What the hell are we doing?

[Daggertail]

I believe you're missing a bit of the point of what Madison is arguing. I don't think he'd disagree with you in that JCs, EXP, GP, etc. are seen as means to getting fame on the site. What Madison is instead suggesting is that is a warped priority, and that our primary goal of writing should be writing for its own sake. Unless you're F. Scott Fitzgerald, then you write to fuel your drinking habit.

In that regard, I don't disagree with Madison. Recently I've had a couple quests that scored in the very high 70s. Instead of taking it as "goddaminity crap, I get no JC love" I was happy because Dissinger (the judge in both cases) offered quite a few comments that said he liked my writing and the story in both cases. Also, in the quest that was a group quest with Letho, I feel we both had an enjoyable time.

If I had been so number centric, I would have given myself an anuerism. Instead, I was glad to get enough EXP to level and now go on to write more neat stories.

I don't think I'm missing the point at all, I know that they are warped priorities but I'm looking into the causes of the warped priority. I don't know if they can be fixed or not but I'm trying to look for reasons why people have a warped priority.

[Molotov]

I don't think I'm missing the point at all, I know that they are warped priorities but I'm looking into the causes of the warped priority. I don't know if they can be fixed or not but I'm trying to look for reasons why people have a warped priority.

I find it hard to believe that JCs, Tournaments, etc. aren't merely a function of popular demand. Your causal arrow is wrong.

[Ithermoss]

I wouldn't say they're a function of popular demand in itself, especially not in light of administrative power trips, and the notion that althanas has its popular demand more or less decided for it. Not saying that's so wrong, mind you. I'm saying it simply is.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

My reasons for being on Althanas has always been to simply get writing done. I pesonally have always tried to make my work better as I've progressed as a writer and I feel that the system of experience and levels is simply a way to gauge your current standing against every other writer on Althanas. Me personally, I think the scoring system works well because you work to try and achieve higher scores.

I like to think that as I hit a plateau of writing with the judges then I know that I've obtained a certain level of skill if I'm constantly getting scores of at least 75 on average. Me personally, when I do my Solo Quest work, or any other epical project--I'm AIMING to try and recieve a JC. I think that there's a certain feeling of accomplishment with the Althanas judging system as rigorous as it is nowadays when anybody can net a JC.

With that in mind that's why I make it a point to try and net JC's. Not for anytype of experience or gold reward (Or even the fact that is often easier to get Spoils requests on higher Scores, especially JC's) but because as a writer I am an over achiever. You ask anybody who has ever worked with me on a project and they will tell you that I take writing extremely seriously.

My love of writing is why I am pursuing a career as a graphic novel creator. I think that there's something really awesome about being able to fuze art skills together with writing skills into a unique product that everybody will love.

Those are just my personal views on it. I am here to write, I am here to be THE BEST I POSSIBLY CAN BE. I see the Judge's Choice as a standard to work for. I see tournaments as a chance to compete (As Ithy so eloquently put it) against other skilled writers.

Those are just my two cents on the matter. You can't complete a story if you don't at least TRY to write it down to begin with. Having an idea of how to write the story in a structured way helps every writer to become a better writer. (As they view themselves and in conformity to site rules)

I would only further add that in the case of tournaments I would even suggest that you don't look at it as a way of gaining fame.

But rather as a way of combining storylines and combining histories in a plot mechanic that makes the story very exciting, adds tension, and adds a sense of unpredictability. (When it comes to how winners are chosen, the whole random element based upon the Judge's own inclinations) Anyway these are just my own views.

[Sighter Tnailog]

I wouldn't say they're a function of popular demand in itself, especially not in light of administrative power trips, and the notion that althanas has its popular demand more or less decided for it. Not saying that's so wrong, mind you. I'm saying it simply is.

If Althanas' popular demand was decided for it, the Thayne wouldn't have caught on -- remember how long it took me to come around to the idea?

If popular demand was decided for Althanas, we'd still be playing where the storyline winner gets the EXP, not the score winner.

If popular demand was decided for Althanas, I wouldn't get PMs every day asking about when the next AC is coming. I was ready to abandon the thing, but there seems to be a wellspring of support.

I think saying that "what's cool" on Althanas and "who's hot" on Althanas is the result of a power tripping administration is really not true, and I'm not even sure what you mean by a "power tripping administration." Can you clarify that?

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Madison The Thayne is just ONE of Althanas' many religions as Ithy has stated so many times its only ONE way of looking at Althanas. It is not THE way of looking at Althanas. Every region has its own Gods and Deities the Thayne is just one of many religions around. Who is to say that some other dedicated player like you or myself can't come up with a viable alternative to the Thayne?

[Sighter Tnailog]

Um...you don't need to defend the Thayne with me. I like the Thayne and think it contributes great things to Althanas. But when the Thayne was first created I didn't like them, and if my memory serves they were created when I was an administrator. My administrative powers did not in any way, however, effect the Thayne's ability to catch on and contribute to Althanas.

My argument is that the direction given to the site by the administrators does not always, indeed, it rarely does, shape the popular consciousness on Althanas. Player activity and ideas do that far better than any edicts ever will.

[Ther]

I'll post a longer reply later, but in short Madison is dead-on: we'll offer up whatever tournaments/events that you guys want to see and would want to post-in. The last Cell tournament was an example of this, and right now I've heard a lot of people wanting to do Gisela and the AC, which pretty much guarantees that those two will be run again in the near future.

[Ithermoss]

I didn't suggest that popular demand has nothing at all to do with it, no. It definitely has its place. I believe the first AC that was run was more or less, a flop (thus, the EXP penalties). Had it not been for the interest to "do it better" the second time around, I doubt it'd be around today.

I'm being negative for negativity's sake, or anything like it. I'm suggesting that the AC wouldn't have existed had it not been for you getting it in your head to start it up. Since you had the power of execution, so long as you got Max to agree (if he did at all, originally, I don't remember), you put it into practice. It takes initiative for popular demand to actually catch on, imho. It just so happens that the events that really "catch on" are largely staff operated. There have been player-run events before like Iron Giants, Wolftrappe's Zombie Thing, and even the Acolyte Wars back a year or so ago.

I'm going to speak about what I really know here, and that's the Acolyte Wars. I thought of it, and put it into play. It was quite popular. The people who played were quite eager to start the next round. It was far too much work for one person, and nobody was willing to pick up some of the slack. It was an awesome idea, and a revolutionary twist in the way Gisela-type battles are run. The problem was lack of support. There's no blame here, or anything of the sort. I'm simply saying that the staff of the website has a huge impact on what becomes popular, in their support of official features. I'm suggesting that not voting in favor of something is a vote against it, regardless if you vote at all.

And this isn't the correct forum to discuss your latter question. There are names that needn't be named. I would think that you would have some idea of what I'm talking about, Madison.