2 Brave Tinuviel
Jack’s Compass Part 1 Brave Tinuviel
Take A Dip Lisa Roader
Journey Through Time [Social XP] Mike Walker
Telegraph Delivery Matt Dillon
Friends From Central Perk Jill Jackson
Chocolate Bears Chocolate Pancakes
Kocktail Kascade Puresunrays Shine
Journey To Stars Hollow (Girls) Kristian Aguila
A Pirate’s Life For Me! Brave Tinuviel
Sarah’s Hollywood Celebrity Bash Sarah Spunda
Guess the Logo Puresunrays Shine
Pet Training Rakel Vmk
Easy Mission #1 Happy Guest
Moms new boyfriend Shanzy Elledge
Esy Relax Mission Serenity Starr
Trapped! Puresunrays Shine
The Pizza Maze Sweet Sunset
A1 Pyramid Aone Getdismoney
Simplicity -Esy Social Caellisto Starr
Labyrinth Fun! Lisa Roader
Labyrinth Mission Lisa Roader
Psychic Reading Willow Storm
Surf-tionary Ocean Waves
Love is the answer William Wilson
Murder Mystery Lillly Jones
Learn To Be A Model. Maryjane Stone
Happy’s Easy Mission #2 Emerald Eyes
Haunted Mansion Hunt Queenof Hearts
Under Attack Barry Cymro
Bouncer for hire mission Hunter Patterson
Tasty Slogans Lisa Roader
DANCE 2 Satan Rules
My Storage Closet Shanzy Elledge
Beginner Pet Mission Manny Faces
Mission Compliment . Cabanagirl Athappys
I LOVE NEW YORK!!! Part 2 Lady Masters
The Temple of Anubis Barry Cymro
Help with Dance Mission 2 Thomas Gardenerredux
10 ppl dance 6 Ashley Doan
10 ppl dance 10 Ashley Doan
10 ppl dance 5 Ashley Doan
Guess The Emote Kristian Aguila
Help with Dance Mission 5 Thomas Gardenerredux
Class Sports mission Leroy Harryboss
The Midnight Maze Puresunrays Shine
Hoist the Colors! Brave Tinuviel
Let’s Have A Bond Fire!! Shanzy Elledge
10 ppl dance 9 Ashley Doan
Ocean Motion Mission Ocean Waves
Work for Miss Kitty Silver Foxx
YoSpot Membership Mission Heather Nomoyo
A JOB HERE? Atziri Dayre
10 ppl dance 7 Ashley Doan
10 ppl dance 8 Ashley Doan
Find Them!!!! Shanzy Elledge
Who is Shanzy? Shanzy Elledge
Shanzy’s Day Out! Test Ings
Taste Tester Milkyway Midnight
Gardening Gone Wrong Happy Guest
DANCE 1 Satan Rules
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