Short Story Contest #3 - Poll

[Pyritie]

• A Family Torn Asunder - Trax.
• Two Races are Better than One - Silly lil ant
• A Daughter's Love - Tails96
• Master of the Scrapheap - Ghoulrush
• Battle of Two Hills - idodik
• The Clouds are Nice - Whatever
• Tree - The World is Flat
• Clan Wars: The Story of Iksha - Solecompanysole
• Honicora - Crazy Cow
• Magnus' Revenge - CaoSong

Inviting your friends to vote for you, bribing random members with rep and otherwise cheating with the VB poll system will get you DISQUALIFIED, BANNED from future contests, -REPPED, and possibly INFRACTED. So don't do it!

This includes, but is not limited to, sending PMs out to various users, getting other people to send those PMs, advertising this contest on other sites with the intention to gain more votes (whether it is explicitly stated or not), and so on. If you are suspected of cheating, the staff will notify you and interrogate you (hopefully) over PMs.​

 

[Traxamillion]

Sorry if mine looks like a text brick but If I CnP'd it from word then my net crashed so i had to CnP it to notepad then from notepad here.

 

[Crazy Cow]

World_Is_Flat gets my vote. Having a tree as the main character was a pretty creative choice on his part.

 

[Cthulus]

Didn't the original rules state that it was allowed to go slightly over 5,000?
I'll vote, but I am seriously disappointed that I was not even considered with this contest. By the way, English isn't even my first language.

 

[Traxamillion]

wait what?

EDIT: I did not add people to the list that were not finished, you most recent post in the contest thread was something about fixing your piece.

 

[Cthulus]

Huh? What has you confused?
But later, I'm pretty sure I said it was done.. Eek, how my mind doth slip in this age!

 

[Traxamillion]

We can still add you, i think. PM Pyritie with the link to your Final draft.

 

[Avator]

I'm not voting on this, because I honestly don't feel like reading all of them (and only reading a few would be unfair to all contestants), but I do like to say that a few people should mind making entire blocks of text. Trax just gave his explanation, but it would help a lot if you would take about 5 minutes to separate your chunk into more organized bits and pieces.
Also, in a flash, I saw that Tails96 had some weird grammar. No offense tails, but it is important for a story to be easily understood. Not sure whether any other entries had grammar issues.

Best of luck to all contestants.

 

[Crazy Cow]

I would have loved to go back and edit it now, but that would be against the rules. Final drafts needed to be in before today.

 

[Traxamillion]

I'm not voting on this, because I honestly don't feel like reading all of them (and only reading a few would be unfair to all contestants), but I do like to say that a few people should mind making entire blocks of text. Trax just gave his explanation, but it would help a lot if you would take about 5 minutes to separate your chunk into more organized bits and pieces.
Also, in a flash, I saw that Tails96 had some weird grammar. No offense tails, but it is important for a story to be easily understood. Not sure whether any other entries had grammar issues.

Best of luck to all contestants.

Sorry :/ If i could i would change it.

 

[Jaret]

Trax. get's my vote... Even by getting born on the Same day as I was (not year, but 11.4.) He secured a vote... And of course for the good story...

 

[Miss_Foxy]

The tree one is so adorable...

 

[SpartanPie]

Wow Trax your story is friggin beutifal yet suspensful at the same time. Amazing ending, would it be allowed if, o i dont know, Christopher Paul Curtis were to enter?

 

[Traxamillion]

Wow Trax your story is friggin beutifal yet suspensful at the same time. Amazing ending, would it be allowed if, o i dont know, Christopher Paul Curtis were to enter?

Not sure who that is but thank you for the kind words

 

[Vengeancekael]

Wow Trax.'s Story is really nice He gets my vote. Good job

 

[Momo]

Trax, that was an incredible story. It was beautiful, I loved it! You definitely get my vote. I always liked the Pamela Redpath quest chain. Extremely well done!

 

[idodik]

Ah well, Trax, you do well deserve this round.

 

[Devine]

Tails gets my vote for he expanded the English gramar even further.
Very poetic.
Good job, guys.

 

[Pyritie]

I added http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/1479436-post231.html

 

[Vengeancekael]

Alright guys, don't count my vote for Trax.
I've had a discussion with Ghoulrush in the chat and instead i will give the one who deserves it (in my opinion) 6 rep, after reading all the stories.
I apologize for the meaningless vote.

 

[Ghoulrush]

Alright guys, don't count my vote for Trax.
I've had a discussion with Ghoulrush in the chat and instead i will give the one who deserves it (in my opinion) 6 rep, after reading all the stories.
I apologize for the meaningless vote.

To clarify, the discussion was not meant to sway his vote in any direction. I simply explained to him that it would be best to view and analyze each story and then place a vote based on the best one instead of prematurely giving the vote away without even reading each story.

 

[Vengeancekael]

To clarify, the discussion was not meant to sway his vote in any direction. I simply explained to him that it would be best to view and analyze each story and then place a vote based on the best one instead of prematurely giving the vote away without even reading each story.

Don't worry, i thought about it and think that's the best thing to do now. Also Pyritie said he won't be counting my vote.

 

[ap0calypse]

Okay, 2 down, a lot more to go xD
(I had to change the font size though, since the hidden-tags reduce the font size and it's not good to read long stories with such a small size

Ohh, and I skipped Trax' work of art for now, since I'm probably going to add a little structure in it before reading and I don't feel like doing that right now

Good stories so far! I'll add my vote once I'm done reading.
(I admire the judges for reading and criticising all stories, it seems like that's a lot of work).

 

[Vengeancekael]

(I had to change the font size though, since the hidden-tags reduce the font size and it's not good to read long stories with such a small size

Hey good idea D: Why didn't i think of this sooner xD

 

[Fummy]

The first one I read was Tree by The World Is Flat, Could someone explain to me what happened at the end? what was emblem meant to be?

 

[Solecompanysole]

Trax isnt that the story of that Girl Pamela who is a quest giver on wow???????

The ghost of Marlene Redpath still haunts a home in Sorrow Hill, near the Ruins of Andorhal in Western Plaguelands. During the battle of Darrowshire, she hid young Pamela in the a building just outside of the town itself. She does not, though, know what happened to her. She, too, asks you to look for her in the ruins of Darrowshire.

Lol i could bet it is XD or at least I remember i done such a quest of fiding a lost Taddy bear....Its very similar idea....
Well nvm its an good story (too bad its a short story contest you could made it way longer with more details )

 

[Traxamillion]

Yes sole, it is based off that quest

It was one of my favorites quests in WoW

 

[Solecompanysole]

really didnt know but still you should write a big story about it it has great potential of adding details and so on

 

[Traxamillion]

Well I wanted to make it ominous, similar to the arthas scene in my story, when he confronts mograine.

 

[Solecompanysole]

Well I would suggest you to make it and post on my forum but my forum is a bit unactive/small just 3000posts and 200 members :Sbut it has a Writing Section

 

[Piwlady]

I voted trax. because his story was nice :O

 

[ChaosKnight]

WOW, that's just so awsome. Trax, you will get my vote.

 

[Solecompanysole]

:S i hope you guys read all before you vote XD

 

[Vengeancekael]

All right lets see my progress
A Family Torn Asunder - Trax. = 4/5
A Daughter's Love - Tails96 = 2/5, almost 1/5

 

[Crazy Cow]

:S i hope you guys read all before you vote XD

Seconded

 

[Ghoulrush]

I, as a competitor in the Short Story Competition #3, consent to changing the poll's weight on the final score from 40% to 25%.

My consent will remain removed unless Trax gives his once more.

 

[Traxamillion]

I can't.

:/

 

[Cthulus]

In that way, it seems almost biased..
And I'm not saying that because mine sucks. I guess no one likes to read my Lovecraft-y introduction.. It's just that I doubt most of the voters read even the majority of these great works.

I, as a contestant in the Short Story Contest #3, wish to have the weight of the public poll changed from 40% to 25%.

 

[CaoSong]

I, as a competitor in the Short Story Competition #3, consent to changing the poll's weight on the final score from 40% to 25%.

I have to admit even I havent read all the entries (to be honest I've only read about 3 other then my own)... and I agree that it's very likely that people wont want to read a possible maximum of 55,000 words... so I agree to the decrease of this poll's weight on the final score.

 

[Traxamillion]

I'm retracting my consent to change the poll. We all know this happened because things are not turning out the way you had intended. I'm sure some of you joining the contest thought, you would place 1-3 or even win, and now that things are not going your way you decide to change the rules. You can blame people for voting in a bias manor becuase they did not read all of them, but how many excuses are you going to make, if this wasn't the case I'm sure I would be called out for people playing favorites with me.

NOT ONCE during both threads did anyone mention for the polling to be changed. When you joined this contest you agreed to everything stated in the rules and conditions. I can gaurentee, none of you would think of this poll retraction had you been in my posistion. Changing the rules during a vote is rediculous, and childish. "I'm not winning, so let me find a way to even the score."

Frankly I'm pissed off, shame on me that for once I have a good chance at winning and you all want to take it away, because its not playing out in your favor.

You all agreed to this competition and all its rules/conditions when you joined, you cant go back now.

The only reason I consented is because I did not want to be an asshole, and now I'm sure there will be hate directed at me saying I just want to win, well ya i do want to win and I deserve what i have recieved thus far. So call me an asshole but i cant lie and give my consent.

 

[anarchianbedlam]

I can see both sides of the argument here.

On one hand, there IS a shitload of text and people wont read all of it

On the other.... you guys are changing the rules HALFWAY through this contest....

Might i suggest that this poll be remade or edited so as not to SHOW THE RESULTS until the end... so no one will see how many votes someone has and as such... wont be tempted to vote for the person with the most votes.

That would be a happy middle ground for everyone.

Keep the 40% poll count, because the people/users of the hive SHOULD have a say in who wins.... but just hide the tally until the end.

(-_______-) problem solved

 

[CaoSong]

I actually dont care who wins, I just want everybody to have their stories read before the people vote...

perhaps in the future make it so in order for a vote to count the voter has to write a short review on each entree with a 1 to 5 rating or something... something to prove that they at least glanced over all of the stories. *shrugs* I dunno

 

[anarchianbedlam]

I actually dont care who wins, I just want everybody to have their stories read before the people vote...

perhaps in the future make it so in order for a vote to count the voter has to write a short review on each entree with a 1 to 5 rating or something... something to prove that they at least glanced over all of the stories. *shrugs* I dunno

omfg.... so now they not only have to READ your stories, but they have to write a story's-worth, of text in a REVIEW FOR EACH ONE? if people didnt vote before... they sure as hell wouldnt vote then.....

writing reviews is what we have judges for anyway

the answer is simple.... hide.... until.... end....

 

[Pyramidhe@d]

just like to say that rules are rules. and especially in a sort of a competition, you cannot change the rules for scoring in the middle of voting. that will be just plain stupid.

 

[CaoSong]

hiding until the end wont make anybody read all the stories, thus it's a useless thing to add in... I dont even know who's winning now (though I'm assuming it's Trax since he said he's winning) since I havent voted yet, I havent seen how many votes everybody has... and I still have the same opinion.

The whole point of the contest is to have people read your stories, doesnt matter who wins... not like there's a cash prize on the line or something.

 

[Crazy Cow]

I'm retracting my consent to change the poll. We all know this happened because things are not turning out the way you had intended. I'm sure some of you joining the contest thought, you would place 1-3 or even win, and now that things are not going your way you decide to change the rules. You can blame people for voting in a bias manor becuase they did not read all of them, but how many excuses are you going to make, if this wasn't the case I'm sure I would be called out for people playing favorites with me.

NOT ONCE during both threads did anyone mention for the polling to be changed. When you joined this contest you agreed to everything stated in the rules and conditions. I can gaurentee, none of you would think of this poll retraction had you been in my posistion. Changing the rules during a vote is rediculous, and childish. "I'm not winning, so let me find a way to even the score."

Frankly I'm pissed off, shame on me that for once I have a good chance at winning and you all want to take it away, because its not playing out in your favor.

You all agreed to this competition and all its rules/conditions when you joined, you cant go back now.

The only reason I consented is because I did not want to be an asshole, and now I'm sure there will be hate directed at me saying I just want to win, well ya i do want to win and I deserve what i have recieved thus far. So call me an asshole but i cant lie and give my consent.

This is the truth. I remove my consent.

 

[Traxamillion]

Thank you for being understanding.

 

[Ghoulrush]

just like to say that rules are rules. and especially in a sort of a competition, you cannot change the rules for scoring in the middle of voting. that will be just plain stupid.

Allow me to show you Pyritie's exact response to me when asked for permission on the matter before any of this was posted:

Sure

I am sorry Trax, but this is a clear insult to any form of creative writing. This contest is supposed to be about showing and comparing literary quality, not getting a pretty icon just because the system is flawed and you managed to create a story that was the quickest to read. How can you possibly say that you've won a writing contest if you are actively working to make sure that literary analysts will have the least amount of say concerning your project.

If you believe that you should win, why will increasing the judges' voting power harm your chances? If you are the winner, then they will choose you to win. All that will change is you will now be winning due to writing capability instead of a flawed system.

I know that the rest of us messed up by letting the 40% thing pass until now but... hey, we're your fellow writers. Can't you help us recover from our mistakes before its too late and the stories that we have all written are made useless. Do you really just want to screw us all just because we couldn't see this coming ahead of time (to our defense, this is the first Short Story competition which has gained official arena status). At what cost to your writing community as well as to your reputation as a writer are you willing to secure your place in this competition?

 

[anarchianbedlam]

hiding until the end wont make anybody read all the stories, thus it's a useless thing to add in... I dont even know who's winning now (though I'm assuming it's Trax since he said he's winning) since I havent voted yet, I havent seen how many votes everybody has... and I still have the same opinion.

The whole point of the contest is to have people read your stories, doesnt matter who wins... not like there's a cash prize on the line or something.

the POINT It is not about getting people to READ your god-forsakenly long stories (regular users wont anyway, no matter what you do...) , the POINT at the moment is to stop people from voting on the basis of how many votes a user has.

And to goulrush's statement, if we start the poll over and make the poll hidden until the end. then we will avoid this "flaw" in the system

 

[Ghoulrush]

And to goulrush's statement, if we start the poll over and make the poll hidden until the end. then we will avoid this "flaw" in the system

I do not believe the flaw in the system is that people can see the results before they vote, although that may be a factor. I believe that the main flaw is the fact that the judges only affect 60% of the final score in a contest based on literature, a subject which requires sophisticated and comprehensive literary analysis.

A similar issue has occurred in with the Solo Mapping Competition #3, where it was very unlikely that the voters would play each map before voting. Pyritie's defense? The poll only counted for 30% of the score. Unfortunately, such is not the case for our contest. I believe this is why Pyritie has supported my efforts to lower the weight of the poll, even though Trax has recently not. When I first spoke to Trax about the subject, he agreed that the poll should be lowered to make the contest more legitimate and fair. Unfortunately he seems to have recently become more concerned with winning than he is concerned with the sophistication and healthiness of our competition.