an_aspiring_maker
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Posting this anonymously with a new account as I'm intimidated about even bringing this up.
I was going to do a city plan entry, I've spent the past week preparing by familiarizing myself with the rules, with SS2, with WRK, by practicing with PlaceAnywhere and TCL commands, etc. Then I decided to look at previous contest selections for inspiration. When I did, I quickly realized something, both in the rules and the past results. There's no rule saying that staff who work on SS, major mod makers, etc can't enter. And I saw such big names in the top 3 selections consistently when I clicked on the different months. Usually in IRL contests there's rules stipulating that staff or associated people cannot enter the contest, usually due to an unfair advantage. If such a rule didn't exist, it would deter people from entering. Like I have been, because when I see consistently big names in the selections that are huge influences in the community and either make mods or work on SS directly, that small sliver of hope that I have a chance is burned up. It's like a kids hockey team facing against the Boston Bruins, you already know the results. At least one or two were big names in all the contests I looked at. That leaves one or two spots for an average joe to maybe make it to... in just the preliminary round of voting.
And that's not touching the issue of the rules for voting.
It would be nice if there was two contests, one for staff and other pros, and one for the average community members. Or disallow staff/pros from entering and instead directly consider their work for inclusion into the offical SS city plans packs, because their work is pro grade. But if it's open season for the contest, then I don't feel any hope of winning. To the big names, they might say "just try, you might win", but they don't know how how skilled they are and how big/influential their names are to just average joe SS users or aspiring SS makers. There's a reason there's different hockey leagues, because AAA teams would get crushed by NHL, and there's a reason companies almost always have a "staff cannot enter" rule even if the contest results are completely random and not based on skill like the city plans contest is.
One can still tell me there's a small chance of me winning against the big guys / staff / etc. But it doesn't matter, the small hope of winning is gone and so is my drive to try.
I hope this post might cause @kinggath and others to reconsider how the contest system works because I don't feel like I'm the only one that's felt this way and given up or not entered out of these thoughts, just that maybe I'm the first to voice it.
I was going to do a city plan entry, I've spent the past week preparing by familiarizing myself with the rules, with SS2, with WRK, by practicing with PlaceAnywhere and TCL commands, etc. Then I decided to look at previous contest selections for inspiration. When I did, I quickly realized something, both in the rules and the past results. There's no rule saying that staff who work on SS, major mod makers, etc can't enter. And I saw such big names in the top 3 selections consistently when I clicked on the different months. Usually in IRL contests there's rules stipulating that staff or associated people cannot enter the contest, usually due to an unfair advantage. If such a rule didn't exist, it would deter people from entering. Like I have been, because when I see consistently big names in the selections that are huge influences in the community and either make mods or work on SS directly, that small sliver of hope that I have a chance is burned up. It's like a kids hockey team facing against the Boston Bruins, you already know the results. At least one or two were big names in all the contests I looked at. That leaves one or two spots for an average joe to maybe make it to... in just the preliminary round of voting.
And that's not touching the issue of the rules for voting.
So the people associated with the big names who've placed in the top three are also in the initial cull voting team. Not only is there the advantage of skill, but now by unconscious voting bias by the initial voters since they're from the same echelon / pool, with the only exception the patreon supporters who aren't in that pool."Judging is done in two rounds, the first is limited to Sim Settlements team members, Patreon supporters, and long-standing community members".
It would be nice if there was two contests, one for staff and other pros, and one for the average community members. Or disallow staff/pros from entering and instead directly consider their work for inclusion into the offical SS city plans packs, because their work is pro grade. But if it's open season for the contest, then I don't feel any hope of winning. To the big names, they might say "just try, you might win", but they don't know how how skilled they are and how big/influential their names are to just average joe SS users or aspiring SS makers. There's a reason there's different hockey leagues, because AAA teams would get crushed by NHL, and there's a reason companies almost always have a "staff cannot enter" rule even if the contest results are completely random and not based on skill like the city plans contest is.
One can still tell me there's a small chance of me winning against the big guys / staff / etc. But it doesn't matter, the small hope of winning is gone and so is my drive to try.
I hope this post might cause @kinggath and others to reconsider how the contest system works because I don't feel like I'm the only one that's felt this way and given up or not entered out of these thoughts, just that maybe I'm the first to voice it.