Incentives for AAR and DAR postings

09-29-2007, 03:04 AM,

WE all like AAR's and DAR's. I suggest that we start an AAR/DAR contest in the AAR/DAR section to get more people posting their warstories online for the rest of us to read.

Recommendations:

Each AAR/DAR posted (minimum 5 posts with screenshots) will receive a bonus points award and DAR medal. You will receive an AAR/DAR medal for each competed story.

Every month, a committee of Blitz members and mods will judge the DAR's/AAR's for the best written and produced DAR/AAR, with a second and third handed out. At the end of every 6 months, the person with the most DAR/AAR points will win a prize amounting to a new wargame of the winner's choosing.

Special awards and bonuses will be given to best action screenshot, best tactical move screenshot, and most hilarious screenshot.

I'm prepared to pony up $100 dollars in prize money for the first 6 month contest period, and will act as a judge (if so accepted) and cannot be entered into the contest, even if I post DAR's. The prize money will be moved to the Blitz custodians and I will not be involved personally in the rewarding of it.

Everyone keeps harping about how we are all trying to make this a better and more interesting website. Therefore, this is my two bits.

Cheers!

Leto

Fubar · 09-29-2007, 03:20 AM,

Will this apply only to report's in the actual AAR/DAR section as there are some in the tournament section as well.

If you need a booby prize for the worst one then i have a brand new copy of CMSF gathering dust. :stir:

cheers

RedDevil · 09-29-2007, 03:20 AM,

Pete, I like this idea, however there's a few loose ends that should be tied up namely, Award criteria, medal design, rules and prize stipulations/ and/or alternatives, before this is put into effect.

Also, are there any legal issues about the club giving out prizes involved, as opposed to personal gifts.

09-29-2007, 03:39 AM,

RedDevil Wrote:Pete, I like this idea, however there's a few loose ends that should be tied up namely, Award criteria, medal design, rules and prize stipulations/ and/or alternatives, before this is put into effect.

Also, are there any legal issues about the club giving out prizes involved, as opposed to personal gifts.

Do you want me to start an email link with you and McIvan (lawyer) to discuss? or do you wish to continue discussing here? Doesn't matter to me. I have no problem with the club being witness to a joint effort to iron out details and be open to feedback.

It's up to you.

Cheers!

Leto

09-29-2007, 03:42 AM,

Fubar Wrote:Will this apply only to report's in the actual AAR/DAR section as there are some in the tournament section as well.

If you need a booby prize for the worst one then i have a brand new copy of CMSF gathering dust. :stir:

I don't think it would have to be relegated to one thread, but the DAR/AAR section makes logical sense to post the majority of them. Also, we would have to develop some pretty transparent and easy to implement criteria on how they would all be judged.

Basic point here is that there are hundreds of games being played, but the fun that goes on is only limited to the two people playing it. IMHO, DAR's or AAR's really help to engage you in the match, and also gives a good venue for you to display your ingenious plans, your humiliating embarassments, and get feedback and engagement from the entire club.

Cheers!

Leto

~~The Coil~~ · 09-29-2007, 04:25 AM,

Wouldn't it be simpler if we just had some sort of system where you could reward one another with some kind of "reputation boost" if you liked the DAR?

Sorry...couldn't help myself...

So Pete, if you're out of the running for the award, would I still be able to have a DAR of a game against you count for it?

I like the idea. Only potential problem: once people are making DARs in order to win a prize, it sort of kills the innocent fun of the process. For me, doing a DAR is kind of fun just for the heck of it, if I knew there was a real prize at stake, I think I'd be trying harder to be entertaining, and it'd probably end up forced and less entertaining. Something fun about just doing it for the heck of it, and not trying to win something. I know this sort of sounds like the opposite argument I've made on behalf of clickies, but I think for me the difference is something of real value vs. something silly and meaningless. If that makes sense...

RedDevil · 09-29-2007, 04:57 AM,

Discuss it here if Ivan doesn't mind.

Is your "Contest" limited to CM only?
As the AAR/DAR forum is only present in our community.

Right now we award 50 ladder bonus points for completed AAR/DARS
This should remain, as it is consistent across all communities.
I don't want to be rewarding more points for Cm players' AAR's over CS players'..etc...

We don't have a medal for AAR/DAR, and awarding 1 for every completed one would clutter up the medal rack.
Perhaps a Ribbon for #'s 1-4 & a Badge for #'s 5,10,15,20 etc.. We would need someone to make some previews of these so we can decide on a best one.

Sizes should be limited in pixels.. 40W X 100H for ribbons and 80WX100H for Badges.

Rules should be written out for fall back reference and final decisions of judge(s) rights reserved within those rules.

Criteria for the contest should be written out for public view so all involved are on the same level field.

Criteria for judges should be written out, but not subject to public viewing.
no one should know what to do outside of the rules and contest criteria, lest they manipulate the field to their advantage.

6 months is a very short time in gaming terms, perhaps end of year contest that runs from Dec 1st thru Nov 30, allowing the prize to arrive for Christmas?

Coil has a point of the offering a game for a prize.. people do strange things when a prize with monetary or real value is involved..

McIvan · 09-29-2007, 07:43 PM,

I can't think offhand of any legal difficulties involved in giving a donated prize. Where legal issues tend to arise is fund raising activities where people pay to enter. Those have various legal requirements, especially where some form of random draw is involved. I'll try to remember to have a look at the statute list tomorrow for any obvious governing statutes, then link from that to anything US based.

The fellow to ask would probably be Thor, him being a US lawyer.

Pete, great idea, and a very generous offer. I'm with RD on timing....AARs can take quite a long time so maybe once a year would be better, and the Xmas prize timing is a good suggestion.

A wargame in the post.....it's not so much (I hope) that people would resort to patent silliness, would they? Let's give it a shot, and see what happens.

A side point.....should we stipulate that all the tourney AARs/DARs actually get posted in the main AAR section? There are two going on now which I have been reading and enjoying, but most probably a lot of members don't actually realise they exist.

Koen · 09-29-2007, 10:55 PM,

we have some very nice DAR's running at the "Good Ol' Days" Tourney.

This is a good way to keep things alive.

K:stir:

Khankill · (This post was last modified: 09-30-2007, 12:57 AM by Khankill.)

McIvan Wrote:A side point.....should we stipulate that all the tourney AARs/DARs actually get posted in the main AAR section? There are two going on now which I have been reading and enjoying, but most probably a lot of members don't actually realise they exist.

I have been following those as well. Any updated DAR/AARs are the first posts I read when I log-in to the Blitz(followed closely by Clickie and bickering threads). If they hadn't been started prior to the relocation of the tourney threads. I would not know of their existance.

I currently am unable to play CM, due to a flood (computer is safe, just no home to play in for the time being). Reading other peoples battles is the closest I can get to playing.

Any incentive for people to put the time and effort into these is a good thing in my opinion.