The Eorzean Home Makeover (Extreme) Contest (NA) - Discussion/Practice Thread

[ReplicaX]

I feel like SE just roll 20 sided dice to detemine the winner, how else would DQ entire be allow to win.

I am happy I was a winner and I followed the rules. I worked hard on my apartment for a warm and inviting winter feel with no holiday theme.

I do find it odd though that after the DQs, the list didn't move up in the "ranks" and new folks weren't filled in at the end of the list. However, it is stated at their discretion in the rules.

[Sylfaein]

I am happy I was a winner and I followed the rules. I worked hard on my apartment for a warm and inviting winter feel with no holiday theme.

I do find it odd though that after the DQs, the list didn't move up in the "ranks" and new folks weren't filled in at the end of the list. However, it is stated at their discretion in the rules.

I agree on both counts. Personally, I think it was an honest mistake, and SE handled it well. They owned up to it, and fixed it. No complaints, there.

I too would have liked to see the list bump up, instead of just swapping out the DQ entries where they were. Personally, it would have moved me to 6th. But hey, 8th is nothing to sneeze at, either!

[MikeWW]

It would have been nice if they made it visible and in bold at the top of the entry thread or the discussion thread that only apartments and private chambers qualified. Or at least sent a PM notification to people who didn't know they violated that rule.

[nranola]

Greetings, interior decorators of Eorzea!



Apologies if this wasn't clear, but as mentioned in the detailed rules, all submissions must be taken from either a player's private chambers or apartment in order to qualify. Entries determined to be taken from other housing areas will be disqualified.

Best of luck to you all!

Okay... WHAT?

How was this not rectified in the original contest post? We do realize that not everyone looks at the discussion thread, right? The post says "settle into their apartments and personal quarters" at the very start (I assumed was just fluff introductory text) but it was never reinforced in any other section. I naturally assumed (like several others, I imagine) from how the guidelines were written that any room was eligible.

I'm not salty about the winners; I'm salty about how this very crucial piece of information wasn't cleared up in a way that all contestants would be able to see clearly.

[ReplicaX]

Okay... WHAT?

How was this not rectified in the original contest post?

It didn't need to be rectified as it was clearly stated in the original Contest Entry Rules. Many folks didn't bother to scroll down and read them.

3. HOW TO ENTER
During the Contest period, Entrant must take the following steps to enter:
Perform a ‘makeover’ of the inside of your apartment or private chambers in Final Fantasy XIV by changing the design or appearance of the room.

[nranola]

It didn't need to be rectified

Oh, but it did.

The fact that Lux had to come in and clarify that the contest was for apartments and private chambers only makes my point for me. Clearly contestants were confused by which rooms were eligible. Good on those who got the heads up by chancing upon page 3 thread, but what about those who didn't get the memo? Do you really think that's fair? I don't.

The only times apartments and private chambers/quarters were mentioned was in the vague introductory line, and then in the second post literally over 1200 words in. Nowhere else. Couldn't it have been placed under the first post's "How To Enter" at least?

Seeing as it's a detail that can get you disqualified? I don't think it was emphasized nearly enough.


To the people who organized this event, if you're reading this, please be more visible with any clarifications to contest rules - especially damning ones such as this - in the future.

[nranola]

If I seem agitated, it's because I am. I apologize if my posts carry an unpleasant tone. It just sucks a lot that after spending several days getting the decor and the screenshots nice and perfect I find out later that I've been disqualified for a requirement that wasn't even on the first post. I'm sure some others feel the same way. It feels like I wasted all this time for not even being considered for a spot, you know?

What sucks more is that I did read both posts and still managed to miss it. I don't think I'm being unreasonable when I say that it's confusing and prone to being overlooked when you have a rule on the second post but not on the first... especially when both sections look near identical.

[Sylfaein]

The only times apartments and private chambers/quarters were mentioned was in the vague introductory line, and then in the second post literally over 1200 words in. Nowhere else. Couldn't it have been placed under the first post's "How To Enter" at least?

Look at the quote ReplicaX posted again. It was on the first post twice: once in the initial paragraph, and once again under "How To Enter" (that's the exact part he quoted).

Thing is, no one can craft instructions that everyone is going to read. I work with licensed professionals who don't read the instructions I give them, and make a mess of it. SE did their due diligence, and put that in several places. That not everyone wanted to "scroll down and read it" is not on them--they led the horses to water.

[ReplicaX]

The fact that Lux had to come in and clarify that the contest was for apartments and private chambers only makes my point for me. Clearly contestants were confused by which rooms were eligible.

Lux is just doing their job, clarifying something people didn't bother reading that was posted on Day One under the "Official Rules".

This happens all the time with any Contest, Sweepstakes or Lottery. Many do not read the rules in their entirely, even though once they enter, it is a legal agreement they accepted.

Also the format used for the contest is standard per US law to make it legal. Once published, by US Law it has to be followed and also the "Official Rules" cannot be altered.

[nranola]

Look at the quote ReplicaX posted again. It was on the first post twice: once in the initial paragraph, and once again under "How To Enter" (that's the exact part he quoted).

Um... actually, no, it only has that information on the initial paragraph on the first post. It says nothing about it in the "How To Enter" section. I know this for a fact because I pored over that post over and over to make sure I was following the rules exactly. What ReplicaX quoted was the second post which has that additional line that the room has to be either an apartment or private chambers.

I'm restricted by the character limit so I can't quote the entire section for you here, but you can double check the announcement post and see for yourself. I also took a web screenshot this morning for posterity.