[Vincent]

It didn't have to come from a staff member just to be blessed as Word of God for it to be right.

The site staff can't do EVERYTHING. We can, at best, give the community a set of tools. It's up to the community itself to be active. The real secret sauce to a successful avatar site is for the community to be self-sustaining. We can give you everything in the world to talk about and play with, but YOU have to talk about it if there's going to be activity on the site.

I think this need to go up in a frame somewhere. xD Everyone needs to read this at least once.

Also, I'd be all for monthly contests or what have you.
And I'd like to say I'm not too bad at coming up for different ideas for such. I just lack the funds to give out prizes worth getting. xD (considering how little I've been here)
So I guess if anyone wants to go up and try out a monthly thing, I don't mind offering help, assistance, and ideas. I'm willing to try.

[Coda]

Like I said, rest assured that we are in fact working on plans. These comments and ideas and suggestions and concerns haven't gone unnoticed, and we're going to do our best to bring some stuff out in the short term as well as in the long term.

[Ginger]

I was leaning more towards a weekly avatar contest for the community as a whole, and said avatar would be featured on the front page for a week, or in an announcement, and given a special prize of 10 runes or something. Trisphee staff would do the judging. I think this will help to encourage newer users to want to beef up their avatars and create quests for fancy items. To get said fancy items requires activity around the site. Can't the site afford to put 10 runes a week into someone's account, to keep the community stimulated enough for new and old users alike to stay, and keep active? What's the point in staying if there's nothing keeping our interest, besides posting? I don't necessarily feel this way, but I'm sure plenty of users who have been a member of the site feel it.

I think a monthly raffle for a set of current monthlies or choice of a yearly item, paid for in aurum or 1 rune per ticket, would stimulate more activity. It would also act as an aurum sink.

I realize in order for the community to be active, the community itself needs to be active. But we need stimulation to stay active. Besides the crane game, we have nothing to do but post. I'd be happy with the same generic games that are on other sites, like Tetris, for small aurum amounts or random cheap common generator.

I by no means think of the staff as invincible, and I do understand all of the hard work they're doing. I guess I've just been appalled that Fenris has left staff, and basically abandoned the site with not much word, except that her real life job takes a lot of her time.

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I was leaning more towards a weekly avatar contest for the community as a whole, and said avatar would be featured on the front page for a week, or in an announcement, and given a special prize of 10 runes or something. Trisphee staff would do the judging. I think this will help to encourage newer users to want to beef up their avatars and create quests for fancy items. To get said fancy items requires activity around the site. Can't the site afford to put 10 runes a week into someone's account, to keep the community stimulated enough for new and old users alike to stay, and keep active? What's the point in staying if there's nothing keeping our interest, besides posting? I don't necessarily feel this way, but I'm sure plenty of users who have been a member of the site feel it.

I think a monthly raffle for a set of current monthlies or choice of a yearly item, paid for in aurum or 1 rune per ticket, would stimulate more activity. It would also act as an aurum sink.

I realize in order for the community to be active, the community itself needs to be active. But we need stimulation to stay active. Besides the crane game, we have nothing to do but post. I'd be happy with the same generic games that are on other sites, like Tetris, for small aurum amounts or random cheap common generator.

I by no means think of the staff as invincible, and I do understand all of the hard work they're doing. I guess I've just been appalled that Fenris has left staff, and basically abandoned the site with not much word, except that her real life job takes a lot of her time.

Oh gawd. A avatar contest EVERY WEEK...? All staff judged? Nothing will ever get done on this site then. Like I said, if you want a contest like that make one yourself, and pay for your own runes to give out as well.

A raffle.. MAYBE. It would HAVE to be self automated though, or at least run by someone who... Actually this gives me a great idea?

Why doesn't the site have any community managers? You know; those snazzy people who runs all the contests, games, talk shows, videos, and stuff? Most of the staff are doing coding, pixeling, moderating, or snazzy jazzy stuff like that. So why can't we have people who are specifically in charge on contests and upcoming news/announcements?
(Granted a lot of these jobs fall into the hands of most staff members, and moderators. So it would be something that you guys would have to decide to yourselves on what are Trisphee's jobs and what roles does those jobs follow.)

[Coda]

Weekly IS a bit excessive, although if it were to be implemented I would say it would be more likely to end up with "one admin picks a favorite" than "the staff gets nothing done." We usually give ourselves a whole week to vote on contests in order to accommodate staff schedules.

Automated raffle... I don't really like the idea. Well, that's not true, it's a GOOD idea, but I don't think it would work for Trisphee. To me it feels too much like a gamble that would get dominated by a couple of wealthy buyers. The first raffle we did was a success just because we gave away SO MUCH STUFF, put a limit on how many times someone can win, and manually made sure to prevent mules from participating. Automating this on a regular basis would end up flooding the market with items and would be at risk for abuse.

We DO have a community manager. That job is, technically, Sei's. And he is in fact working on an event as a response to this thread.

[Umaeril]

Coda I don't see why you can't feature a weekly or fortnightly avatar on the front page. It's fun and it is a totally simple way to make your member-base feel great!

We change our avatars all the time so you would have a neverending supply. Also, you don't need a big staff decision to do it. Delegate it! Delegate it to the members. Let the members point out good avatars in a thread and let them do the work for you.

[Coda]

A week is too short. Full stop. We don't have the activity level to maintain that. And even if we did, it either turns into announcement overload (winners announced every week!) or into just one more changing picture that might as well be completely random.

Monthly is plausible but it won't last. People will be excited for the first one, sort of trickle into the second one, and the third one will be basically ignored. It's just not compelling enough, especially if there's no prizes and if there's not a fair panel of judges to give everyone a fair chance -- peer judging is NOT fair, it turns it into a popularity contest instead of an avatar contest.

I'm not saying we're not going to do avatar contests. What I AM saying is that we're not going to put them on a regular repeating schedule because that wouldn't help.

[Tiva]

My opinion: If you want an avatar contest with cool prizes, make one. I have supplemented prizes before for contests and held a few myself. The turn out is lack luster and I get upset at handing out good items because only 4 people joined and I had a first second and third place prize. Some of these contests were held over a 2 week basis, some over a month long basis. None of them had spectacular turn out, and if they were under a weekly crunch it would be crazy. Make an Avatar, judge, and deal with handing out prize trades. Let alone having staff do it. They are doing things behind the scenes, and just because you don't see it doesn't mean they don't do it. Artists are sometimes months ahead on making DI's and RIGs, let alone event stuff. Writers have there own work also.

Also, yes the avatar of the _______ on the front page would be cool, but what if someone won for 4 whatevers straight? Wouldn't the other ones feel discouraged? Seriously, I know after losing a couple of contests that I worked really hard on because my avi style wasn't theirs I went into a funk. Also how often do you see the front page? I don't unless I log out. My saved link is straight to the Forums, and I wouldn't want my saved avi on the font page, where I wouldn't see it.

[Coda]

Tiva knows what's up.

So I pitched this question to the admins, but I realize it's actually fair game to ask here in public:

How do we add value to the idea of an avatar contest? What would make it compelling, yet fair? What would prevent people from losing interest?

These are the questions that need answered. I'm keenly interested in hearing suggestions that will add depth to the concept.

[Umaeril]

Originally Posted by Coda

Tiva knows what's up.

So I pitched this question to the admins, but I realize it's actually fair game to ask here in public:

How do we add value to the idea of an avatar contest? What would make it compelling, yet fair? What would prevent people from losing interest?

These are the questions that need answered. I'm keenly interested in hearing suggestions that will add depth to the concept.

I can see why an avatar contest would not be fair. Especially on Trisphee because you have no avatar creator system. So I can see where the value of that type of contest would be low, compared to other competitive Events. That being said, you can do them more fairly by restriction, for example, restricting a person to using commons only or say restricting to 5 items total, or a total cost. Those are a few ways to equalize things across the board and there are other ways too.

To add more value to the contest it would have to probably be item-based. Win an item type of thing.

But it seems to me that if you want to attract interest and give out some items you would be better off doing something alternative rather than an avatar contest.

After reading the posts and thinking about the comments, I think you all are right about avatar contests on Trisphee.

[Coda]

Hmm, yes, a challenge scenario is a good idea. I'll definitely put that on the list of ideas.

[Umaeril]

Ok great, here is the idea, it is a grid-based challenge game with prizes at certain grid coordinate points. To get a spot - a chance at the treasure you would have to do one of any number of various challenges. For example (and these are examples only):

1.) Post in this thread twice for 1 spot
2.) Post 5 times for 2 spots
3.) Post a haiku on the them of "A storm" without using the word "storm" for 3 spots.
4.) Wear pink for 24 hours for 1 spot
5.) Post 2 times anywhere for 1 spot
6.) All classical sonnets entered win a common AND a spot
7.) Make an avatar for Uma and win various spots depending XD
8.) Play the Crane Game for 1 spot
9.) Post in Uma's Avatar thread for 1 spot [[[Advertise YOUR thread here and we'll GIVE you 2 spots]]]
10.) Buy an item in the Marketplace for 5 spots

It is an easy game to host, people can be on the honor system if posts are used as spot criteria. Someone just has to update the thread. It is fun because the prizes can differ. You could limit how many spots a person gets in any given game set.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Coda

We DO have a community manager. That job is, technically, Sei's. And he is in fact working on an event as a response to this thread.

I am shitting bricks right now!!! WOOOOO!!

Super utterly excited now. As for regulating an avatar contest for equality, maybe do color challenges, or all commons as Uma suggested since commons are available to anyone at any time. Maybe even an avatar contest that would involve the use of one of the current month's monthlies.

[Asami]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I like illusion's clickable evolving pet idea a lot, actually. I would definitely add them to my signatures on other sites. No other avatar site has done it like before I don't think. Plus, it'll attract more users to the site. I like to hear that more games are being worked on.

Ehhhh... zantarni did it but it fell flat
in theory its awesome and fun
But unless you have a full team commited to working on it
it will just be really lame

If you want it to be successful i would suggest looking at how unifaction deals with having clickable pets. They have separate sites for it and then they bring pets from there to the avatar site to be in avatars
Of course they have donation pets which brings in extra cashflow. (I mean look at that art uguuu)
They even make legendary pets that are only in the donation shop once and never return whichever makes people *need* to buy many. But they dont over do it. They do like one a year.

I mean seriously look at that art.

Also here's an example of how they use the pets from their pet site on avatars… also separate donation items for the avatar site (pretty great idea)

sorry its basically the same pets. They are my fav pets x'D

What im saying basically is. Don't be zantarni. Dont bring in clickable pets just to have them. Its really only fun for the first month and then it becomes lame. I would really advise against it unless you have a full team devoted to clickable pets. (:

[Yokuutsu]

I like the idea of an auction house or whatever.

At least then I don't have to haggle...I can go see what it's being sold for and either buy it or not. (I've been on a ton of websites, this one included, where I want to buy stuff....and either I'm ignored, or no one wants to sell to me D: Not sure which D: )

And games. All the games. (Would it be hard to get Snake up? Or something like it? Idk)

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Coda

...And even if we did, it either turns into announcement overload (winners announced every week!)...

I'm just gonna point out that Gaia has had at least 13 announcements today, and the day isn't even over yet. I'm sure 1 announcement per week wouldn't be upsetting to Trisphee's users XD But I do see your point. Maybe a bi-weekly avatar contest would be more fitting? I'm not gonna push the suggestion though.