Criteria for the Interior Design Contest?

[Beckett]

I don't think anyone that's already been declared a winner should be retroactively disqualified (besides, what are they going to do, go to each individual's account and delete their prizes?) but what I would like is for people who would have won, if the rules were enforced correctly, also get a prize. If there 10 winners in the Small category who should have been disqualified, then the top 10 runners-up in that category should get the prizes they're owed by the rules of the contest.

I'd also like the contest runners to learn from this experience and do better in the future. This isn't the first time contest rules have been ignored, but in the past it's because there were too few entrants to even give out all the prizes. In this case, there were plenty of quality entries that could have been chosen that didn't break the rules. And if you think there's a chance you'll ignore one of the rules, just don't add it in the first place!

[nranola]

I don't think anyone that's already been declared a winner should be retroactively disqualified (besides, what are they going to do, go to each individual's account and delete their prizes?) but what I would like is for people who would have won, if the rules were enforced correctly, also get a prize. If there 10 winners in the Small category who should have been disqualified, then the top 10 runners-up in that category should get the prizes they're owed by the rules of the contest.

Prizes will not be handed out until December so there's nothing to delete.

I had earlier considered that your method might be the most painless way to do it, but after a bit more thought, I think that winning entries that violate the rules should be disqualified across the board. Not doing so would be a disservice to anyone who had followed the rules to the letter. If they chose to set rules for the contest, they should honor those rules.

[Beckett]

Prizes will not be handed out until December so there's nothing to delete.

Oh fair enough, I didn't realize the prizes hadn't been given out yet. I still think it would be pretty shitty to tell people they won and then pull a "Nah, just kidding!" Far worse than just disqualifying them in the first place.

[Asrun]

So, is there anything we can do about it?

I know that probably the devs have more important things to look at... still, i think that point in doing similar contests should be strengthen the game community. Chose a sets of rules and then ignoring it is not the right way of doing so. It only promotes a more unfair and careless mood.

To start, I gave a quick look to the winners and i write down the ones that clearly broke the rules, so when we find the right way, we could report them to the ones in charge.

Kashyanna - use of /gpose and exterior screenshot http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4733826

Neheon - use of /gpose filter http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4734273

Aizhoelle - use of /gpose filter http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4739327

ankaduck - use of /gpose filter http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4761693

acheronnos - use of /gpose zoom out http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4733892

RainaW - use of /gpose filter and she posted twice to have a screenshot changed, when the rules states that in such cases is valid only the first post http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4746086

Kirielle - her character is visible in the screenshots http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post4736813

There are many others that i think may have used /gpose, but in some cases is difficult to say if they used /gpose or idle camera instead to achieve angled shot (the latter was allowed).

In your opinion, wich participants to the contest should be disqualificated?

[Luna_Ariana]

Well it's not from the English Team but on the German Thread there's been an actual repsonse posted.

Hallo zusammen,

Angesichts der Bekanntgabe der Ergebnisse des Einrichtungs-Wettbewerbs möchte ich mich gerne mit einem Update zu Wort melden.

Ich verstehe eure Frustration in Bezug auf die derzeitige Situation und möchte mich aufrichtig dafür entschuldigen, dass einige von euch sich unfair behandelt fühlen. Es ist selbstverständlich, dass in eure Teilnahme viel Zeit und Mühe geflossen ist und in keinem Fall möchten wir euch den Eindruck vermitteln, dies nicht entsprechend zu würdigen. Für zukünftige Ereignisse dieser Art werden wir die von euch genannten Punkte berücksichtigen und im Team besprechen.

Wir bitten euch zu verstehen, dass bezüglich des Punktes der Mehrfachteilnahme diese nicht gegen die Regeln verstoßen hat. Jedoch nehmen wir auch dankend das Feedback aller Gewinner an und versuchen diesen Aspekt für zukünftige Wettbewerbe besser im Auge zu behalten, um den doppelten Erhalt von Spielgegenständen zu vermeiden.

Ich bitte euch nochmals aufrichtig um Verzeihung für die Unannehmlichkeiten.

Liebe Grüße,
Xuquanidi (Xu)

What she said in the Post is that she understands our Frustration and that they will work on this in the Future. Including an Apologize.

Well.. atleast one response has been made?

[HyoMinPark]

Well it's not from the English Team but on the German Thread there's been an actual repsonse posted.

What she said in the Post is that she understands our Frustration and that they will work on this in the Future. Including an Apologize.

Well.. atleast one response has been made?

It would be lovely for them to respond on the other subforums as well. I don’t know if JP had any sort of attention directed at this, but the English forums were at least blowing up over it. Can’t speak for the French forums, either.


I’m still not happy with them simply saying “We’ll work on this in the future”. Because people broke the rules and won now, and people followed the rules and lost now. Honestly, it never should have happened; they should have been more diligent and actually looked at the entries, but, at this point, I don’t even know what to say anymore.

I don’t think I’ll participate in any future contests though, since apparently the rules don’t matter.

[Luna_Ariana]

It would be lovely for them to respond on the other subforums as well. I don’t know if JP had any sort of attention directed at this, but the English forums were at least blowing up over it. Can’t speak for the French forums, either.

Checked the French Forums yet couldn't see any official Response from there. Soo it's mostly the German Rep who did it.

And yes they really NEED to do something about it now. People been saying that it alreadyy happened earlier Contests and it's still the case. The more this is happening the more people will not join at all. Square Enix please do thing for that. .__.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Checked the French Forums yet couldn't see any official Response from there. Soo it's mostly the German Rep who did it.

And yes they really NEED to do something about it now. People been saying that it alreadyy happened earlier Contests and it's still the case. The more this is happening the more people will not join at all. Square Enix please do thing for that. .__.

I really hate their "we'll fix in the future" policy. How about you follow your own rules to begin with? I mean, how difficult is it to eliminate entries who altered their screenshots either through gpose or icam? I really feel like the theory floating reddit is accurate. They didn't judge anything but simply drew names out of a hat.

[nranola]

And yes they really NEED to do something about it now. People been saying that it alreadyy happened earlier Contests and it's still the case. The more this is happening the more people will not join at all. Square Enix please do thing for that. .__.

Exactly, it's happened before, so why is this sort of thing still happening? "We will work on this in the future"? Since this has happened before, the future is NOW.

It's not like they don't have time to act on the situation, either. The prizes don't get awarded until December. If there's any anomalies with the winning entries, they can absolutely do something about it before then.

In your opinion, wich participants to the contest should be disqualificated?

I think it's safe to disqualify the people who have submitting entries that use gpose, other alterations to the screenshots, and not submitting the correct number of screenshots. There have been winning entries who have modified their houses during the judging period as well, but since we never got a clarification about what exactly counts as "modifying the house" (i.e. does modifying parts of the house that are not included in the screenshots count?) and because there's no way to procure evidence on our end except for maybe admission of the act by the player, it will have to be left to the GMs' discretion.

[HyoMinPark]

I think it's safe to disqualify the people who have submitting entries that use gpose, other alterations to the screenshots, and not submitting the correct number of screenshots. There have been winning entries who have modified their houses during the judging period as well, but since we never got a clarification about what exactly counts as "modifying the house" (i.e. does modifying parts of the house that are not included in the screenshots count?) and because there's no way to procure evidence on our end except for maybe admission of the act by the player, it will have to be left to the GMs' discretion.

For what it’s worth, this footnote was added yesterday to the Lodestone post announcing the winners:

* You are now free to make changes to your estate decor. Thank you for your patience.
* Updated Monday, October 29 at 3:00 a.m. (PDT)

Considering the contest was about Interior Design, it can be assumed that any changes to the interior of your estate (adding furniture, removing furniture, changing floors/walls/lighting, completely redecorating, demolishing your estate, relocating your estate, etc.) were things you were not allowed to do. Small things like planting/unplanting seeds in flower pots I do not think they would consider significant, but adding in new furnishings, removing furnishings, or moving things around could have been interpreted as strictly prohibited as per the contest rules:

Do not make any changes to your estate until after Sponsor reveals the winning entries.

All things digital leave a digital trail. I’m 100% certain there are change logs that GMs could easily have access to, to see any changes made to a particular estate, including the interiors. Everything leaves a mark somewhere when it comes to programming.