This post will also appear in the ModJam Subreddit.
http://www.reddit.com/r/MinecraftModJam/comments/1vlppo/
Let's cut down the barrier between right and wrong for just a moment and look at the facts.
iChun deserved to win. He won before for his mod and he won this time for his mods. I don't think anyone should disagree with me there and I don't think anyone would have disagreed me even before this competition started. Why does he deserve to win? Because he created an awesome, lighthearted and satirical mod that was both clever in appearance and functionality.
Does that mean he deserves the spotlight? No.
He already has it.
I don't know iChun personally or even at all, I've never spoken to him or even seen a single actual post of his towards the community. However if he joined the competition with the hopes of actually winning the competition and gaining publicity, he should know better than to command the spotlight when one or two already shine on him and his modding ability. This goes for the other, more decorated members of the modding community.
For them to join a competition with the hopes of taking the gold purposefully steals the spotlight from those with just as much or potentially more or less skill than they do who deserve the gold just as much. It's not their fault however. I wager the thought may not have crossed into some of their minds and this post isn't just a personal attack on them. I both admire, adore and encourage their mods and the use thereof.
So how do we make this fair for them? Them being the bigger-name modders and those who just haven't got there yet who really should have.
Well, here's what I propose, after a good few hours of arguing with other independent fans of the community. Modders, players, video makers and the-like.
ModJam is trying to give off this professional vibe and that's awesome. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be professional, however their approach to the competition is anything but and this has arguably compromised the respect they covet from the community. The exact opposite intention of their professional vision. If they want to be professional, they have to do more than just act it with the community.
I propose that ModJam be seperated into two leagues. The name of which I just come up with on the spot to serve as placeholder and example.
Judging
At the end of the day the community has to have their say for the contender's success, however to avoid this ending with the unintended results (IE, the "popularity contest" that ModJam is currently labeled with), a panel of indepandant members of the community (whether modders or not) will act as judges to determine fates of the contenders in events during the ModJam competition. Their place in the competition, is as follows, depending on leagues.
Judges will be changed each year.
ModJam Plus
ModJam Plus will be the competition for those modders which have already gained good standing within the community. They will be entered into the competition after being nominated by a large percent of that community. Those with the most votes will be invited to partake. Those who already have pride of place as a ModJam contender won't be missed as I wager their presence in the competition will be assured by the publicity gained from prior events and it opens the possibility for newer faces to join the "Big Leagues" and compete against those who have common place there. Then the competition begins
After the 96 hours there are two ways to decide a winner.
ModJam
This is where the major competition takes place.
As usual, modders can put their names down to be included in the competition and their mods are submitted as standard.
After the 96 hours, mods are then given to the Judging panel to examine, test and play the mods, the goal of which to decide which of these mods are the best of the selection based off the terms stated in the Judging paragraph. After which, the best mods go through to be voted on by the community based off the mod itself and not the name behind it. This allows them to have their competition without the bigger named modders eclipsing them.
Prize
The prize for both leagues are the same. Their own individual mod-spotlight and whichever other prizes ModJam normally gives.
Bigger Modders already play with this prize at the end of the tunnel for both the publicity and for their own motivations and that's fine, however lesser known modders play to win and for the publicity. They may have their own motivations too, but the biggest prize is that publicity. This way both leagues are happy and competitors who aren't happy simply aren't worthy of the competition as they would play for the same prize regardless of this change.
That's my Two Cents, do with it what you will.
http://www.reddit.com/r/MinecraftModJam/comments/1vlppo/
Let's cut down the barrier between right and wrong for just a moment and look at the facts.
iChun deserved to win. He won before for his mod and he won this time for his mods. I don't think anyone should disagree with me there and I don't think anyone would have disagreed me even before this competition started. Why does he deserve to win? Because he created an awesome, lighthearted and satirical mod that was both clever in appearance and functionality.
Does that mean he deserves the spotlight? No.
He already has it.
I don't know iChun personally or even at all, I've never spoken to him or even seen a single actual post of his towards the community. However if he joined the competition with the hopes of actually winning the competition and gaining publicity, he should know better than to command the spotlight when one or two already shine on him and his modding ability. This goes for the other, more decorated members of the modding community.
For them to join a competition with the hopes of taking the gold purposefully steals the spotlight from those with just as much or potentially more or less skill than they do who deserve the gold just as much. It's not their fault however. I wager the thought may not have crossed into some of their minds and this post isn't just a personal attack on them. I both admire, adore and encourage their mods and the use thereof.
So how do we make this fair for them? Them being the bigger-name modders and those who just haven't got there yet who really should have.
Well, here's what I propose, after a good few hours of arguing with other independent fans of the community. Modders, players, video makers and the-like.
ModJam is trying to give off this professional vibe and that's awesome. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be professional, however their approach to the competition is anything but and this has arguably compromised the respect they covet from the community. The exact opposite intention of their professional vision. If they want to be professional, they have to do more than just act it with the community.
I propose that ModJam be seperated into two leagues. The name of which I just come up with on the spot to serve as placeholder and example.
Judging
At the end of the day the community has to have their say for the contender's success, however to avoid this ending with the unintended results (IE, the "popularity contest" that ModJam is currently labeled with), a panel of indepandant members of the community (whether modders or not) will act as judges to determine fates of the contenders in events during the ModJam competition. Their place in the competition, is as follows, depending on leagues.
Judges will be changed each year.
ModJam Plus
ModJam Plus will be the competition for those modders which have already gained good standing within the community. They will be entered into the competition after being nominated by a large percent of that community. Those with the most votes will be invited to partake. Those who already have pride of place as a ModJam contender won't be missed as I wager their presence in the competition will be assured by the publicity gained from prior events and it opens the possibility for newer faces to join the "Big Leagues" and compete against those who have common place there. Then the competition begins
After the 96 hours there are two ways to decide a winner.
- Have the panel of judges decide, based not on the popularity of the modder, but in terms of practicality, the vision of Minecraft itself and it's potential synergy with other existing mods. This can either decide a winner straight away or narrow down contenders to a smaller number for the community themselves to vote on.
- Have the community decide themselves through voting as per usual.
ModJam
This is where the major competition takes place.
As usual, modders can put their names down to be included in the competition and their mods are submitted as standard.
After the 96 hours, mods are then given to the Judging panel to examine, test and play the mods, the goal of which to decide which of these mods are the best of the selection based off the terms stated in the Judging paragraph. After which, the best mods go through to be voted on by the community based off the mod itself and not the name behind it. This allows them to have their competition without the bigger named modders eclipsing them.
Prize
The prize for both leagues are the same. Their own individual mod-spotlight and whichever other prizes ModJam normally gives.
Bigger Modders already play with this prize at the end of the tunnel for both the publicity and for their own motivations and that's fine, however lesser known modders play to win and for the publicity. They may have their own motivations too, but the biggest prize is that publicity. This way both leagues are happy and competitors who aren't happy simply aren't worthy of the competition as they would play for the same prize regardless of this change.
That's my Two Cents, do with it what you will.