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[Astro]

From the VFK Homepage:

[funfly]

thanks astro!

[Purpleduck]

[Purpleduck]

  Now they say we can use ANY ROOM and EVEN USE LAST YEAR'S PIECES?  Now where does that lead us?  To having peeps simply register their last year's entry!!      Don't see how that's very fair.  Especially if they placed last year.

[Astro]

  Now they say we can use ANY ROOM and EVEN USE LAST YEAR'S PIECES?  Now where does that lead us?  To having peeps simply register their last year's entry!!      Don't see how that's very fair.  Especially if they placed last year.

Exactly.  My heart just isn't into it this year.  Quite honestly watch ... same peeps will sweep the contest, same as years prior.      It makes ALL these sort of contests and competitions.... just not fun anymore.  I may find some eggs to make some stuff out of though, that may help the cause.   

My opinion only, sorry.

[funfly]

 Now they say we can use ANY ROOM and EVEN USE LAST YEAR'S PIECES?  Now where does that lead us?  To having peeps simply register their last year's entry!!     Don't see how that's very fair.  Especially if they placed last year.

Exactly.  My heart just isn't into it this year.  Quite honestly watch ... same peeps will sweep the contest, same as years prior.      It makes ALL these sort of contests and competitions.... just not fun anymore.  I may find some eggs to make some stuff out of though, that may help the cause.  

My opinion only, sorry.

I agree with you both...

Any room --ok; some of last year's pieces -- ok.  However, they should NOT allow a prior winning room to be entered into any other contest - ever! There should be some type of rule that you need to use new pieces as well.  So, IF we as players get to be the judges again, WE need to judge according to the pieces used.  If I get to play "judge", I will award more points for those using the newer pieces - I will not take away for using old pieces, but the rooms with most of or only older pieces will not get as high a score from me. And if I saw it last time (and remember it as a winning room) they will get a zero this time around just on principle.  If someone is not going to put any effort into building a new room for this contest, I feel they shouldn't enter.


I'm sure alot of the same people will win as prior contests. That seems to happen with many contests/events.
Not everyone has lots of time available to build these 'well-thought-out, lavish, very full rooms that win.  I already figure I won't win for many reasons....but, that won't stop me from building something for this contest.  Mainly because I like to build when I can and I wish to participate in events.  But, I can see how it would discourage others.


So, I'll be looking for Astro's egg room...

[Astro]

From the VFK Homepage:

[PrincessWendyBird]

I agree with all of the above ladies! I hopped on to see what was happening in game. Usually I get excited about building competitions, but I feel like give us some time to actually build something. We have a crazy weekend ahead, with Adam's mom flying in for her uncle's funeral. Also, the sand dollar pieces are sooo high priced.

I love to build, but I might be sitting this one out. 

[Flamanette]

I agree with all of the above ladies! I hopped on to see what was happening in game. Usually I get excited about building competitions, but I feel like give us some time to actually build something. We have a crazy weekend ahead, with Adam's mom flying in for her uncle's funeral. Also, the sand dollar pieces are sooo high priced.

I love to build, but I might be sitting this one out. 

+10 to all that you all have already said...

And nothing irks me more then when VFK doesn't PROOF READ their cut and paste jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which date: Sunday August 8, or Saturday August 8....sheesh people!  HELLO? Neither of those days are August the 8th folks.

I have half a mind to go ahead and enter eggs like Astro.  Or maybe something worse.....moohaahaa.

Nah, I got better things to do.

HUGS to all....

[funfly]

I agree with all of the above ladies! I hopped on to see what was happening in game. Usually I get excited about building competitions, but I feel like give us some time to actually build something. We have a crazy weekend ahead, with Adam's mom flying in for her uncle's funeral. Also, the sand dollar pieces are sooo high priced.

I love to build, but I might be sitting this one out. 

+10 to all that you all have already said...

And nothing irks me more then when VFK doesn't PROOF READ their cut and paste jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which date: Sunday August 8, or Saturday August 8....sheesh people!  HELLO? Neither of those days are August the 8th folks.

I have half a mind to go ahead and enter eggs like Astro.  Or maybe something worse.....moohaahaa.

Nah, I got better things to do.

HUGS to all....

They did fix the date on their main page....

[funfly]

Well, since rules state we could build 1 room per character...I built more than 1 room.

I really had fun building these rooms, love the fact that others will get to see them as they judge. I'll be adding porters to our connection room in the future for friends who wish to visit as well.

For all of the problems/complaints that VFK does get on things...I can still say that I enjoy building there and having fun with friends who come to play, visit, and chat!   

Good luck to everyone who built! 

[Astro]

From the VFK Homepage:

[funfly]

Not sure how important but might want to have room's open to everyone if you entered into the contest.


Thanks Astro for the judging update info!


UPDATE:

Judging has started.  I did about 20 rooms. It told me I had completed them.

HOWEVER, I refreshed and logged back in and clicked the Judge Room button and it gave me more.  I think we can judge up to 40 rooms.

[Astro]

** if you started, you need to begin again **


In-Game Blast:

Due to an issue in our new Epic Ages beta client we are going to restart the Sandcastle Judging.  All judging up to this point will be reset, so if you have already judged you will need to judge again.  Thanks everyone for being part of our Sandcastle Competition and thank for testing our Epic Ages beta client!



I may not start until later tonight, until they can get the bugs worked out.   

[Astro]

From the VFK Homepage:

[funfly]

From the front page again:   JUDGE ANOTHER SET OF 40 ROOMS



Even More Judging the Judges - Second Annual Sandcastle Competition 2011

There have been a lot of suggestions that the judging be expanded to include more rooms!

There have also been a lot of suggestions to include some additional categories in the judging becuase of the enormous amount of creativity shown in the design of the rooms!

Building Sandcastles are all about the expression of creativity and the development of themes, settings and ambience, so categories have been added to the judging to especially include these elements of design!

So, what could be better than to combine these two great ideas and expand the Sandcastle Competition Judging!

For those who would like to have the chance to judge more of these amazing rooms, and also have more categories to choose from in their judging, just select the Judge option under the Menu and there will be 40 more rooms to judge!

As before, for each 10 rooms that are judged, there will be an award for judging! This will make it possible to receive 2 of each of the special judging awards!

[Flamanette]

From the front page again:   JUDGE ANOTHER SET OF 40 ROOMS



Even More Judging the Judges - Second Annual Sandcastle Competition 2011

There have been a lot of suggestions that the judging be expanded to include more rooms!

There have also been a lot of suggestions to include some additional categories in the judging becuase of the enormous amount of creativity shown in the design of the rooms!

Building Sandcastles are all about the expression of creativity and the development of themes, settings and ambience, so categories have been added to the judging to especially include these elements of design!

So, what could be better than to combine these two great ideas and expand the Sandcastle Competition Judging!

For those who would like to have the chance to judge more of these amazing rooms, and also have more categories to choose from in their judging, just select the Judge option under the Menu and there will be 40 more rooms to judge!

As before, for each 10 rooms that are judged, there will be an award for judging! This will make it possible to receive 2 of each of the special judging awards!

                      

Anyone else have a real problem with this??? (Probably not).

I judged on myself and on a clone (yes, I entered; after having my arm twisted by Astro, hehe).  My daughter judged (yes, she begged me to let her enter her room) -- these were all done using the old form.  This morning I log on Hero to do his judging: and of course I see a totally different rating form.

Sorry, but this just STINKS!!!  There is NO justification in my mind for changing the judging categories/ratings system with 24 hours left to go.  I am sure MOST people did their judging already, using the 2-category system.  NOW they are gonna change the form and allow more judging?  NOW that are gonna add a category for "use of color and fantasy"?  Ummm...there is no color in sand castles, sand is BROWN.  These judging criteria should have been released BEFORE PEOPLE MADE THEIR CASTLES!!!!!  <--- so they could consider "use of color and fantasy" whilst building?

And, OK, the can change the rating form mid-stream, but they can't add a button that says "this is blinkin' storage room and should have NEVER been allowed to be entered in this SAND CASTLE competition" -- come on!

Yet another HUGE let-down from VFK; this is just really, really awful in my opinion!  But of course, I am sure I will be in the minority; reasonable-ness seems to be in the minority, which is why VFK continues to mess things up!

SIGH. 

[Astro]

               

Anyone else have a real problem with this??? (Probably not).

I judged on myself and on a clone (yes, I entered; after having my arm twisted by Astro, hehe).  My daughter judged (yes, she begged me to let her enter her room) -- these were all done using the old form.  This morning I log on Hero to do his judging: and of course I see a totally different rating form.

Sorry, but this just STINKS!!!  There is NO justification in my mind for changing the judging categories/ratings system with 24 hours left to go.  I am sure MOST people did their judging already, using the 2-category system.  NOW they are gonna change the form and allow more judging?  NOW that are gonna add a category for "use of color and fantasy"?  Ummm...there is no color in sand castles, sand is BROWN.  These judging criteria should have been released BEFORE PEOPLE MADE THEIR CASTLES!!!!!  <--- so they could consider "use of color and fantasy" whilst building?

And, OK, the can change the rating form mid-stream, but they can't add a button that says "this is blinkin' storage room and should have NEVER been allowed to be entered in this SAND CASTLE competition" -- come on!

Yet another HUGE let-down from VFK; this is just really, really awful in my opinion!  But of course, I am sure I will be in the minority; reasonable-ness seems to be in the minority, which is why VFK continues to mess things up!

SIGH.  

Well seriously .It, why miss out on a shirt and pin that isn't tradeable right?  Enter people!

I do!      Agreed!  It is NOT fair for VFK to change the judging criteria in the middle of a competition for petes sake!  

I feel very sorry for those players that put their heart and soul into this competition.  And built based on the ORIGINAL THEME AND RULES!   I hate to say it, but I am glad my heart wasn't into it this year... and I am glad I didn't bust my rear for hours on end for this.  I am perfectly content with just... entering.  That is just a terrible update.  They should have just considered it for next year!!

I haven't been around, so I haven't even had a chance to look at the new judging form.  I was done, and well ... thought it was done!   I guess I didn't even realize that VFK had changed it!  I just assumed they were just allowing more rooms to be judged was all, I just scanned the new post.    Not a change in form and criteria.  wow, just wow VFK.    

[Krazy_Kim]

I haven't read the replys here yet so if I repeat someone I am sorry, but wanted to say last night I judged all the way up to the Host Game time and it was two selections and then later that night I started again and noticed new selections.  I see that it was requested by people for new selections so I went to Enigma during the closing party and asked if they could make it 0 to 10 instead of 1 to 10 for those people that make bogus storage rooms to get credit and she said, "No, it is 1 to 10 not 0 to 10!" and that was all I got from her.  So people can make new voting selections and get accepted, but I ask for a 0 to be placed in the scale for bogus rooms and I got a sharp no?  I mean come on, we have 0's on the wheel for spinning after completing puzzles and that is suppose to be fair after we do all that work completing those things?

Thanks for listening! 

Krazy_Kim

[Flamanette]

I haven't read the replys here yet so if I repeat someone I am sorry, but wanted to say last night I judged all the way up to the Host Game time and it was two selections and then later that night I started again and noticed new selections.  I see that it was requested by people for new selections so I went to Enigma during the closing party and asked if they could make it 0 to 10 instead of 1 to 10 for those people that make bogus storage rooms to get credit and she said, "No, it is 1 to 10 not 0 to 10!" and that was all I got from her.  So people can make new voting selections and get accepted, but I ask for a 0 to be placed in the scale for bogus rooms and I got a sharp no?  I mean come on, we have 0's on the wheel for spinning after completing puzzles and that is suppose to be fair after we do all that work completing those things?

Thanks for listening! 

Krazy_Kim

Well it's probably too late to tell you this now, but when you get those rooms, you don't HAVE to choose any rating.  Just click the submit button.  It counts.  In my mind, that is giving them a zero score.

Honestly, just when I thought I might be ready to give VFK another chance, and just play with a different mindset now -- they have to go and blow it -- AGAIN.

I am so there with you Krazy, they can change the form like this mid-way through the judging (!) but they can't figure out how to "eject" rooms that should never been submitted.  I suppose the funniest "junk" room I saw was one with a tower piece in the middle of the room, and then a pile of eggs off to the side, LOL.  Made me chuckle out loud in real.

[Tigerbella]

I do think they need to catch up to themselves a bit better lol, but at least they did mention that you would be able to get two sets of the judging prizes as a result if you had done both types of judging.  Of course now I want to see what the prizes are.
At least I did get it done last night, even though I got home late. (whew)

[Astro]

From the VFK Homepage:

[Flamanette]

From the VFK Homepage:

VFK continues to amaze me. Does anyone really believe that there were "thousands and thousands" of rooms to be judged? Would it kill them to be just be honest here?  Why exaggerate so much?  Oh maybe so it's more believable that they take SO LONG to come up with the results!  Certainly it takes a week (reportedly map staff had given out that time frame) to tabulate thousands and thousands....whereas a few hundred, they would have no excuse for taking so long.

It's a shame really.  It not like we (or at least ME) wouldn't accept that there were "several hundred"...but "thousands and thousands", come on! 

.it <---and that's no BS

[Astro]

VFK continues to amaze me. Does anyone really believe that there were "thousands and thousands" of rooms to be judged? Would it kill them to be just be honest here?  Why exaggerate so much?  Oh maybe so it's more believable that they take SO LONG to come up with the results!  Certainly it takes a week (reportedly map staff had given out that time frame) to tabulate thousands and thousands....whereas a few hundred, they would have no excuse for taking so long.

It's a shame really.  It not like we (or at least ME) wouldn't accept that there were "several hundred"...but "thousands and thousands", come on! 

.it <---and that's no BS

If the clones were out in force.... yep, I could probably see it happening.  Could easily see the thousand at least. 

Remember, they didn't announce that everyone could receive duplicate judging prizes, until the middle of the judging was in progress.  So clone rooms were entered from the beginning.  I can speak about the clones, because I've seen it myself when judging.  Storage rooms, cafe, salon, log-in, garden rooms (from last competition) ... list goes on.  Those are NOT sand castle entries.

The results issue... hehe well... they added all that extra criteria don't ya know.  So to have to sift through that mess now... who knows how long that will take. 

[Purpleduck]

To me, I guess I am surprised some of you are surprised.  VFK always messes up, especially with contests.

The only thing I am worrying about, as silly as it may sound, is that that aquarium room comes out on top, since I didn't get to see it in the second time around, and would have surely given it all ten stars I could.  For those who would like to see the room, or just refresh your memory: http://www.vmknobs.com/index.php?topic=8148.0

[funfly]

To me, I guess I am surprised some of you are surprised.  VFK always messes up, especially with contests.

The only thing I am worrying about, as silly as it may sound, is that that aquarium room comes out on top, since I didn't get to see it in the second time around, and would have surely given it all ten stars I could.  For those who would like to see the room, or just refresh your memory: http://www.vmknobs.com/index.php?topic=8148.0

I'm not really surprised. But was glad to be able to judge more rooms. First round of rooms I had at least 10 "junk/storage" romms (one even had on the "i" room something along of the lines of "didn't build, just wanted to judge" )

The second round of rooms, I had fewer "junk" rooms.

Maybe they'll keep the rooms judged separate from "first round" and "second round" and award to more builders...I don't know.  Either way, I enjoyed the building and enjoyed seeing different rooms; and judging those that were chosen for me.

I was hoping to get the aquarium room to judge, but never did.  I would have given it 10s

[Astro]

Never got the aquarium room either to judge.    


But.. just got home .... and happy to see we do have our judging prizes though!  Yay!         I think they are fantastic!

[funfly]

Agreed! The prizes are fantastic.  I was having some fun tonight with the boat bench.

[Purpleduck]

Agreed! The prizes are fantastic.  I was having some fun tonight with the boat bench.

SOME fun??  ROFL  You were teasing the heck out of poor Bubbles!!  

I like the judging prizes too.

[funfly]

Agreed! The prizes are fantastic.  I was having some fun tonight with the boat bench.

SOME fun??  ROFL  You were teasing the heck out of poor Bubbles!!  

I like the judging prizes too.

 

[Purpleduck]

Agreed! The prizes are fantastic.  I was having some fun tonight with the boat bench.

SOME fun??  ROFL  You were teasing the heck out of poor Bubbles!!  

I like the judging prizes too.

 

I should mention that Shell did some teasing of Bubbles after you left.  One back and forth had me but I could not say anything or I would have spoiled it!  Bubbles kept asking where Shell was and at one point said "I can't see you".  To which Shell replied: "Maybe you should try a refresh".   

[funfly]

Agreed! The prizes are fantastic.  I was having some fun tonight with the boat bench.

SOME fun??  ROFL  You were teasing the heck out of poor Bubbles!!  

I like the judging prizes too.

 

I should mention that Shell did some teasing of Bubbles after you left.  One back and forth had me but I could not say anything or I would have spoiled it!  Bubbles kept asking where Shell was and at one point said "I can't see you".  To which Shell replied: "Maybe you should try a refresh".  

  Well, Shell and I did share a bottle of 'grrrr.ape drink' before I left  - it was refreshing...   

[Krazy_Kim]

I haven't read the replys here yet so if I repeat someone I am sorry, but wanted to say last night I judged all the way up to the Host Game time and it was two selections and then later that night I started again and noticed new selections.  I see that it was requested by people for new selections so I went to Enigma during the closing party and asked if they could make it 0 to 10 instead of 1 to 10 for those people that make bogus storage rooms to get credit and she said, "No, it is 1 to 10 not 0 to 10!" and that was all I got from her.  So people can make new voting selections and get accepted, but I ask for a 0 to be placed in the scale for bogus rooms and I got a sharp no?  I mean come on, we have 0's on the wheel for spinning after completing puzzles and that is suppose to be fair after we do all that work completing those things?

Thanks for listening! 

Krazy_Kim

Well it's probably too late to tell you this now, but when you get those rooms, you don't HAVE to choose any rating.  Just click the submit button.  It counts.  In my mind, that is giving them a zero score.

Honestly, just when I thought I might be ready to give VFK another chance, and just play with a different mindset now -- they have to go and blow it -- AGAIN.

I am so there with you Krazy, they can change the form like this mid-way through the judging (!) but they can't figure out how to "eject" rooms that should never been submitted.  I suppose the funniest "junk" room I saw was one with a tower piece in the middle of the room, and then a pile of eggs off to the side, LOL.  Made me chuckle out loud in real.

I tried once before to not click a star, but it kept bringing me back to the same room until I clicked something so I didn't try that this year.  It would of been nice to give zeros to a start room I got that only had in it this year's opened Christmas presents and Easter Basket.    Also I LOVE the ones that say they worked so long on it or it took them like 5 hours to do and it only has a few pieces in it not making anything. 

Never got the aquarium room either to judge.   

But.. just got home .... and happy to see we do have our judging prizes though!  Yay!         I think they are fantastic!

I must me the only one that doesn't like these prizes.  I like last year's, that I never got, but of course I get this year's and was disappointed with them.  I mean the boat isn't even lying right, but oh well.

I never got the aquarium room either, but if I did I would of given it tens as well.  I probably didn't get it so I won't get a best judge pin lol.  I did get a room that had a waterfall in it made of sand and blue flowers that got our ten vote cause it was so creative.  However, I must apologize to some people because we had two minutes before the end of the day with 6 more rooms to get to 40 rooms so we just gave out ones to rooms (even when really, really pretty) so we could finish because it said in the Homepage judging would end at closing, but it continued after hours and we got sooooo mad at that.  Would of liked to known so we wouldn't of had to rush. 

Krazy_Kim