The Planet Exploration Contest!

[nhamlett]

Part of the adventure that comes from exploring strange new worlds is discovering that planet's history and hearing the stories of its inhabitants. Imagine you have just entered orbit around the planet pictured here. Your mind races with the possibilities of what you will find. What is the planet's name? What or who lives there? Are they peaceful or antagonistic, welcoming or outright hostile? Are they long gone leaving only more mysteries to solve?



Tell us about the planet shown on the Planet Exploration contest rules page (http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration). You can tell a story of daily life of the inhabitants, make a scientific survey log entry, or weave any type of tale you choose.

Email us your story of up to 500 words at contest@crypticstudios.com by January 29, 2009.

Orbit established, Captain. What do you think is down there?

[The_Padre]

Guess that confirms the Miranda-class in-game as well then :D

[Fluxion]

Guess that confirms the Miranda-class in-game as well then :D

It's kind of hard to tell if it's a screenshot or rendering. If it's a screen shot, then maybe. I hope so. :)

[LordDave]

The Winner of the First-Place Prize will receive a guaranteed beta slot in our closed beta, a special forum title on their Star Trek Online Forum Account, and their Entry will be featured on the Star Trek Online Website. There is no cash-value for this prize.

:eek:

Alright, time to put all of my years of Role Playing to work.

Let's Burn Sky until we see lines.

[LordDave]

It's kind of hard to tell if it's a screenshot or rendering. If it's a screen shot, then maybe. I hope so. :)

It says "screenshot" so it's very very probable.

[ParkerHayden]

*Jumps up and down while cheering*

This is something I've been waiting for.

[Sevenblade]

Confirms it for me, whether it's screenie or not. I mean, who didn't expect it anyways?

I might seriously get to work on this though. Just looking at that planet makes ideas pop into my head. Assuming I can find the time in between all my classes lately. Knew I shouldn't have registered for the most intensive freshman course on campus :rolleyes:

[Rekkert]

OK, let's start thinking...

[Drunk1n]

Wow the First place Prize is amazing! *gets out artistic pen* This spot shall be mine!

[PrimeDirector]

Great to see planet exploration is being given serious consideration.

Too bad I've got websense blocking the game screenshot...I'll have to wait until Saturday to see it :(

[LordDave]

Great to see planet exploration is being given serious consideration.

Too bad I've got websense blocking the game screenshot...I'll have to wait until Saturday to see it :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/Lord_dave/planet_background_contest.jpg
Try that link. See if it helps.

Also: Submitted my work. :D

[47Wasps]

(sighs happily to self)
The Miranda-class-truly timeless.

as for this contest,I am definitely submitting an entry :D

[PrimeDirector]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/Lord_dave/planet_background_contest.jpg
Try that link. See if it helps.

Also: Submitted my work. :D


Didnt work but thanks a lot for taking the time Dave! :D

Actually, I've decided I may write my entry without seeing the screenshot anyway...perhaps my wild imagination will take me farther...

[StarfleetOfficer]

Part of the adventure that comes from exploring strange new worlds is discovering that planet's history and hearing the stories of its inhabitants. Imagine you have just entered orbit around the planet pictured here. Your mind races with the possibilities of what you will find. What is the planet's name? What or who lives there? Are they peaceful or antagonistic, welcoming or outright hostile? Are they long gone leaving only more mysteries to solve?



Tell us about the planet shown on the Planet Exploration contest rules page (http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration). You can tell a story of daily life of the inhabitants, make a scientific survey log entry, or weave any type of tale you choose.

Email us your story of up to 500 words at contest@crypticstudios.com by January 29, 2009.

Orbit established, Captain. What do you think is down there?

Is this for the US only? or is this competition eligible for people outside the US i.e. England? ;)

[Beladan]

Is this for the US only? or is this competition eligible for people outside the US i.e. England? ;)

Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority, and in particular Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations located in a foreign country) who is eighteen (18) years of age or older (hereafter "Participant")

[miqrogroove]

I want to be in that beta seat as much as anyone else does, but after reading the contest rules I think I would rather relax and observe the other contestants. I look forward to reading about the winner, and perahps a few of the entries?

[StarfleetOfficer]

Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority, and in particular Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations located in a foreign country) who is eighteen (18) years of age or older (hereafter "Participant")

Ah well nevermind then, good luck my American friends ;)

[RogueEnterprise]

How flippin' sweet is this?? This is exactly the kind of contest I want to see from Cryptic. It's been a few years since I've had to flex creative muscles like this, but I might make an entry. =D

[STO_NPG]

Great contest! Sad I live in Hong Kong.

[Sevenblade]

I want to be in that beta seat as much as anyone else does, but after reading the contest rules I think I would rather relax and observe the other contestants. I look forward to reading about the winner, and perahps a few of the entries?

Oh wow, I didn't even notice the prize for it. That's really cool, and I would love to get that, but I'm gonna be writing this just for the sake of being able to (possibly) see my writing accepted as the background story for the planet. That would be accomplishment enough for me.

[Cormoran]

Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority, and in particular Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations located in a foreign country) who is eighteen (18) years of age or older (hereafter "Participant")

big thankyou! i wasn't about to attempt to decipher the pages upon pages of legalese just to confirm that. I kinda expected it though, these contests are never outside the US.

[Drunk1n]

Oh wow, I didn't even notice the prize for it. That's really cool, and I would love to get that, but I'm gonna be writing this just for the sake of being able to (possibly) see my writing accepted as the background story for the planet. That would be accomplishment enough for me.

My thoughts exactly.

[Drunk1n]

Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority, and in particular Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations located in a foreign country) who is eighteen (18) years of age or older (hereafter "Participant")

That is a real same as I am a skip and a hop away from Washington state. Oh well maybe i will win due to how well put together my entry is and it will be in the story line, and they realize I am from Canada so I'm to nice to try to sue such a great company, and give me a seat for beta as well :D

[Silverspar]

Awen need clarrification. The main body says up ot 500 words, yet the contest rules say no more than 700 words? Does that mean that we have to have the story writtenb etween 500 and 700 words? Or are we needing to write a story that is no more than 500 words and the rules are wrong on the rules page, or no more than 700 words and the blurb on the front page is wrong?

[callsign11b]

ah that bites only in the US.

[Commander_Daedelus]

when will there be a contest that us aussies can enter

[boydyma]

when will there be a contest that includes other countries other than just the US.....?

[Lord_Xomic]

This is stupid, this contest should be open to everyone, not just people in the United States.

[Commander_Daedelus]

lol boydyma, looks like we just have to keep running the comps on the ANZAC site :)

[Flatfingers]

Only 500/700 words?

Either way, I think that lets me out. :D

[SelorKiith]

Please clarification... is this really 'US Only' again and I can screw my story up or is it just covered by US Laws and every foreigner can participate?

[marscentral]

I think there be some convenient misquoting here of the rules. What they actually say is:

3.(c). If the total cash value of the Prizes is greater than zero-dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to any current legal resident of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia....

As it says earlier, the prizes have no financial value, so my understanding is that us foreigners can enter. That's probably why no mention of it being US only is made in the main text.

Prizes
• Two (2) total Runner-Up Prizes, and one (1) First-Place Prize, as defined above.
• The total value of all prizes to be awarded (“Total Value”) is $0.00 (zero dollars) (approximate US retail value).

It would be nice if Awen could clear it up for us with a definite answer though.

[marscentral]

A little addition as I should have read the bit before as it clarifies further:

3.(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction.

Just to clarify, unless you live in a country where the law forbids you from entry, you can enter. I think 3c is there more because with cash prizes, you have to start worrying about taxes and things.

[SelorKiith]

Ah... I see... thank you! I'm glad to see I can hit the send-Button for my E-Mail :D

[VisionM]

I want an official statement on this from Cryptic. I want to flex my writingmuscles but if this is, again, a US-only contest... *grumbles*. Next to that, if they later on decide that a Beta-slot has some sort of value, we're screwed either way >:(

So pretty please Cryptic, some word from you would be nice.

[marscentral]

I sent mine in any way. I enjoyed writing it, though as soon as I clicked "send", I thought of things I should have done instead. Anyway, if I do end up wrong (it's never happened in the past, but there's always a first time ;) ) and we can't enter, the worst that can happen is you win but end up disqualified. That would be annoying, but I haven't lost anything.

[yankeejim]

Sent mine as well, heres hoping!

[JJung]

Can we send the entry in as an attached document (Word, .pdf, etc)?

[Angelphoenix12]

i love to write, but when i write i always add things to my story. and soon it would be a noval. but im going to think about the short sory i have been building in my head. :)

[The_Padre]

Well I sent mine off, it was pretty fun in the end :D

[Davies82]

A very cool competition indeed.
Like the added extra of a screen shot too, with a cool looking planet and Miranda class starship.
Sweet!

Read the first place prize is a slot for the closed Beta, does this mean that Beta testing is not to far off then?also when the Beta test begins will it jsut be for PC or will i hope the xbox360 be apart of it aswell?
Thanks again Cryptic for throwing in another Gem, keep them coming!

[Drunk1n]

I have two versions of mine, and I'm not sure which to send in the more detailed 700 word page, or the 500 word safe entry.

[Flatfingers]

marscentral already pointed out that the restriction on non-U.S. submissions applies only if the cash prize value is greater than zero dollars, which it isn't.

The other issue is the 500/700 word limit discrepancy, but I think the rules cover that one, too:

14. INTERPRETATION

14.(a). In the event of any conflict between any information provided on Sponsor’s or a third party’s web site or provided by any entity other than Sponsor, on the one hand, and this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, on the other hand, this Official Rules and Submission Agreement shall govern.

Since rule #5 of the official "Planet Exploration" Contest Rules reads:

5. Entries shall be no longer than seven hundred (700) words in length.

I'd say the 700-word limit is the controlling standard.

But of course it wouldn't hurt for Awen or some other Official Person to clarify that for sure by updating either the Contest Rules or the initial post in this thread.

--Flatfingers

[SenshiBat]

Logic follows the Rules of Law and this is not the last contest or slot... It is but a beginning and every travel begins with one step out the door for some or to the door for others..
The screen shot being small frame.. leaves more poetic lis to the space out of frame.

[logicbomb]

Awesome got mine sent in. Gl to everyone!

[RyceSTO]

Announcement page says 500 words, but the offical ruls say 700 ... which is it? :)

[Locksheon]

So the winners are notified be email I'd guess.
They didn't ask for any additional information like, User Name, or Forum name, ect.

[LordDave]

So the winners are notified be email I'd guess.
They didn't ask for any additional information like, User Name, or Forum name, ect.

Would be my guess. That's what they did with the lifetime subscription winners.

[Drunk1n]

A lifetime subscription... that is just amazing. Are life time subscription contests considered to have a monetary value though?

Not that it matters much, just more of a curiosity then anything.

[LordDave]

A lifetime subscription... that is just amazing. Are life time subscription contests considered to have a monetary value though?

Not that it matters much, just more of a curiosity then anything.

$500.00
It was a life-time subscription AND a free copy of the game when it comes out. 5 winners.

[Drunk1n]

Hmm, to bad i missed that contest. Unfortunately I am 45 minutes into Canada from the Washington border and I wouldn't have been able to compete for that contest.

What was the contest, and do we know the winners?

[VisionM]

You'd just enter your email, hit *send* and sit down and wait. They randomly selected 5 winners...

[marscentral]

You can tell who won on here as they have Lifetime Subscription Winner under their name. Signalsgt is one, he posts reasonably regularly.

[SenshiBat]

and my agent told me to hold out for a Ship and planet nameing contract...
its all "Q"s fault.. never trust a talking Tribble.
perhaps you need a us mail drop... hire a po box in boston if youre in Mtreal...thats where its routed from..
vancover goes thru SEA TAC.. WPG thru MSP... TOR its DTW..

[Drunk1n]

wow...

that was a less satisfying contest. I love the idea of writing a culture. If I had the word space i would write a language and an entire history...

Oh well a brief synopsis it is.

[The_Padre]

5. Entries shall be no longer than five hundred (500) words in length.

Well I see that they've changed the actual number we should be aiming for in this contest on the main page, however having submitted (before this change) a 693 word entry I have to say I'd find it hard to cut that down and have it still be, at the very least, passable.

[Drunk1n]

You will get it. Look for filler content that doesn't actually progress your story line. I find the best way to do this is to leave and come back to it several hours later.

[-One-]

This blows. My submission was nerfed because they couldn't decide on how long a submission should be?

Here I was ready to write a whole episode & had to cram a teaser in under 700 words.

They changed the official rules after the contest started.

I'm still gonna buy the game & play it but they know that already.

I'm just disappointed.

I may repost a shorter version later.

[nhamlett]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

[The_Padre]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

Gah! I just submitted my 489 word version, foiled again!

[Trekkie]

This is exactly the kind of contest that I was hoping Cryptic Studios would make possible. I'll definitely be entering soon! Thank you very much for running this kind of contest and I wholeheartedly hope that there are similar ones in the future!

[Anichent]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

How so! it says its open to anyone if there is no cash prize....and thats great for the Europeans, but what about us Canadians!!!

[Anichent]

"3.(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction. "

I'm fairly certain the Canadian government does not prohibit entrance into American contests...with the possible exception of Quebec.

[SenshiBat]

"3.(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction. "

I'm fairly certain the Canadian government does not prohibit entrance into American contests...with the possible exception of Quebec.

Right so buy our lotto tickets.. because the CN is illegal in my territory.. also Irish and British.. yet they love our taxes.. flatlanders will get the love in later events im sure..

[cruiser97]

So do we just write our story in an email and then put our username in the subject or something? I'm not exactly sure on how to send it in other than send it to contest@crypticstudios.com

[Commander_Daedelus]

damn it when is there going to be a competition that us fans in oceanic and european areas can enter

[MPTrooper]

This is great! I can not wait for this game to come out! And I got my contest entry in, Have you got yours in? I can't wait to read the winning entry!

[SenshiBat]

interesting.. If you were a US Service PErson with an APO/FPO but legal Residance at Home Base in the Continental US ., it would be like fillinng an absentee ballot for elections..

[E.M.H.]

Ugh. I'm under 18. I would have loved to get my creativity flowing and created a back story for the ship and the planet. I had a fantastic idea of Captain Saavik of the USS Washington NCC-81078 visiting a planet that seemed to be an ancient civilization that was destroyed in a nuclear disaster, but were actually all in a virtual world. :(

[Captain_Intrepid]

"3.(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction. "

I'm fairly certain the Canadian government does not prohibit entrance into American contests...with the possible exception of Quebec.

If money is involved, there's the good old fashioned 'Skill-Testing Question!' :)

Then again, there's more than a few times where the dreaded 'US and/possibly US Territories Only' restriction kicks in....

[marscentral]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

It's because my entry was so great you had to give me all three prizes wasn't it?

I know a conspiracy when I see it! :D [/tinfoil hat]

[Tharanicus]

Doh.. have already sent in mine.

[Astrus]

Uhhhh, the eligibility section only says it is restricted to US residents if the value of the prizes is greater than zero dollars. And the prizes section says the values of the prizes is zero dollars. Hence, no location restriction.

[Tharanicus]

Yea, thats how I read it as well...

[VisionM]

Push harder, Awen, push harder :D

So what's with the "zero-dollar" policy? I'm no rules guru, could you (or anyone esle that knows what he's talking about) shed some light on that? Was my hunch correct in that the Beta slot does indeed represent a monetary value?

[marscentral]

Push harder, Awen, push harder :D

So what's with the "zero-dollar" policy? I'm no rules guru, could you (or anyone esle that knows what he's talking about) shed some light on that? Was my hunch correct in that the Beta slot does indeed represent a monetary value?

No, beta testing isn't worth any money. Beta testing is normally free or a paid job (while you get an advance look at the game, you're doing them a favour by looking for bugs). If you had to pay for beta, then than it would have a cash value. If you look at the prizes section it says the prizes are worth $0.00. Later on in the rules, section 3b says that participation in contests with no financial prize is basically open to anyone (apart from employees and their families) unless there is a law where they live that forbids them entry. The misquote earlier came from 3c, which deals with prizes that do have a value, like a lifetime sub.

In short, I can't see any reason why us foreigners shouldn't be eligible, but thems the breaks. We have to suck it up, like I have to suck up not being able to watch the Colbert Report online anymore because they've blocked UK users. I'll stop before I get into my rant on why Hollywood deserves all the piracy it gets....

[SelorKiith]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

Oh no... "glad" that my text hadn't been saved by my damned computer yesterday and I wasn't able to retrieve it, therefore unable to send it to you... :(

I think it is allowed by US Law for foreigners to participate... but that doesn't mean that it would be allowed by the residents law to participate in this Contest... and could lead to dirty things... so it is the easiest way to say "only US" where they know what they can do and what not... there are some law restricitions for Contests etc. in some countries...

[LordDave]

No, beta testing isn't worth any money. Beta testing is normally free or a paid job (while you get an advance look at the game, you're doing them a favour by looking for bugs). If you had to pay for beta, then than it would have a cash value. If you look at the prizes section it says the prizes are worth $0.00. Later on in the rules, section 3b says that participation in contests with no financial prize is basically open to anyone (apart from employees and their families) unless there is a law where they live that forbids them entry. The misquote earlier came from 3c, which deals with prizes that do have a value, like a lifetime sub.

In short, I can't see any reason why us foreigners shouldn't be eligible, but thems the breaks. We have to suck it up, like I have to suck up not being able to watch the Colbert Report online anymore because they've blocked UK users. I'll stop before I get into my rant on why Hollywood deserves all the piracy it gets....

Oh no... "glad" that my text hadn't been saved by my damned computer yesterday and I wasn't able to retrieve it, therefore unable to send it to you... :(

I think it is allowed by US Law for foreigners to participate... but that doesn't mean that it would be allowed by the residents law to participate in this Contest... and could lead to dirty things... so it is the easiest way to say "only US" where they know what they can do and what not... there are some law restricitions for Contests etc. in some countries...
SelorKiith answers the question. Essentially multi-national contests aren't favorable anywhere, even if it's got a prize value of $0.00. Prizes worth more then $0.00 have even worse rules. On the plus side, setting one up for this "zero value" shouldn't be too hard. It will just take a few thousand dollars to hire a lawyer capable of writing up the draft for international rules.

[Anichent]

SelorKiith answers the question. Essentially multi-national contests aren't favorable anywhere, even if it's got a prize value of $0.00. Prizes worth more then $0.00 have even worse rules. On the plus side, setting one up for this "zero value" shouldn't be too hard. It will just take a few thousand dollars to hire a lawyer capable of writing up the draft for international rules.

I messaged Awen last night, and she said she would get back to me next week once everyone is back in the office. She seems to be a little confused right now too.

She may be the community lead, but she doesn't run the show all by herself. We just have to wait until Monday and hope for the best.

[djnattyd]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

ARRGGHH!!

Good job i didn't put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as it were) after spending last night fleshing out my entry in my head.

[marscentral]

SelorKiith answers the question. Essentially multi-national contests aren't favorable anywhere, even if it's got a prize value of $0.00. Prizes worth more then $0.00 have even worse rules. On the plus side, setting one up for this "zero value" shouldn't be too hard. It will just take a few thousand dollars to hire a lawyer capable of writing up the draft for international rules.

If you read the rules, both 3b and 3c say that you can't enter if it is illegal to enter where you are. As far as I know, my benevolent if unelected leaders haven't restricted my freedoms that much.

[Anichent]

ARRGGHH!!

Good job i didn't put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as it were) after spending last night fleshing out my entry in my head.

....as I just said, I messaged Awen AFTER she said that. She is confused aswell now....I'd write down your idea just in case.

[marscentral]

....as I just said, I messaged Awen AFTER she said that. She is confused aswell now....I'd write down your idea just in case.

From the sound of it, she's being cautious. That's fair enough, if disappointing. Hopefully, we'll get a competition or two that the Yanks can't enter ;)

[LordDave]

If you read the rules, both 3b and 3c say that you can't enter if it is illegal to enter where you are. As far as I know, my benevolent if unelected leaders haven't restricted my freedoms that much.

As far as you know.
Hell, for all we know there are rules restricting America from participating in European contests of 0 value. But since most of the contests we see are from companies within our own country, our own language, ect... then the issue probably doesn't come up very often and when it does, most people probably don't even know it exists.

So to summarize:
It's likely you don't know because you were never told. Hell, I tried looking up the law. It's impossible to figure out without a degree in international business law.

[SenshiBat]

if ti had a dollar value they would be forced to have it taxed?

[Anichent]

As far as you know.
Hell, for all we know there are rules restricting America from participating in European contests of 0 value. But since most of the contests we see are from companies within our own country, our own language, ect... then the issue probably doesn't come up very often and when it does, most people probably don't even know it exists.

So to summarize:
It's likely you don't know because you were never told. Hell, I tried looking up the law. It's impossible to figure out without a degree in international business law.

Good thing I know. In Canada, since our nation is so closely tied to the US, I know many times where Canadians have entered into American contests....but at the same time it seems to depend on the contest. Since there is a $0.00 value and the only prizes are titles in a forum and Beta testing a game (which people on PS3 can do in our country, and my friend down the hall in my residence is doing right now), I really don't see a problem.

[Drunk1n]

How so! it says its open to anyone if there is no cash prize....and thats great for the Europeans, but what about us Canadians!!!

I'm fairly certain the Canadian government does not prohibit entrance into American contests...with the possible exception of Quebec.

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

I do not know about canadian law, but I do know that as long as there is no cash value awarded between the US, and Canada, Canadians can compete in US contests [adding a $$ value is a whole different pan of eggs.] That being said - although beta testing doesn't cost anything it is a physical item, so it has a few things to run into with the international laws.

Basically if it was JUST for the website then it is fine to have an international contest. Once you add an item - like beta testing - although there is no actual monetary value, there is a product so it does get hit by the odd international trade law.

Now the main issue between contests involving US, and Canada - being completely honest - is that canadians are either forgotten that they are actually another country, or there just isn't enough of us to get noticed. I am not saying that is what Cryptic is done, but I am fairly sure with there large US, and European fan base, the canadians where slumped in by accident with the Americans. That is more likely to be what Awen is checking - which side of the border do we fall on.

I have won a contest that was open to US and Europe with no monetary value once, but then was removed when they realized canadians have a few rules that don't quite align with the US ones. SO we will have to wait and see.

[LordDave]

We need to create the new world government so this doesn't happen. lol.

[Drunk1n]

We could start it as the Federation of Continents... that is until we colonize mars and the moon then we can call it Federation of the planets haha

[TheHybrid]

Well, thanks Cryptic for the opportunity. I hope that you guys also use the winner's description of the planet in the game as a story line or mission. I also look forward to reading up some some of the other entries if you guys make them available! I look forward to entering the contest!

-Admiral Hybrid

[Drunk1n]

Well, thanks Cryptic for the opportunity. I hope that you guys also use the winner's description of the planet in the game as a story line or mission. I also look forward to reading up some some of the other entries if you guys make them available! I look forward to entering the contest!

-Admiral Hybrid


I believe, or at least I hope that was the reason for the contest. They have several thousand members let them do some of the back story work :D

Can't wait to discover my planet :eek:

[Illusionism]

What a great idea Cryptic! I would love to see the entries after the contest is over. I have to imagine there are some very creative writers in the STO community.

[Drunk1n]

Hopefully we will see your post on the wall Illusionism.

[Paulo999]

whoa that was a challenge :P enjoy the crazy wonders of my mind cryptic :D

[opiewon]

Thank you , i love my miranda class i was so sad thinking it wouldnt be in game.

[Heartfyre]

I entered this, and as soon as I did, saw a typo. It's "no biological remains," not "to biological remains!":mad:

Great competition, Cryptic, and an even better prize. Good luck everyone!

[SenshiBat]

No Doubt the efforts will be reviewed edited and support the scripter engine for new planet discoveries..

in a Flow chart...with tidbits of Discovering Faction jargon..brevity codes and Fed Speak.

[The_Padre]

I entered this, and as soon as I did, saw a typo. It's "no biological remains," not "to biological remains!":mad:

Great competition, Cryptic, and an even better prize. Good luck everyone!

Just submit it again, the rules say they'll take the most recent entry from people.

[Lance85]

Part of the adventure that comes from exploring strange new worlds is discovering that planet's history and hearing the stories of its inhabitants. Imagine you have just entered orbit around the planet pictured here. Your mind races with the possibilities of what you will find. What is the planet's name? What or who lives there? Are they peaceful or antagonistic, welcoming or outright hostile? Are they long gone leaving only more mysteries to solve?



Tell us about the planet shown on the Planet Exploration contest rules page (http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration). You can tell a story of daily life of the inhabitants, make a scientific survey log entry, or weave any type of tale you choose.

Email us your story of up to 500 words at contest@crypticstudios.com by January 29, 2009.

Orbit established, Captain. What do you think is down there?

For the love of tod, how about we stop the chldnishness and work on getting the game finished a little faster eh?

[Drunk1n]

For the love of tod, how about we stop the chldnishness and work on getting the game finished a little faster eh?

This contest is a good idea, and will not slow down the production of the game. It keeps people excited and fresh with the game - entirely unnecessary, and potentially childish, comment.

[Kinneas]

If anyone is following what folks are working on for this:

My workspace on it is here: I'm working on a cartoon/music video...thingy. I have a rough script sent in for already. I'll be posting the content as it gets made.

Check out the progress on this here: http://hailingfrequency.co.uk/boards/index.php?topic=914.msg8383#new

Best!
--Kinn

[Toaster87]

Ye i sent mine to them and then found out that UK isnt allowed to be involved......which SUCKS. They should have European/UK/Aussy contest just to make it even.......stop all the americans havin all the fun :p

and i thought my application was rather cool aswell lol

[CasiusOntius]

Well, I spent alot of time reading and rereading my entry before I finally sent it in. I'm convinced I did the best I can, and if I don't win than I'll be cool with it. lol

Best of luck to everyone who participated in this contest. Too bad only us U.S.ers could do this one. :(

[miqrogroove]

For the love of tod, how about we stop the chldnishness and work on getting the game finished a little faster eh?

But first, a fight to the death determines who may participate in the beta! :eek:

[Paulo999]

But first, a fight to the death determines who may participate in the beta! :eek:

rofl hell yeah!! lets see.. pistols at dawn? :eek:

[Drunk1n]

Swords it is then! :eek:

[John_Croat]

about the contest....WHY THE F*** DO I NEED TO HAVE 18? The prize ins't money? so why? link (http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration)

2. Acceptance of Terms

2.(a). This Official Rules and the Submission Agreement located in Exhibit A (collectively the “Official Rules and Submission Agreement”) is made between you and Sponsor.
2.(b). YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT BEFORE SUBMITTING A CONTEST ENTRY (AS DEFINED BELOW) TO THE CONTEST. BY SUBMITTING A CONTEST ENTRY YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) AND YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS OFFICIAL RULES AND SUBMISSION AGREEMENT, PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE A CONTEST ENTRY TO THE SPONSOR AND DO NOT OTHERWISE PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST.

[CasiusOntius]

LOL, we all had to wait to turn 18 ;)

I do agree with you however, it is strange since there's no cash prize. I guess it's because entering is like a binding contract? And you can't sign a binding contract unless you've divorced your parents or if they sign it.

[E.M.H.]

I believe it has to do with the possibility of winning an entry to the closed beta, which needs a NDA. People under 18 are not allowed in closed beta because if they break the Non-disclosure Agreement, they can't be held responsible. I still think we should be able to enter for the special forum titles, though.

[Captain_Intrepid]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

I'm glad that the European details will be coming soon.

That said, what about Canada?

Atari did the same thing with D&D Online, and the collector's edition for that game.

I guess their practices are continuing into STO.

[Heartfyre]

Hm, just noticed that, being European, the entry I sent won't be counted.

I'd be unhappy if I didn't enjoy writing it! ;)

[Shatterhand]

So do we just write our story in an email and then put our username in the subject or something? I'm not exactly sure on how to send it in other than send it to contest@crypticstudios.com


That's what I'm wondering. I submitted my entry to the address listed, but nowhere in the rules did it ask for a name, a phone number, an address, or anything. Are they going to base it solely on the email address it came from? I would think they'd want more info than that so they can contact you in a timely manner if you're lucky enough to win first or second place.

[CasiusOntius]

I think that all of us who entered will be checking our emails every hour or two during those judging periods, lol:D In my email I put in my username and a verification of my email address, just in case.

I'm sure whoever wins will know, they'll make sure of it. ;)

[Flatfingers]

I would love to see the entries after the contest is over. I have to imagine there are some very creative writers in the STO community.

Why wait for the contest period to end?

There's no reason why those who make the creative effort to produce an entry for this contest can't/shouldn't post their entries publicly. I wouldn't expect many cases of plagiarism, and any that do occur should be easy to detect. On the other hand, posting entries now insures that an author's creative labors get some visibility even if their entry isn't a contest winner.

I'd hate to see all the clever ideas that people have had be lost. Is there some reason I'm not seeing why those who've submitted an entry shouldn't post it (say, in the Holodeck (http://forums.startrekonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27) section) if they feel comfortable doing so?

--Flatfingers

[Shatterhand]

Why wait for the contest period to end?

There's no reason why those who make the creative effort to produce an entry for this contest can't/shouldn't post their entries publicly. I wouldn't expect many cases of plagiarism, and any that do occur should be easy to detect. On the other hand, posting entries now insures that an author's creative labors get some visibility even if their entry isn't a contest winner.

I'd hate to see all the clever ideas that people have had be lost. Is there some reason I'm not seeing why those who've submitted an entry shouldn't post it (say, in the Holodeck (http://forums.startrekonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27) section) if they feel comfortable doing so?

--Flatfingers


That would be a great idea for after the contest winners are chosen; it'd be really nice to see what they and others came up with. I hope the admins consider doing that.

[Drunk1n]

Why wait for the contest period to end?

There's no reason why those who make the creative effort to produce an entry for this contest can't/shouldn't post their entries publicly. I wouldn't expect many cases of plagiarism, and any that do occur should be easy to detect. On the other hand, posting entries now insures that an author's creative labors get some visibility even if their entry isn't a contest winner.

I'd hate to see all the clever ideas that people have had be lost. Is there some reason I'm not seeing why those who've submitted an entry shouldn't post it (say, in the Holodeck (http://forums.startrekonline.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27) section) if they feel comfortable doing so?

--Flatfingers
That would be a great idea for after the contest winners are chosen; it'd be really nice to see what they and others came up with. I hope the admins consider doing that.

I plan on posting mine when the contest is over :D

[Stryklone]

post deleted to respond to dev comment, see below

[Stryklone]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

Now as I'm US I'm not asking for my personal benefit. Just wondering what part of the rules prohibits it from other nations?

From the contest rules:

"Runner-Up Prize

The Winner of a Runner-Up Prize will receive a special forum title on their Star Trek Online Forum Account. There is no cash-value for this prize.

First-Place Prize

The Winner of the First-Place Prize will receive a guaranteed beta slot in our closed beta, a special forum title on their Star Trek Online Forum Account, and their Entry will be featured on the Star Trek Online Website. There is no cash-value for this prize."

The important parts being "no cash-value." Now, also from the contest rules:

"(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction."

So unless your country or other jurisdiction doesn't stop you from entering - looks like sharpen your writing pencils and have fun?

Stryklone
=========

[Draden]

Can't wait to see who wins.

(me... please be me.)

[CasiusOntius]

Can't wait to see who wins.

(me... please be me.)

There's only one problem with it being you, and that is that it wouldn't be me... ;)

lol, seriously though, I agree with you. I can't wait for it to be over and judged so this suspense can be done. What I really look forward to is reading the one who wins. (Unless it's mine, in which case I would promptly pass out)

[Angelwithsoul]

The important parts being "no cash-value." Now, also from the contest rules:

"(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction."

So unless your country or other jurisdiction doesn't stop you from entering - looks like sharpen your writing pencils and have fun?

Stryklone
=========

To all the people who are saying only US citizens are eligable for this contest, READ AGAIN!!!

Like Stryklone said, If you take the time to read the rules you'll notice that (Given that this is a non-cash prize winning contest) ALL people from ALL Countries are eligable to take part in this contest.

So, Europeans (Like me), Africans, Asians, Middle Easterns grab your keyboards and fire up that text-writing program. Because it's time to step up and join the battle to win the ultimate prize, A chance to laugh in the faces of your fellow trekkies as you can be the first to go boldly where no other person following this game has gone before.

[Anichent]

To all the people who are saying only US citizens are eligable for this contest, READ AGAIN!!!

Like Stryklone said, If you take the time to read the rules you'll notice that (Given that this is a non-cash prize winning contest) ALL people from ALL Countries are eligable to take part in this contest.

So, Europeans (Like me), Africans, Asians, Middle Easterns grab your keyboards and fire up that text-writing program. Because it's time to step up and join the battle to win the ultimate prize, A chance to laugh in the faces of your fellow trekkies as you can be the first to go boldly where no other person following this game has gone before.

Except Awen and the devs are saying its for Americans only....and they haven't clarified yet....so someone needs to READ all the posts AGAIN!!!

[Stryklone]

Hopefully Awen will double-check that the contest rules do in fact agree with what she is saying. Until hearing back, I wouldn't recommend that anyone outside the US send in an entry.

But each person can make their own decision.

I'm not a lawyer, just a person who read the rules.

Stryklone
========

[ianopolos]

hey i hope they will make new topic of all stories and post them here on forums when contest is finished

[saupht]

I posted something, but received no answer saying they received my text.
Should i post again?

[Duras]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)

You'll never know my frustration of this outside the states thing. I'm fuming. Just call me Mt' St.Helens on a bad day.!! :mad:

Awen I appriciate the pushing, how about shoving...

(Duras pulls disrupter and throws it to Awen.)
Perhaps they need motivation... :D

[minago]

not sure how too enter write a story like a mini episode ?

are there limiting factors involving beaming down like ya can't?

characters from the tv series can't be used?

i would like to write it but not sure what factors i can use and can't use

[LordEnn]

It's such a shame. I certainly had several fascinating ideas for this contest, but I haven't yet reached the age of 18. Despite that, I may still attempt to enter.

:p

[greatwazoo42]

Well, I just sent my entry in. We'll see what comes of it.

[CasiusOntius]

I posted something, but received no answer saying they received my text.
Should i post again?

I entered mine and recieved no response. I doubt they'll contact you unless you win, or unless they send out a mass email to all the people that lost saying that they lost.

[LordDave]

To all the people who are saying only US citizens are eligable for this contest, READ AGAIN!!!

Like Stryklone said, If you take the time to read the rules you'll notice that (Given that this is a non-cash prize winning contest) ALL people from ALL Countries are eligable to take part in this contest.

So, Europeans (Like me), Africans, Asians, Middle Easterns grab your keyboards and fire up that text-writing program. Because it's time to step up and join the battle to win the ultimate prize, A chance to laugh in the faces of your fellow trekkies as you can be the first to go boldly where no other person following this game has gone before.

Actually YOU should read again.
I'll help you here:
"(b). If the total cash value of the Prizes is zero dollars, then the following eligibility rules apply: Contest is open to anyone who agrees to the terms of this Agreement, excluding every national, state, local, or other jurisdiction in which it is prohibited or restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority (hereafter "Participant"). Sponsor, Sponsor Partner, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, partners, prize providers, officers, employees, and subcontractors do not warrant that this Contest may be entered legally in any particular jurisdiction."

See that word Excluding? That Excludes any country who has laws that state you can't. Now, unless you have a degree in international business law, (which is someone that Awen is going to consult with) then you have no idea if it's open to your nation and therefore it could very well exclude you. Can you enter anyway? Sure. Can you be disqualified instantly? Yep. But nothing is stopping you from actually entering. You just might be wasting your time. Especially if they have to setup a special contest for non-US residents that requires a different submission e-mail.

It also says that just because you work for Cryptic, or a subcontractor or anyone associated with the contest doesn't mean you can enter against the laws of the country you're in.

The other reasons that may crop up is copyright laws. Technically speaking, you are giving Cryptic your material that you have not published, but is yours by creation.

Also:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question541.htm

Remember guys, this is a contest. It may not have a cash prize, but it does require more then just a quick ballot. It requires actual work, skill, judging, ect...

[CasiusOntius]

LordDave, you should be a lawyer or a politician. :p

It does seem, though, that you are correct, and as you said, I'm sure they are having an actual Lawyer figure it out. Someone who is qualified. They know alot more than me, lol :D

[LordDave]

LordDave, you should be a lawyer or a politician. :p

It does seem, though, that you are correct, and as you said, I'm sure they are having an actual Lawyer figure it out. Someone who is qualified. They know alot more than me, lol :D

Which is why it's open to the US only right now, because they need time to get everything setup. For all we know, to market the same contest in say.. France, they'd have to hire someone who could translate french, create a french website to promote the contest, give advertising to France and french websites, file their contest a month prior to actually having it, pay money per entry, file copyrights for all french entries to keep the parent company from claiming ownership, ect....
And that's just France.

Now seeing as I'm not a Layer I'm not going to say how much is possible or what all the obstacles are, but I will say that it's easier for an American company to file a contest in America then it is for them to file it anywhere else.
Except Rhode Island, which is, apparently, very evil.

[CasiusOntius]

Which is why it's open to the US only right now, because they need time to get everything setup. For all we know, to market the same contest in say.. France, they'd have to hire someone who could translate french, create a french website to promote the contest, give advertising to France and french websites, file their contest a month prior to actually having it, pay money per entry, file copyrights for all french entries to keep the parent company from claiming ownership, ect....
And that's just France.

Now seeing as I'm not a Layer I'm not going to say how much is possible or what all the obstacles are, but I will say that it's easier for an American company to file a contest in America then it is for them to file it anywhere else.
Except Rhode Island, which is, apparently, very evil.

Silly Rhode Island :p

Once again, a very valid point. Besides, the contest is to win one, count 'em one(1) beta slot, and a title on the Forum. The chances of winning are slim, and in the end, we'll all end up playing STO anyway...right? Let's have peace and enjoy reading the winner's entry. (Unless you're a Klingon ;) )

[LordDave]

Silly Rhode Island :p

Once again, a very valid point. Besides, the contest is to win one, count 'em one(1) beta slot, and a title on the Forum. The chances of winning are slim, and in the end, we'll all end up playing STO anyway...right? Let's have peace and enjoy reading the winner's entry. (Unless you're a Klingon ;) )

I think there will be several contests along the line. A monthly thing until Beta starts, which means there will be several winners.

[CasiusOntius]

I think there will be several contests along the line. A monthly thing until Beta starts, which means there will be several winners.

Shh, don't encourage them :D

No, I agree with you. There will be more.

I do think it is a good idea to do this, and it will be very fun to see who comes out on top. Plus it will be nice for whoever wins to know that they earned that beta slot with their talent.

[Astrus]

I've actually entered and won contests from the US that include a prize value (once won a free copy of Tabula Rasa's Collectors Edition... was awesome). So I imagine that Australia isn't one of those countries that would be excluded.

But anyway, I do hope they get this sorted out. And that future contests also aren't US only -.-

[Sheftu]

I'm sorry guys, this contest is only open to US residents. However, with that said, the European details will be incoming soon so we'll be able to include you in alot of these instances.

I'm pushing for you. :)
A contest, in which "spelling and grammar" is one of the four main judging criteria, would be very discriminatory to all Europeans who speak English only as their second or third language... I hope, you are aware of this?

I know for sure that in my country no national, state, local, or other jurisdiction prohibites such contests and they are not restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority here... but as I would never be able to compete with a native English speaker in a contest which only allows written entries your judging criteria alone will disqualify me from taking part.

So all your contest did so far for me is alienating me... well done, great community management... :mad:

[Anichent]

According to a private message I recieved from Awen today, they have contacted "legal" and are expecting to get clarification on the "US resident only" issue....we just have to be patient :D

[JJung]

Heya,

I just got clarification from Awen that our names and other personal info won't be needed until after judging and also not to send entries as attachments but to have them in the main body of the email ONLY.

Hope this helps.

[LordDave]

A contest, in which "spelling and grammar" is one of the four main judging criteria, would be very discriminatory to all Europeans who speak English only as their second or third language... I hope, you are aware of this?

I know for sure that in my country no national, state, local, or other jurisdiction prohibites such contests and they are not restricted by any law, statute, regulation, or other appropriate authority here... but as I would never be able to compete with a native English speaker in a contest which only allows written entries your judging criteria alone will disqualify me from taking part.

So all your contest did so far for me is alienating me... well done, great community management... :mad:

Sheftu, if this is your grammar then I don't think you have anything to worry about. Aside from Prohibits being spelled wrong, your text was indistinguishable from a native speaker.
Hell, it's better then some American Students.

[Sevenblade]

Sheftu, if this is your grammar then I don't think you have anything to worry about. Aside from Prohibits being spelled wrong, your text was indistinguishable from a native speaker.
Hell, it's better then some American Students.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Sheftu, you can probably write better than the majority of people on the floor of the dorm I'm currently in. I wish more English speakers had as complete a grasp of grammar and punctuation as you have. If you ever feel deficient in your abilities, simply look at the postings of the supposedly native English speakers on this board. You'll instantly feel a good portion better about yourself. If they open the contest to your country, please, by all means, submit a clear and well-written entry to rival us all ;)

[critch]

Sent mine in. I may have focused more on the ship than the planet, but I think it's good. :-)

[greatwazoo42]

A contest, in which "spelling and grammar" is one of the four main judging criteria, would be very discriminatory to all Europeans who speak English only as their second or third language... I hope, you are aware of this?
:mad:

No, actually all it is meant to do is discriminate against the people that don't speak English well even if it is their 2nd or 3rd language. From the contents of your post you have nothing to worry about.

[Tharanicus]

Ahh.. the discrimination card.... :p in all seriousness though

It's Cryptics competition, therefore they have the right to choose the rules for the competition. Is this really going to affect your life so much?

I do hear what you are saying... but come on.. think about it. They choose ground rules like these to get a specific result they desire. The best thing you could do is say to Cryptic, "Great competition, great idea. Can you please do a similar compeition for X language."

They probably dont have enough linguists to go through and check thousands of entries in 5+ different languages.

And like others have said, your english seems fine. Have a go.

[Jayven]

Ahh.. the discrimination card.... :p in all seriousness though

It's Cryptics competition, therefore they have the right to choose the rules for the competition. Is this really going to affect your life so much?

I do hear what you are saying... but come on.. think about it. They choose ground rules like these to get a specific result they desire. The best thing you could do is say to Cryptic, "Great competition, great idea. Can you please do a similar compeition for X language."

They probably dont have enough linguists to go through and check thousands of entries in 5+ different languages.

And like others have said, your english seems fine. Have a go.

Here here. I'd say wait and see. If they gain linguists, they can do it properly but the main issue for having say.. a german story put through a translator is you will lose the plotline somewhere in there. Cryptics choice of choosing a standard is their own rule and the best choice in their right mind.

It is unfortunate that all people think "me, me, me" a lot. Everyone needs to learn some patience :D

[Cuddles]

No, actually all it is meant to do is discriminate against the people that don't speak English well even if it is their 2nd or 3rd language. From the contents of your post you have nothing to worry about.

The value of the prize is $0.00. You don't get anything but credit for being a good writer if you win the competition. The prize is only as valuable as you make it, and equally so, this competition. I place no value on the competition and I take no offence by it.

You say it discriminates against people who did not learn English as their first language. By that token, it discriminates against people who don't have wild and fantastic imaginations or a great deal of creativity. It discriminates against anyone who works long hours and is too tired to spend the time creating something.
Any argument about discrimination is pointless. Websites have competitions that are only for people from country x, that's discriminating against everyone who doesn't live there. Coca Cola can have a competition for people who buy Coca Cola, which discriminates against me because I don't, and even if I did, what if I couldn't afford to buy it a lot to increase my chances of winning, that discriminates against the poor.

The simple fact is, it's impossible to cater for absolutely everyone. They chose the language as English to cater to the most amount of people they could and you can't fault them for that just because you are in a minority. Do you know what it's like being in Australia as a gamer? We aren't exactly the biggest country in the world when it comes to game development. Most of the big companies offer a European and an American beta. But Australia gets nothing... Very rarely do we get into closed beta's for MMO's and usually when we do its in the closing stages or in the public beta, when the only test is server loads. But we aren't going to sit around and moan about it or feel sorry for ourselves. We keep ourselves amused, we run our own competitions and do our own things until we finally get the chance to play the games we've been waiting for.

[Jayven]

The value of the prize is $0.00. You don't get anything but credit for being a good writer if you win the competition. The prize is only as valuable as you make it, and equally so, this competition. I place no value on the competition and I take no offence by it.

You say it discriminates against people who did not learn English as their first language. By that token, it discriminates against people who don't have wild and fantastic imaginations or a great deal of creativity. It discriminates against anyone who works long hours and is too tired to spend the time creating something.
Any argument about discrimination is pointless. Websites have competitions that are only for people from country x, that's discriminating against everyone who doesn't live there. Coca Cola can have a competition for people who buy Coca Cola, which discriminates against me because I don't, and even if I did, what if I couldn't afford to buy it a lot to increase my chances of winning, that discriminates against the poor.

The simple fact is, it's impossible to cater for absolutely everyone. They chose the language as English to cater to the most amount of people they could and you can't fault them for that just because you are in a minority. Do you know what it's like being in Australia as a gamer? We aren't exactly the biggest country in the world when it comes to game development. Most of the big companies offer a European and an American beta. But Australia gets nothing... Very rarely do we get into closed beta's for MMO's and usually when we do its in the closing stages or in the public beta, when the only test is server loads. But we aren't going to sit around and moan about it or feel sorry for ourselves. We keep ourselves amused, we run our own competitions and do our own things until we finally get the chance to play the games we've been waiting for.

QFT, no one could have said it any better!

[Sheftu]

Ahh.. the discrimination card.... in all seriousness though

Yes, it’s always easy to find discrimination in any form a problem of minor importance if you are not the discriminated one…

It's Cryptics competition, therefore they have the right to choose the rules for the competition. Is this really going to affect your life so much?

No. This is a game – nothing more, nothing less. There are by far more important problems in life, especially with a considerably worldwide financial crises looming ahead.
You need no crystal ball to foresee that this will affect the entertainment industry too – not really the times to neglect your foreign markets if you are interested in establishing a new MMORPG.
I found long ago, that the way, in which I was treated pre-release by a games developer/publisher, were not a bad indicator for the quality of their post-release support… and I’m tired of delayed and faulty localized patches, slow European servers, missing information due to language and competence problems etcetera.

I do hear what you are saying... but come on.. think about it. They choose ground rules like these to get a specific result they desire. The best thing you could do is say to Cryptic, "Great competition, great idea. Can you please do a similar compeition for X language."

Like with the first one three month ago when only US-inhabitants were allowed to take part due to legal and fiscal problems? Now they solved this with the decision for a price of no monetary worth… and found a new, more subtle way to bar out their fans from abroad.

They probably dont have enough linguists to go through and check thousands of entries in 5+ different languages.

Nobody is expecting that they hire an army of interpreters in a pre-beta stage of the game… but there are a lot of other possibilities to create cross-linguistic contests: naming a newly discovered planet/star system/species, designing a star ship/weapon for an unknown civilization…Even writing a story like in this contest is fine (at least this is an English forum, so you should expect some language skills), but making “spelling and grammar” to one of the four main criteria disturbs me… it would have been entirely sufficient to take this into account as part of the “presentation”.

To avoid any confusion: should I have to decide if they do this by purpose or by carelessness I would vote for the second… but I think they should know.

And like others have said, your english seems fine. Have a go.

I will do. :)

[da_firey007]

Damn Us, You All Suck

[Sheftu]

Coca Cola can have a competition for people who buy Coca Cola, which discriminates against me because I don't, and even if I did, what if I couldn't afford to buy it a lot to increase my chances of winning, that discriminates against the poor.
In Germany competitions, which require to buy a special product, are forbidden by law. :D

Naturally Cryptic has the right to lay down the rules for their competitions... but commonly such a competition is regarded as a way to enhance the costumer loyaity and as an act of self realization.

[k.mpok]

There is in fact a reason why such a requirement (A contest, in which "spelling and grammar" is one of the four main judging criteria) is in place. That reason being that without being able to communicate effectively it will increase the difficulty to decipher any beta log/reports you write up.

[greatwazoo42]

All right...I'll out them. Crytpic is discriminating by making this contest open only to well spoken and well thought out English speakers because they hate L337. Anyone that tries to put in an entry in 'leet speak' will have their ISP banned and their computers infected with psidicosis. Barring the leagal department, who hates everyone equally, they're fine with people that speak German and the art department has a leaning towards those that are skilled in Ukranian dialecs but NO LEET!!!

Sorry, I had to say something.

BTW - if you believe any of that you really need to take a trip to your friendly neighborhood Clue Shop and drop some cash on a big one. ;)

[SenshiBat]

Spoils of War... Language is improved through colonization... so stop being barstool lawyers and let cryptic finish this contest

then the north americans can complain about how.. only The EUROs are getting a contest.. a wee friendly contest ,then its Oceanas turn..then Turkye und sich..

like World Cup Qualifications.. I dont want to play in Peru its not fair their country is higher up in ALt****ude then mine....

it never ends

very happy thank you that the Hessens left darmstadt and ober rode ober giess with the potatoe famine...
or Moray on Firth /whiltshire during Cromwells era..
and came here...to the land of plenty.

[Duras]

I hate the thought of being excluded due to my geological location. But have to bow the terms of the rules and conditions imposed...

It is good to hear the strength of feeling akin to my own.

[LordDave]

Like with the first one three month ago when only US-inhabitants were allowed to take part due to legal and fiscal problems? Now they solved this with the decision for a price of no monetary worth… and found a new, more subtle way to bar out their fans from abroad.

They haven't fixed that problem yet. They just have a different contest is all.
See, the problem people are having is that this is something they want that they know about. I'm sure there are plenty of British contests I can't enter, but because no company I visit is based in the UK, I don't know and thus don't care.


Nobody is expecting that they hire an army of interpreters in a pre-beta stage of the game… but there are a lot of other possibilities to create cross-linguistic contests: naming a newly discovered planet/star system/species, designing a star ship/weapon for an unknown civilization…Even writing a story like in this contest is fine (at least this is an English forum, so you should expect some language skills), but making “spelling and grammar” to one of the four main criteria disturbs me… it would have been entirely sufficient to take this into account as part of the “presentation”.

To avoid any confusion: should I have to decide if they do this by purpose or by carelessness I would vote for the second… but I think they should know.

Neither. The grammar issue is so they don't get some sloppy, ugly written text that takes a few hours to figure out. I work at a public school and I see some of the stuff people pass off as an essay. Sentences that just run on, words misspelled, ideas that don't make sense, ect... It takes time to piece together what the person is trying to say and frankly it's just easier to throw it out. The same goes with a Resume. Give an employer a poorly written resume and they'll throw it out instantly. Why? Because if you do not have the ability or desire to write properly in the language then why should they hire you?

Believe me, they will disqualify a good many native English speakers because of that one little rule.
And it has been my experience that non-native english speakers are pretty good. Unless they use google translate.

[CaptainBaumer]

RELAX... and do what you can when you can. If you are unable to meet all of the criteria, but want to compete, do it anyway. If your government doesn't let you compete, write one of your public officials and tell them how you feel. (And still do it anyway) If English isn't your first language, that may be unfortunate for the situation, but Cryptic is NOT trying to exclude you, that is not their intention.

It comes down to this, English is the language that most of the Cryptic team and employees speak. If they were mostly Spanish speaking, it would probably be a competition in Spanish and so on.

I am sorry that not everyone is as skilled as others, however, that doesn't mean that you are being discriminated against. You can always try and might find that you do better than you expected. I am not the most skilled writer, but I love telling a good story!

OK, rant over.

Give it your all guys and gals! Good luck to everyone! :D

[Silhouette]

I cant wait to see the ideas of what people came up with. :D

Good Luck to all that entered.

SIL

[greatwazoo42]

RELAX... and do what you can when you can. If you are unable to meet all of the criteria, but want to compete, do it anyway. If your government doesn't let you compete, write one of your public officials and tell them how you feel. (And still do it anyway)

"BAD IS GOOD, BABY!!! DOWN WITH GOVERNMENT!!!" - The Mad Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, Yeah Baby Yeah! from The Tick Cartoon Series.

[CaptainBaumer]

hahahaha yes! I had forgotten. It has been so long since I have seen "The Tick" Good times! Arthur was my favorite. :D

[Lance_Maddison]

Good luck to all who enter. :)

[phoenix123]

this should be a fun contest

[phoenix123]

i personnaly think the planet looks either dead or hostile, but then again the vulcans came from a planet like this, so we never know

[Angelphoenix12]

i made mine, it took over 2 hours to write. :) but it was a joy to write it :)

[Aq3nt]

:cool: just wanted to say good luck everyone^^ I just sent mine today :) Once again, best of luck... Man, just thinking about it gives me a headache. I don't know about you guys :D lol... No flash media in mine entry, just your basic paint program^^ :rolleyes: hehe

[Axelgear1]

Indeed, good luck to all contest entries. Just imagine winning...it's like Willy Wonka's Golden tickets lol.

[MPTrooper]

............

[dturne10]

I see that, "We. the star trek fans" were screwed again! Saying openly 500 words, then switching to 700 in the "small print!" Thats a load of crap! And I am royaly pist off about that!!!

I don't really think it's that big of a deal. I wrote my description in 500 words exactly and managed to convey all the crucial information that I wanted to. I also thoroughly enjoyed myself during the entire process. Props to Cryptic for the fun contest idea =)

[CaptainBaumer]

I see that, "We. the star trek fans" were screwed again! Saying openly 500 words, then switching to 700 in the "small print!" Thats a load of crap! And I am royaly pist off about that!!!



Entry Requirements

1. The entry must be a response to the following description and the accompanying image on the Webpage:

Part of the adventure that comes from exploring strange new worlds is discovering that planet's history and hearing the stories of its inhabitants. Imagine you have just entered orbit around the planet pictured here. Your mind races with the possibilities of what you will find. What is the planet's name? What or who lives there? Are they peaceful or antagonistic, welcoming or outright hostile? Are they long gone leaving only more mysteries to solve?

Tell us about the planet shown here. You can tell a story of daily life of the inhabitants, make a scientific survey log entry, or weave any type of tale you choose.

Orbit established, Captain. What do you think is down there?

2. Entries are limited to one entry per screenshot per contest.

3. If multiple entries are submitted by a participant, only the single most recent entry will be eligible.

4. All entries must be submitted in English.

5. Entries shall be no longer than five hundred (500) words in length.

6. Each single screenshot posted is considered as a single contest.


Judging Criteria

• Originality
• Creativity
• Presentation
• Spelling and grammar


Nope, you must have mis-read, it is 500 in the rules as well.

http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration

[Axelgear1]

Darn...My description was really complex for a 500 word limit...I should have probably thought up something else.

[RyceSTO]

Nope, you must have mis-read, it is 500 in the rules as well.

http://www.startrekonline.com/contest_rules/planet_exploration

They changed that at some point after the initial announcement. It initially said 700

[RyceSTO]

Do we have any idea as to when the winners will be announced?

[CaptainBaumer]

I am uncertain, however, I am sure that its going to take a while for them to get through all of the submissions. On the podcast interview with Awen, she said that there has been over 300 submissions already. Yikes! I forsee alot of reading in their future :D

[Maj_Odee]

;) Do we have any idea as to when the winners will be announced?

Some time in February I would expect. All entries are judged from 29 January through Early Feb. So late February or early March would be a good target to look for.

Sent mine and it was just under 500 word count... including spaces. :D

RTSI - Read The Silly Instructions

Found a fleet, so the devs gotta get cracking on the game... :cool:

[RyceSTO]

On the podcast interview with Awen, she said that there has been over 300 submissions already.

Which podcast was this? Do you have a link? Sounds like one I should subscribe to. ;)

[CaptainBaumer]

http://cvcoco.podbean.com/

Enjoy!

[welshboi82]

I had my story all worked out and then had to fit it into 500 words, so had to change the thing entirely lol. Oh well, good luck all.

Hopefully next time we get more than 500 words, although I suppose they had to keep it small to keep down their reading time.

[Miraborn]

My first draft was 650ish words, but I was not working towards the 700 word max. I tend to write then edit to meet length requirements. I eliminated a few tertiary plot points, trimmed down verbose phrases, and reworked one paragraph and voila: 496 words. :)

[AdmiralWynn]

My first draft was 650ish words, but I was not working towards the 700 word max. I tend to write then edit to meet length requirements. I eliminated a few tertiary plot points, trimmed down verbose phrases, and reworked one paragraph and voila: 496 words. :)

Sent mine a couple days ago. It was initially about 50 words over. It's amazing how much unneeded fat you can trim when you have to.

I see that Awen is quoted as saying 300 submissions had already been logged in... Yikes! Did she say if there will be a group of finalists?

The deadline for entries is almost here, so it's time to wish everyone good luck. I'm hoping the winner will be announced within the next week... and may the best person(s) win!

[Maj_Odee]

Well the 29th is when they are supposed to start reviewing the thousands of entries... Here's wishing good luck to all, and may you all continue onward in success.
:cool:

[AaronH]

Couldn't get it under 500 words in time. Guess it was just to abhorrent when you are used getting paid by the word. :)

[Kinneas]

Which podcast was this? Do you have a link? Sounds like one I should subscribe to. ;)

The interview with Awen can be found on our site and was presented Saturday morning, January 24th on Hailing Frequency Live (See signature below for link). Almost all our LIVE shows will be on Saturday mornings now @ 11:00 Eastern.


You do not have to register if you want to listen to the entire podcast which includes the 30 minute interview.

Registration is still set if you want to download just the interview. If you register we will send you updates on when the next shows and interviews will be. With luck we can get an interview with Cryptic in New York soon.
----------

Back to the contest:

I submitted a script for a short audio play to run on the podcast, but decided I did not want to bother anyone and switched to doing a much shorter audio presentation as one of my Fleet Radio segments that ran in last weekends show.

The goal was also to do something in Flash. I'm learning it and this seemed like a great way to improve the crash course.

The text plus an approved song by Arthur Yoria is here: http://hailingfrequency.co.uk/kinneas/FleetRadio/FR59_OnlyMe_CRYPTIC_Contest_Audio_Submission.mp3

Shorter text version, no song, flash graphics is here (the last post): http://hailingfrequency.co.uk/boards/index.php?topic=914.msg8383#new
---------------

I was actually very sad to only hear Awen had 300 submissions and I hope that number really jumped in the last few days.

Good luck all.

[The_Padre]

I submitted mine, defiantly, knowing I can't win the prize anyway.....damn you all! :D

[Kinneas]

Yeah but you answered the challenge nonetheless.

:Salute!: You are a good captain!

[JJung]

Hmmmm they're now allowing people all day today to submit entries though on the contest rules page it clearly states the contest ends at 12:01AM January 29th EST. This was just 12 1/2 hours ago and why I thought I had just beaten the deadline by submitting it late last night.

Guess it's good news for those who think they're too late to enter. :)

[Dracowyr]

When I first saw the contest, I assumed that the deadline of January 29th meant at 11:59pm January 29th...after reading the contest rules, I was disheartened to find out that it was 12:01am January 29th, so I am glad that I will have time to write another draft.

Getting a good story under 500 words is quite a challenge!


-Dracowyr

[AdmiralWynn]

Hmmmm they're now allowing people all day today to submit entries though on the contest rules page it clearly states the contest ends at 12:01AM January 29th EST. This was just 12 1/2 hours ago and why I thought I had just beaten the deadline by submitting it late last night.

Guess it's good news for those who think they're too late to enter. :)

I'm discouraged that Cryptic bent the rules like this, to be frank. It's unfair to those who read those rules carefully and complied with them, only to see the deadline for submission pushed out 24 more hours.

Not a good start for a gamer who is tired of other MMO companies who never seem to mean what they say.

[RyceSTO]

How many people are gonna post their stories regardless? I'm betting there are some great ones regardless to the number of actual "winners".

[AdmiralWynn]

How many people are gonna post their stories regardless? I'm betting there are some great ones regardless to the number of actual "winners".

True. To expand on something I mentioned earlier, I'd like to see a group of 15 or so finalists get their work posted by Cryptic, and give an additional number of prizes. Seems only fair if they extend the submission deadline.

[Azurian]

What the contest is over with? :eek:


Seems like a bit of confusion is going on within Cryptic:

The Contest Rules state it's over at 12:01AM on Jan 29th (cheap trick, btw). And then today the website says this:

Just a gentle reminder that if you haven't already submitted your contest entry for the Planet Exploration Contest, today is the last day to get that in. Good luck to everyone who has entered to win!

Be nice to know which one is really the end of the contest? 12:01AM (per the original rules) or 11:59PM (according to the STO message?)

[Flatfingers]

Couldn't get it under 500 words in time. Guess it was just to abhorrent when you are used getting paid by the word. :)

Paid by the word?! Where do I sign up for that?

[mental image of swimming in an Olympic-sized pool overflowing with Susan B. Anthonys]

;)

--Flatfingers

[CaptainBaumer]

haha, by the word or by the inch? When I used to write for a newspaper, they paid me per inch... you have a pretty nice deal there, if its per word! :D

[LordDave]

Paid by the word?! Where do I sign up for that?

[mental image of swimming in an Olympic-sized pool overflowing with Susan B. Anthonys]

;)

--Flatfingers

"And Did you know, the Bird is the Word?"

[aelius]

Where does it say that submissions cannot be attached to the email???
"Waaaaahhhhhh", cries like a baby. A hungry, angry baby!
Oh well, I guess I will have to be satisfied posting the story in the Holodeck after the contest. And I had such a hard time keeping it down to 500 words.

[Aq3nt]

Where does it say that submissions cannot be attached to the email???
"Waaaaahhhhhh", cries like a baby. A hungry, angry baby!
Oh well, I guess I will have to be satisfied posting the story in the Holodeck after the contest. And I had such a hard time keeping it down to 500 words.

I didnt see any of that either... I entered mine as an attachment too. All I know is you can "weave any type of tale you choose". And that two of the rules are:

"Entries are limited to one entry per screenshot per contest." and "Each single screenshot posted is considered as a single contest."

So, Im guessing that, those who enter the contest with more than two screenshots per entry; is considered to be invalid entries. If Im not mistaken...

Will night all... getting sleepy:rolleyes:

[EremiticWolf]

Where does it say that submissions cannot be attached to the email???
"Waaaaahhhhhh", cries like a baby. A hungry, angry baby!
Oh well, I guess I will have to be satisfied posting the story in the Holodeck after the contest. And I had such a hard time keeping it down to 500 words.

Emmmm read the rules twice before I sent it and didn't see you couldn't send as an attachment. :(

[xx_muggles_xx]

It was hard to edit down to 500 words. I love writing and the more specific they make the parameters the easier it is for me to write. I hope I at least get an honorable mention. There were no instructions limiting the use of an attachment. Since grammar counted, I used Word.:D

[Sheftu]

I read the rule carefully too before entering the contest:

According to...

9. Modification

9.(a). Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, postpone, clarify, delay, suspend and/or terminate this Contest in whole or in part in the event that the Contest is not capable of running as planned or as intended by this Official Rules and Submission Agreement by reason of any technical, disabling, human or other causes or events that, in the sole discretion of Sponsor, impair, corrupt or interrupt the administration, fairness, security or integrity or proper conduct of the Contest, including without limitation, fire, flood, natural disaster, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, terrorist threat or activity or insurrection. In such event, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion: (a) postpone and/or reschedule and/or modify the Contest, or (b) terminate the Contest in its entirety. In the event of postponement, rescheduling or modification of the Contest, a notice to such effect will be posted online. In the event of termination, a notice to such effect will be posted online and all eligible and salvageable Entries collected prior to the termination shall be included in the Contest for purposes of awarding the prizes (or prizes of substantially similar value), provided that a sufficient number of Entries are received, and Sponsor shall have no further liability to any Participant in connection with the Contest. In no event will Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in this Official Rules and Submission Agreement. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate this Contest or to modify any rules as necessary for any reason or as required by applicable law.

As far as I know the "sponsor" (aka Cryptic) made four modifications to this contest after it started:

1. Awen stated in a forums posting that contrary to the official rules (3.b) only US residents are eligible to enter the contest.

2. The maximum length of a single entry in the official rules (1.5.) was changed by an unknown person from 700 to 500 words without any further notification.

3. A non-official forums member stated in this threat that attachments to emails would not be accepted as a valid entry. It is possible that he/she got this information by an official in a private message or email, but it was never confirmed officially by Cryptic.

4. The end of the contest was postponed by Awen in a news text - instead of ending at "January 29, 2009 12:01:00 A.M, Eastern Time" it was possible to use the (whole?) 29th for entries too.

The last modification was realized according to the rules, but a single posting in the middle of a thread, a sneaky change in the contest rules or a message delivered to the community by a non-official are not what I would understand as "a notice to such effect will be posted online".

In the case of a conflict regarding the rules there is another paragraph...

14. INTERPRETATION

14.(a). In the event of any conflict between any information provided on Sponsor’s or a third party’s web site or provided by any entity other than Sponsor, on the one hand, and this Official Rules and Submission Agreement, on the other hand, this Official Rules and Submission Agreement shall govern.

If this is true, only the second modification will be valid - it's the only one which is not inconsistent with the official rules.

But it's "inefficient" (to say it in Seven of Nine words) to discuss this - we will never know which entries have made it into the judging...
Even if all the three winners will be US-residents with entries under 500 words, not submitted as an attachment and not later then the 28th January this can be only because of the superior quality of their entries... and I'm sure we will never hear any other version. ;)

Btw, I can fully understand why they aren't eager to open a bunch of email attachment from unknown sources... :D

[AaronH]

3. A non-official forums member stated in this threat that attachments to emails would not be accepted as a valid entry. It is possible that he/she got this information by an official in a private message or email, but it was never confirmed officially by Cryptic.

I wouldn't be suprised if this was the case, even unnoficially, I think a lot of contests and companies have this policy as it opening attatchments from the public is just asking for trouble.


Btw, I can fully understand why they aren't eager to open a bunch of email attachment from unknown sources... :D

Geuss I should read the whole post before I start to respond :P

Paid by the word?! Where do I sign up for that?

[mental image of swimming in an Olympic-sized pool overflowing with Susan B. Anthonys]

;)

--Flatfingers

Hah, no, albeit I don't have a lot experience but it seems from what I have been through it is the norm for short fiction, especially when prepared for quarterlies and magazines and what not.

[AdmiralWynn]

Excellent job picking out the relevant material from the mass of rules, Sheftu. (As far as I can tell, I qualified under the rules of submission, revised though they were.)

Since Cryptic clearly reserves the right to change the rules at any time as they see fit, it's worth urging them once again to contemplate expanding the denouement of the contest by announcing a 'finalist' stage with 10-15 of the best stories selected to be published on this forum.

Out of those, winners could then be announced, again hopefully an expanded number of them.

The fact that I could, ahem, stand to benefit from these suggestions, has nothing whatsoever to do with my motives.

[Sheftu]

Since Cryptic clearly reserves the right to change the rules at any time as they see fit, it's worth urging them once again to contemplate expanding the denouement of the contest by announcing a 'finalist' stage with 10-15 of the best stories selected to be published on this forum.

Out of those, winners could then be announced, again hopefully an expanded number of them.

Oh, there is a rule for this too... :D

9.
[....]
In no event will Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in this Official Rules and Submission Agreement.
[...]

I don't want to urge them towards anything - the main purpose of this content should be fun, not a legal bean counting... is this the right word? :)

But I have to admit that the reason why I'm interested in how Cryptic will handle this situation is not only the contest itself.
The last game I played online was Hellgate London - I liked the enthusiasm of the development team and trusted them despite the unprofessional release, so I decided to take the risk to pay for a lifetime option. The game had a very short "lifetime" indeed due to mismanagement and the worst community management I ever saw... and I vowed to myself that the next time I won't close my eyes to evidences when a company don't stand to their promises and rules.

[AdmiralWynn]

Oh, there is a rule for this too... :D [Shows actual rule]

I don't want to urge them towards anything - the main purpose of this content should be fun, not a legal bean counting... is this the right word? :)

But I have to admit that the reason why I'm interested in how Cryptic will handle this situation is not only the contest itself.
The last game I played online was Hellgate London - I liked the enthusiasm of the development team and trusted them despite the unprofessional release, so I decided to take the risk to pay for a lifetime option. The game had a very short "lifetime" indeed due to mismanagement and the worst community management I ever saw... and I vowed to myself that the next time I won't close my eyes to evidences when a company don't stand to their promises and rules.

I've gotta hand it to you, Sheftu, you show an astonishing ability to chop through the wordy contest legalisms presented by Cryptic and clamp your teeth on the gist of the matter.

I read the rules, but I missed the stuff you caught. Like a lot of people, my mind's-eye glazes over when presented with big text-blocks. Since, as you point it out, Cryptic seems to have thought of every contingency, I withdraw my suggestion.

There's an old saying that covers this, however: It doesn't hurt to ask.

The use of the term 'bean-counters' may not be exact (I always took that to mean the guys who count the money, the accountants, or the people behind them in charge of budgets) but it is creative and I get what you mean.

I also agree with you that the contest should be all about fun. I must say I enjoyed writing a Star Trek story that fit the 500 word limit. And regardless of the results, I look forward to finding out who the winners are next week. I hope that the winning submissions will be printed at least.

Like you, I'm 'sizing up' Cryptic, having never played one of their games before. My last MMO
company was FunCom... and my experiences were such that I choose not to repeat them, if at all possible. I sometimes think there should be an 'MMO-Players Bill of Rights'... but thats a subject for a different post.

Again: To all who met the requirements and submitted a story for this contest... best o' luck to ye!

(Image that comes to mind... Capt. Kirk gasping in his dying breath to Capt. Picard, "It was... fun...")

[Shatterhand]

So, if I read the description of the contest judging correctly, we should be getting the results pretty soon. I'm not holding any breath for my own entry, but personally, I love writing so much I don't care if I win or not. I had to struggle to keep it down to 500 words because I was so into the story I was writing. :p

To all who entered, I wish you the best of luck. I'm betting we're going to see some excellent displays of writing talent when this is all over.

And, to the one that wins the coveted guaranteed beta spot, I have only one thing to say:

Frak you. :p

:D

[bjhmsorensen]

i am gald for the opportunity for this contest, i hope theres more chances

[startrekrpg.com]

I hope that we continue to have writing contests - with or without prizes, or with game prizes, or with subscription prizes (like one month free). But even without prizes, as long as we get to see the top 10 results - that'd be cool.

[SenshiBat]

USing word pad writing story then cut and pasteing.. .jan-ken-pon I win..

Wait this is a scanner malfunction we have rediscovered a place the locales refer to as Vulcan...
the debris field was caused by a uncharted meteor striking a moon containing their early warning science station... Ironic.. Like Q'Nos Moon power station radiation is leaking into the upper Strato.. But they should be able to populate the place...however with the ozone depletion.. the future effects and mutations may prove uncomfortable.
Further reason to expand the Empire of Kirk to occupy by manifest destiny the under used lands of Carddasian and Dominion regions of this Galaxy and beyond to infinity.

[lavosslayer]

So, if I read the description of the contest judging correctly, we should be getting the results pretty soon. I'm not holding any breath for my own entry, but personally, I love writing so much I don't care if I win or not. I had to struggle to keep it down to 500 words because I was so into the story I was writing. :p

To all who entered, I wish you the best of luck. I'm betting we're going to see some excellent displays of writing talent when this is all over.

And, to the one that wins the coveted guaranteed beta spot, I have only one thing to say:

Frak you. :p

:D

I agree it was really difficult to keep mine down to 500 words...and actually I had to cut out over 200 words of details in order to make it fit...

[AaronH]

I agree it was really difficult to keep mine down to 500 words...and actually I had to cut out over 200 words of details in order to make it fit...

I pretty much had to do a complete rewrite after I realized my initial version wasn't feesible as a 500 word piece.

[Aq3nt]

today is the last day of Judging :D - good luck everyone. It was fun;)

gtgt work, later

[Polt]

I know it is only the 4th, but do we know when the announcement is coming for the winners???

I agree with everyone who had problems keeping it to 500 words. With my story, I wrote it out and then kept editing it down to hone what I was trying to get across, I found that I was able to use better sentence structure, and better words to still achieve getting my point across, just without so many words.

I think it made for a better story actually.

And can you imagine being the one who had to read all of those entries?? If they were more than 500 words, it would take them ages to read them all.

Which is why I think the winners haven't been announced yet. They are probably still reading all the entries...

[Williamshatner]

Sucks. I submitted mine when in the official rules it said '700 words' and mine was about 560. Now I come back and see that they changed the official rules to read 500. What the hell?

[LordDave]

Sucks. I submitted mine when in the official rules it said '700 words' and mine was about 560. Now I come back and see that they changed the official rules to read 500. What the hell?

I wouldn't worry if I were you. The odds of anyone using a word checker to count the words is highly unlikely. 500 words is just to keep people from writing a whole novel.

[RyceSTO]

I wouldn't worry if I were you. The odds of anyone using a word checker to count the words is highly unlikely. 500 words is just to keep people from writing a whole novel.

I wouldn't count on that ... if the winning entry has 501 words, you'll have 501 people who cut their story down or gave up trying screaming "not fair!" :p (This is assuming the winning entry is published of course)

Even if Cryptic doesn't post the winning entry, the community (some with word counters in hand) will I'm sure encourage the winner to share their story with us.

I certainly hope to read the winning entry. I don't care about word counts myself ... but if its published where I can read it for enjoyment, you can be sure someone else is going to word count it to make sure it meets the rules they themselves were forced to conform to.

Cryptic will know this of course, and likely be sure to choose a winner that meets the 500 word count requirement.

[STO]

I wouldn't worry if I were you. The odds of anyone using a word checker to count the words is highly unlikely. 500 words is just to keep people from writing a whole novel.

actually the 500 word or less count is to weed out some of the submissions. Then from there they look for correct spelling and grammar. At last the best of the remaining stories are selected. I sent a PM asking about the word count and I was told that anything over 500 words would not be considered. HOWEVER if it is like 505 or 508 or something I am sure they will make some consideration... 560 may be too far off.

[SenshiBat]

Yes a old Writing Lab prog i used Right Writer would even do a reading level and jargon graph for you...

A Normal well formed paragraph is 250 words.. more or less. in English Lang [US VER}

Block Form Military style or Indented Paras.. bullet comments and outlines like a syllabus help start a idea and proof reading with a translator for foreign Lang speakers helps.. the target audience...
by removing first to plugging in coffee maker prior to brewing with water in resev.. confusion.. most of the time.. Fare fair Fayre... English is fun.

[startrekrpg.com]

actually the 500 word or less count is to weed out some of the submissions. Then from there they look for correct spelling and grammar. At last the best of the remaining stories are selected. I sent a PM asking about the word count and I was told that anything over 500 words would not be considered. HOWEVER if it is like 505 or 508 or something I am sure they will make some consideration... 560 may be too far off.

Here's the thing. It's not a complete story. So a 500 word limit is fine. You're just setting the story up, or concluding it. Just enough for us to get a taste. It's about creativity. A 500 word limit weeds a bunch of people out (because they're not creative) and also keeps it short due to the number of entries. And, anyone saying "it's not fair" or "it's too hard" is going to win no matter how long they allow. (Not to mention everyone had the same limitation and there will obviously be a winner).

[Eidolonael]

The thing that completely erks me is that the official rules page originally said 700 word limit which is what I wrote mine based on. If this is an example of how they are going to treat rules in the future (IE post rules one day, change them the next thus disqualifying those of us that jumped at the chance when it first opened up), then I worry for the future state of the game...

I worked extremely hard to whittle it down below the 700 word limit to begin with... now they change it to 500... 694 words from 1300... in no way could I have cut out another 194...

Yes, I may seem a bit steamed about a contest, but when someone puts hard work into something and struggles to fit it within the parameters of the original guidelines, and then someone goes and changes it thus completely disqualifying the hard work and time put into something, that's just wrong and insulting to be honest.

Support the contest rules change all you want, I believe it to be a poor decision and unfair to those of us that started immediately after the rules were posted.

[Flatfingers]

Support the contest rules change all you want, I believe it to be a poor decision and unfair to those of us that started immediately after the rules were posted.

A more charitable interpretation is that the "700" was an unfortunate typo. It might also have come from miscommunication among those responsible for organizing the contest and those responsible for drafting the contest rules.

A note that was posted at roughly the same time gave "500" as the maximum word count, suggesting that this was always the true intention for the contest rules. Shortly after the discrepancy between the forum post and the official rules was pointed out, the text of the official rules was changed, presumably to be in line with what Cryptic had always intended the word count limit to be.

For what it's worth, the rules also said that only the last received submission would be considered in the case of multiple submissions. That rule was actually to the benefit of everyone who quickly submitted a story longer than 500 words -- it insured that they would not be discriminated against if they shortened up their story to fit within the intended word count limit.

So while I understand that it might have been tough to cut 700 words down to 500 (although that could also be viewed as a great exercise in editing :) ), and I agree that it's very surprising that an important part of the text of the contest rules fell victim to a typo or to poor internal communication, I don't think we can say that Cryptic has deliberately done anything to try to upset or cheat contest participants.

It's actually pretty decent on their part (not to mention being a chance for some positive marketing) to have a story contest at all; it's more interaction with their potential customers than some game developers will ever offer.

Just wanted to offer another perspective for folks to consider.

--Flatfingers

[Eidolonael]

Back when Cryptic was developing CoH, they liistened heavily to their community, so the story contest doesn't suprise me. The change in rules does suprise me and reflects more of an NCSoft type screwup instead of a typical player-friendly approach.

As for the originally posted word counts... I would take an official rules limit over a news limit any day because you would expect the official rules to be more correct than a news post... it almost seems that the error, taken the way you present it, insinuates that the news is more reliable than the official rules... that seems backwards to me.

[Polt]

I completely agree with you Flatfingers.

In addition, why was it that the 500 word count was ignored (when the two different amounts were posted) instead of erring on the side of caution and writing a shorter story?

I myself noticed the difference and realized that I should write a 500 word story just to be on the safe side before the change was made.

My story came in at 499 words, for what its worth...

Still looking for the announcement on the winners...

[Eidolonael]

To be honest Polt, I didn't read the entire news release, I clicked the official rules to get right to the contest. I saw the 500 word limit on the news item after the fact. As stated, I always look for the official rules first as they are normally more reliable.

Of course, I would also wager that most folks would probably say my story wasn't good enough anyway... I got so many negative responses to my Zero of Thirteen story that I quit writing it. Apparently the idea of a self-aware borg merc didn't sit well with many readers...

[Azurian]

Though the one thing I wish Awen would answer for us is what was the ruling on official end. Was it the 29th at 12:01AM or did it end at 12:59PM on the 29th?

[STO]

Though the one thing I wish Awen would answer for us is what was the ruling on official end. Was it the 29th at 12:01AM or did it end at 12:59PM on the 29th?

entries up to the last minute of the 29th EST were/ are being considered.

[AdmiralWynn]

entries up to the last minute of the 29th EST were/ are being considered.

...which was a last minute change by Cryptic. Originally it was supposed to be 12:01 AM Eastern time on the 29th. Let's see...

1) From 700 words to 500 words.

2) From 12:01 AM to 11:59:59 PM

and now 3) The winning entries announcement is postponed a week.

Cryptic, I hope you realize a very important fact... many of us coming here are veterans of multiple MMO's, and have had questionable experiences in those years. You need to show is in every single way possible that you are people of your word, and mean what you say. The way this contest has been handled is not a promising start. Please learn from this series of highly visible mistakes.

We want to like you, and to trust you. But you'll have to earn it.

[Sp1d3r]

There are so many whiners. It's just a fun contest. No reason to bust out a retainer for your lawyer lol.

[thefreshjedi]

There are so many whiners. It's just a fun contest. No reason to bust out a retainer for your lawyer lol.

Exactly Spider. It's supposed to be fun, entertaining, and useful.

-avery

[Azurian]

There are so many whiners. It's just a fun contest. No reason to bust out a retainer for your lawyer lol.

So it's whining because some people want clarification and the rules not to be modified? I think not, thank you very much.

[Tharanicus]

Unfortunately a lot of people define their lives by whinning and complaining.

The way this contest has been handled is not a promising start. Please learn from this series of highly visible mistakes.

Oh my...

[startrekrpg.com]

1) From 700 words to 500 words.

2) From 12:01 AM to 11:59:59 PM

and now 3) The winning entries announcement is postponed a week.

The way this contest has been handled is not a promising start. Please learn from this series of highly visible mistakes.

We want to like you, and to trust you. But you'll have to earn it.

#1: Okay, I could see this being somewhat of a deal.

#2: Get over it - are you that worried about not winning?

#3: The winners were notified by Wednesday (like they said). But they are waiting to hear back from the winners before notifying everyone else.

This was suppose to be for fun. Something to pass the time until ST:O is released.

[thefreshjedi]

So it's whining because some people want clarification and the rules not to be modified? I think not, thank you very much.

It's their game. It's their product. It's theirs. Not ours, theirs.

And if they want, they can pull the whole thing down, with a wrecking ball if need be. And there's nothing anyone can really do about it. We are here at their whim, at their leisure, on our dime, not theirs. They offer this as an interface for those of us that are passionate about it, and have an interest, not so that we can whine and complain about every little move they make, but so that we can interact with each other, and make helpful suggestions, or shed new and interesting ideas, which they can in turn use (if they wish) to improve upon the development of their game.

Honestly, no-one here has any right to complain about anything....ever. As far as I'm concerned. And in my honest opinion, it makes me sick to see people bellyaching about something as trivial as this. Who cares? What I would like to do is to tell people to deal with it, because all whining ever does is make the whiners sound like a bunch of spoiled little tarts that have nothing better to do than to complain about anything and everything.

Just be thankful for once that there is something as wonderful as this that we might be able to enjoy in our lifetime.

If you had the cure to the worlds problems, a pocketful of gold, a solution to everything for everyone, someone would still find something to complain about. It's absolutely uncessary, and offensive to see people complain about this.

-avery

[AdmiralWynn]

So it's whining because some people want clarification and the rules not to be modified? I think not, thank you very much.

Exactly, Azurian.

My carefully-considered criticism is meant to strengthen Cryptic, not harm it.

There are many of us here who will never give some MMO outfits like SOE or Funcom another dime. We look to see how Cryptic conducts itself in the coming months. These are increasingly tough economic times, and new MMO's are battling for every dollar out there in the face of major competition.

There are those who say the company is always right, instead of the customers, who (hopefully) make it possible for the company to exist. Any MMO will always have some rabid fans who will take whatever gets dished out. But good PR should reach beyond those types, to embrace those who are not at all sure how this new Star Trek game will be run.

It takes a big man, and a big company, to admit that mistakes were made. By any objective standard, this contest has turned into a PR snafu. It's my view that Cryptic needs to say they goofed, and that they regret those goofs, and will strive to do better. It's not that hard a thing to do, really.

How this contest was (mis)handled won't be a deal-breaker for most all of us. But it is something to be noted. And if this is a pattern that keeps cropping up, when the time comes to buy the game, some of us are not going to exactly be anxious to make the commitment of money, and even more importantly, the investment of life's most precious commodity... our time.

[Sheftu]

It's their game. It's their product. It's theirs. Not ours, theirs.

Yes, but the time will come when they expect us to pay our money for their game.

How should someone trust them to stand to their words if they weren't even been able to conduct a simple contest without changing their rules four times during one week?

Look at the Trivia Forum - yesterday they announced a winner, then they take away his point again because he was not from North America without even stating before that this was a requirement to be allowed to take part. That was purely arbitrary and if that is how they are intended to deal with their community in the future then it would be better not to invest time or money in this game.

[thefreshjedi]

Yes, but the time will come when they expect us to pay our money for their game.

How should someone trust them to stand to their words if they weren't even been able to conduct a simple contest without changing their rules four times during one week?

Look at the Trivia Forum - yesterday they announced a winner, then they take away his point again because he was not from North America without even stating before that this was a requirement to be allowed to take part. That was purely arbitrary and if that is how they are intended to deal with their community in the future then it would be better not to invest time or money in this game.

I understand. But what you and many others don't seem to understand is that they giveth, and they can taketh away.

And whether you choose to support their program in the end, is entirely up to you.

There will be other opportunities.

It's a bit premature to get all worked up over it all at this point.

The thing you and many others don't seem to understand is that there are many of us here that have been waiting very patiently since Perpetual first announced this game several years..... years ...ago. It's just amazing to me that now we have people squabling over something as trivial as this.

So relax, all of you.

And those of you that are blasting the devs for whatever reason should be ashamed. You're not even paying customers yet, and you're already complaining about the service.

-avery

[thefreshjedi]

...
How this contest was (mis)handled won't be a deal-breaker for most all of us. But it is something to be noted. And if this is a pattern that keeps cropping up, when the time comes to buy the game, some of us are not going to exactly be anxious to make the commitment of money, and even more importantly, the investment of life's most precious commodity... our time.

Good, one less rude and obnoxious player that I'll have to deal with. In my opinion. Because if they are going to be that shallow about something like this, then I can only imagine what kind of a nuisance they will be when other more serious problems occur.

-avery

[startrekrpg.com]

For those of you whining about money -- if it's that tight that you won't be able to afford $15-30 for an MMO then it shouldn't matter how Cryptic is doing - it would be irresponsible for you to use your money in this way (not to mention your time! if things are this tight, maybe looking for a second job or doing handyman jobs in your neighbourhood would be a better investment!)

And those of you complaining about Cryptics dealings because of the time commitment to an MMO... You shouldn't be playing anyway. Remember, it's a game. Not real life. You shouldn't be spending your whole life on it. If you're playing more than a couple of hours a week then maybe you should step back. And if that's all your investing then you're not nearly as concerned about minor blips.

And my hunch would be that a majority of those worried about 'wasting' the little money they have on this would be under 18. Which is only to say that maturity is the issue here - not that they are valued any less (after all I used to be under 18).

It takes a big man, and a big company, to admit that mistakes were made. By any objective standard, this contest has turned into a PR snafu. It's my view that Cryptic needs to say they goofed, and that they regret those goofs, and will strive to do better. It's not that hard a thing to do, really.
First off - who cares. Second off, it's not a snafu. Third off, get over it all - they've postponed the release of names because they've been overwhelmed with responses. You should be celebrating that that many people are interested. As to the rules for the Trivia contest -- I believe it's been discussed a million times in a thousand places that winners will need to be from North America. For starters they need Beta testers who can 1) read and write english very proficiently, 2) can easily be contacted, 3) who won't release information about the game out prematurely (imagine trying to sue a guy in India for breach of confidentiality, they know that's not going to happen. But in the USA.. ya, they could do it) and 4) who have easy, consistent access to the game servers (which at this point may or may not be totally wired up). They have every right to decide who takes part in this contest and for what reason. They also discussed the who's up front.

It takes a very little man to sit back and relax. It's just a game.

I've changed the rules to car giveaways during contest periods and had less fuss to deal with. Everyone just needs to take a deep breath and get on with your (school) life.

[Sheftu]

I believe it's been discussed a million times in a thousand places that winners will need to be from North America.
Show me where - not for any other contest, for the Trivia one. You won't find anything.

For starters they need Beta testers who can 1) read and write english very proficiently,
I see... there is a lot of language proficiency needed to write "Iowa". :)

2) can easily be contacted,
Even if it's tough to believe for you - we have internet access in Europe too and can be easily contacted via email. :cool:

3) who won't release information about the game out prematurely (imagine trying to sue a guy in India for breach of confidentiality, they know that's not going to happen. But in the USA.. ya, they could do it)
In this case they should better check if their contest participants are older then 18, shouldn't they? :rolleyes:

and 4) who have easy, consistent access to the game servers (which at this point may or may not be totally wired up).
The internet is remarkable stable here, thanks. :D

They have every right to decide who takes part in this contest and for what reason. They also discussed the who's up front.
No, they don't.

[startrekrpg.com]

I see... there is a lot of language proficiency needed to write "Iowa". :)



That's the point -- it doesn't take any proficiency. But if your English is terrible how will you recognize grammatical errors inside the game?


Even if it's tough to believe for you - we have internet access in Europe too and can be easily contacted via email. :cool:
[/QUOTE}

That's spectacular. And (hear my sarcasm) incredible! Except, in parts of South America, high speed isn't reliable (from personal experience) and even then, high speed isn't always 'high'. And should they need to talk to you personally about something - the $45 phone call would be charged to who? You?

[QUOTE]

In this case they should better check if their contest participants are older then 18, shouldn't they? :rolleyes:


If you win and you aren't 18 you'll have a tough time getting into the Beta. All they have to do is ask you for your CC information or a copy of a valid driver's license. Happens for many things online.

The internet is remarkable stable here, thanks. :D


No, they don't.

That's good. Except they do. Interesting how the world works. Not to mention in order to offer a contest in other countries they would have to know your country's laws. Otherwise they could be doing something illegal, or something which might get them sued. Safe (and normal) thing to do is offer the contest in your country. Maybe not when it's Joe's website, but when you're in contract with CBC, Paramount, Viacom... Wouldn't it be great giving them bad press and they cut your contract in half - or worse, sue you.


The great part is - I'm not sure I'm eligible to win the writing contest -- though I did. Hmmm... But I'm not whining. (Oh, I've been changed to runner-up...)

[Paulo999]

[QUOTE=startrekrpg.com;355544]That's the point -- it doesn't take any proficiency. But if your English is terrible how will you recognize grammatical errors inside the game?

just get the yanky dicitionary

[startrekrpg.com]

[QUOTE=startrekrpg.com;355544]That's the point -- it doesn't take any proficiency. But if your English is terrible how will you recognize grammatical errors inside the game?

just get the yanky dicitionary

Might work :)

[JJung]

#1: Okay, I could see this being somewhat of a deal.

#2: Get over it - are you that worried about not winning?

#3: The winners were notified by Wednesday (like they said). But they are waiting to hear back from the winners before notifying everyone else.

This was suppose to be for fun. Something to pass the time until ST:O is released.

Alivet posted yesterday afternoon that they were still reading through the submissions hence they haven't picked the winners yet.

[bitgolem]

There are many of us here who will never give some MMO outfits like SOE or Funcom another dime.

AMEN to that.

[startrekrpg.com]

Ya. I know what was posted. I also know the truth. They're currently in a Comic Convention - they don't have time to be dealing with everything else - they're spending all their time there, and spending all their time working on it. It might have been poor planning to have the release all at the same time - however, they're not going to say that publicly. It's better to show a good face. We did it in radio all the time. And it's a little white lie that doesn't harm anyone. Unless I've voided my win (by being Canadian or by posting it in advance) I'm telling you - they've already picked at least the winner and one runner up. Maybe they're considering awarding more prizes and therefore have to go through it all again. But be patient people. The world isn't going to end!

[Sheftu]

Ya. I know what was posted. I also know the truth. They're currently in a Comic Convention - they don't have time to be dealing with everything else - they're spending all their time there, and spending all their time working on it. It might have been poor planning to have the release all at the same time - however, they're not going to say that publicly. It's better to show a good face. We did it in radio all the time. And it's a little white lie that doesn't harm anyone. Unless I've voided my win (by being Canadian or by posting it in advance) I'm telling you - they've already picked at least the winner and one runner up. Maybe they're considering awarding more prizes and therefore have to go through it all again. But be patient people. The world isn't going to end!

IMO you did them with this posting - regardless if it is true or not - much more harm then every whiner in this or other threads.

You tell it a "white lie" and indeed it is trivial if they have already chosen a winner or not - nothing what Awen or any other community manager wasn't able to explain in a short forums posting and what the majority here would have understood. But all the more because the delay in the announcement of the winners is a minor problem this lie will be damaging - how can anyone expect that they will tell the truth in matters of greater importance from now on?

[startrekrpg.com]

I've definitely had enough of this thread. I think that ST:O should start another forum and disallow juvenile posts. It's ridiculous that so much time could be spent on this. Once you grow up, you'll understand how this isn't a life-altering problem. Clearly some people, regardless of how much explaining you can give them, will just not understand this.. In fact, you'll learn that much greater things than this aren't worth wasting so much time on.

[Illusionism]

I am sad for the delay, but it's totally understandable. I am very anxious to know the results. I have said this before, but I do hope we get an opportunity to read some of the submissions. I need something creative to pass the time anxiously waiting for STO. I am also curious to know many submission there were.

[Sheftu]

I've definitely had enough of this thread. I think that ST:O should start another forum and disallow juvenile posts. It's ridiculous that so much time could be spent on this. Once you grow up, you'll understand how this isn't a life-altering problem. Clearly some people, regardless of how much explaining you can give them, will just not understand this.. In fact, you'll learn that much greater things than this aren't worth wasting so much time on.

I have finished university 15 years ago and I'm leading my own company successfully since more then 10 years - there is no need to worry about my financial situation or my transition to adulthood, thanks. :)

Your opinion is not an axiom - someone can understand what you say but that doesn't mean that he must share it. If the single fact that someone is not in complete agreement with you is reason enough to leave a thread and even asking for a new forum only with sycophants... then life will have a lot of things for you to learn too.

Have a nice day, I have to go to work now.

[LordDave]

IMO you did them with this posting - regardless if it is true or not - much more harm then every whiner in this or other threads.

You tell it a "white lie" and indeed it is trivial if they have already chosen a winner or not - nothing what Awen or any other community manager wasn't able to explain in a short forums posting and what the majority here would have understood. But all the more because the delay in the announcement of the winners is a minor problem this lie will be damaging - how can anyone expect that they will tell the truth in matters of greater importance from now on?

I just want to say:

Any plan that finishes on schedule is either finely crafted with no variables unaccounted for, or is done half-assed.
I grade papers written by students for a living. Well... part of my job anyway. I've had many times where I would go back and look at a question 3 or 4 times because someone worded something in such a way as to be sorta right, so I have to think about it.
Besides, reading 500+ essays, even 500 word essays, is a ***** and a half. No one, and I mean NO ONE can estimate how long it will take.

[greatwazoo42]

You guys do realize that if the real aim of this contest is to find outsource contractable writing staff to help create adventures in the STO game then everyone that's been ****ing and moaning so much has put themselves off the list of becoming a possible game contributor. Afterall, what boss or contractor wrangler wants to deal with that? ;)

[SirReginaldo]

:D
Im happy that they are putting some much time into reading them. Normally I would think they would read some, find a good one, and give it first place. No point in reading 1000's of 500 word essays pretty much. I wouldnt even hate them for doing that. Probably, I am sorry to say, half of them are the same story anyway. Humans can only be so creative...

[STO]

You guys do realize that if the real aim of this contest is to find outsource contractable writing staff to help create adventures in the STO game then everyone that's been ****ing and moaning so much has put themselves off the list of becoming a possible game contributor. Afterall, what boss or contractor wrangler wants to deal with that? ;)

I really do not think that is the official or only goal. I think rather these stories can be reviewed by writing staff to give them an idea of what we as potential players view as creative. Based on what we write (and will write in future submissions) they can glean fresh ideas :)