Board 8 > So I'm thinking about running my first contest ever (help)

(+) Yeah! (+)

I won't talk about what it is (yet), but I've never done something like this and I'd like basic info, tips and help about doing a contest.

It will require a nomination phase, seeding, Bracketmaker, etc. I don't know how any of those things work.

With our current situation, I have the time to do it now, but I'm also... pretty undisciplined, tbqh. The only thing that can help me get rid of that so I can run a contest myself is having enough support, starting with the simplest question: Would you participate in it? I won't do it if only like 10 people vote daily, so I have to make sure it's worth doing it at all.

All kinds of tips are appreciated.

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Just dont put Kirby in the contest

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participation depends on what it is...

kateee posted...

participation depends on what it is...

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kateee posted...

participation depends on what it is...

*sigh*

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Okay. Here it goes: I'm planning on doing a Rivalry Contest. Like the one we had in 2011? Yes, but way cooler. I'm planning on allowing any and all kinds of rivalries.

Can Mario vs. Sonic be in? Absolutely!
Can Charles Barkley vs. Michael Jordan be in too? Of course!
Can The Avengers vs. Thanos also be in? Count on it!
Can... I don't know... ertyu vs. Kirby be in as well? If it gets enough support... sure, why not?

Since the very nature of the contest is so broad and open, I'd like to separate them into different categories (for example, we can have Mario/Sonic as a Videogame rivalry and Mario/Crono as a GameFAQs Contests rivalry).

I'd like to add some images and descriptions for each rivalry as well.

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doesn't personally interest me but you will almost always get some people who vote here and there despite never speaking up or voicing their interest beforehand.

before i start something like this i'll post a topic for noms/gauging interest, keeping in mind that i'll go through with it if x amount of people respond since once it gets up and running the likely amount of participants will be x + y.

nominates ertyu vs kirby

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Sounds fun, you could count on my votes. Personally I'd run it as one match a day, so you can use the automatic polls and not have to do your own tally (also helps your votals).

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Might check that out. If you ARE going to do the auto polls make sure to set it to the strictest option or it'll get votestuffed.

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I think people can even votestuff on the strictest option.

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I'd definitely participate

things I'd suggest as far as running it:

1. Be patient with nominations. Give people an individual nomination limit (depending on how many rivalries you want it). If a day or two and nominations aren't going as fast as you'd like, increase it a bit, then wait again.
2. Typically for things like this seeding is done based on how many nominations each thing get (more nominations=higher seed). Beyond that you could seed them yourself based on what you think will do the best (ex. Mario & Bowser would probably be high seeds), or just randomize.
3. As far as bracketing, I personally prefer Challonge > Bracketmaker because Challonge does data entry and seeding for you. If you have them ordered from highest seed to lowest seed, you can just copy and paste it and have it automatically seed the bracket. Bracketmaker works fine but you'll have to do the seeding yourself.
4. Once the contest is running, find a set time you'd be available each day to update it. That way it just becomes part of your daily schedule and keeps the topics to 24 hours, preventing people being upset that some matches get more or less time than others.

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I'm no expert in contest running, but I can share what I'm trying to make sure I'm doing in regards to GotDotY.

Record everything you do in some sort master word doc, spread sheet, or both. I put all the rules, groupings, results, and explanations in a word doc and use a spreadsheet to help tally results with basic SUM formulas (since my spreadsheet skills are still very infantile) and just keep a broad overview of the current state of the contest in.

Make the process linear and transparent and be able to justify the decisions you make with impartiality. At the same time, though, feel free to engage in the discourse surrounding the contest. Talk about what you want to win and what you hope happens. Just don't make people think you are trying to set things up that way.

Be as consistent and rhythmic as possible. Get yourself a routine when it comes to tallying and posting the next day. I'm not anywhere near perfect at the tallying part (have to tally yesterday's match tomorrow morning!) but I try to make an effort at the very least to have match up in the same window of time every day.

Make sure you will have fun doing it. I've tried to do a couple writing projects in recent memory and fell off hard because the idea of writing substantially about all the shitty things bored me and was daunting. GotDotY requires a decent chunk of time, but I'm enjoying watching everything unfold and watching people who vote in it discuss the current day is very fun for me and keeps me moving forward and eager to see how it ends.

None of this is anything that resembles a pro tip. I guess my goal in writing all this on my phone as I lay down for bed is to just show that the basics are a large part of what you need to focus on. If all that runs smoothly, it'll allow you run room to inject more flavor and personality going forward.

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Advokaiser posted...

Since the very nature of the contest is so broad and open, I'd like to separate them into different categories (for example, we can have Mario/Sonic as a Videogame rivalry and Mario/Crono as a GameFAQs Contests rivalry).

Categories are fine but IMO not good to organize the bracket around (if that's what you were intending, I'm not sure). I think part of the fun is seeing wildly different rivalries up against each other.
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I made a character bracket of sorts in a One Piece forum once and I used Challonge. It's pretty easy to use.

Advokaiser posted...

I'm also... pretty undisciplined

don't worry, a bracket contest probably takes the least amount of work of any type of contest you could run

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Drakeryn posted...

Categories are fine but IMO not good to organize the bracket around (if that's what you were intending, I'm not sure). I think part of the fun is seeing wildly different rivalries up against each other.

I've been thinking about this particular thing and it only makes sense by putting them in different categories. This would prevent many similar rivalries from showing up and become kind of redundant.

Like, let's say multiple people vote for "Mario/Bowser" and "Mario/Sonic", but other people also vote for "Mario/Crono". I'd like to keep it organized and fair, so the former two can fall into the same category (Videogames) and the one with the most votes gets in, while at the same time keeping the latter to compete in a separate category. The same thing would apply to, say, Dracula vs. multiple Belmonts or Alucard - the lesser-voted one(s) get ditched in favor of the most popular one.

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I don't see the problem if people are nominating them all, just let the most popular stuff in

personally I think making them compete in categories makes it boring and I probably wouldn't participate

(but it's your contest, you can do what you want)
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