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Costume Contests. Dont Bother

hexsinghexsing Posts: 31 Arc User
edited September 2013 in Costumes and Concepts
So...My theory is correct.

I made a post not long ago in Flare's Costume contest stating that people should just back out.

So I ran a test. I did something I would not normally do, and while I can't name names, I have been keeping a journal of winners of CC's.

I won't mention the names, but I will say something fishy is going on. Prizes are easy if you give them back, or if they are recycled.

Although I said I would never attend again, I have been, Going to everyone, in the worst damn thing I could create as to not win.

What I have found is the same @
names win all the time. Now if they were brilliant costume designers I would say ok...but they aint. Second, there is a super group. The extinguished group of women and men folk, that dominate. Often with the same @
addresses.

Don't bother folks. It is a hoax. I have been recording the winners. 2 people chosen are different people, and the rest are the same.

Save your time and run quests or PVP, or RP even, but do not waste your time entering these contests.

If I could post names and results I would...But I know the forum rules and you really can't do that, so I wont.

Again...this was a test to prove the hosts are recycling G to host events.
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Post edited by hexsing on
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Comments

  • chemkchemk Posts: 42 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Lets say your theory is true, then what would be the point of hosting a CC?
    Why bother dragging the whole SG there just to 'trade' the same 50g back and forth every week? It would serve no purpose to 'fix' the outcome.

    Personally, I have won a few CC. I barely know anyone in game (I just came back in June), let alone the CC hosting SGs. Sometimes it can be disappointing when you see a winner that YOU feel is not up to par, but for the most part, the winners are really good.

    As far as the SG you mention, my interaction with them has always been positive, fun and encouraging. Even offering positive tips on how to improve or add to my customs.
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  • xydaxydaxydaxyda Posts: 817 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    and yet I still enter and win a category from time to time... and I participate in CCs about once a week at most!
  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Am i part of the 'Illuminati' working behind the shadows of PH Theatre?
    Have my "winnings" been just a ruse to direct peoples eyes away from the true plot that stews in these sinister minds for world domination?
    Is there a something going on under those bright squares, that so many innocent people stand on? Are they secretly infiltrating in our minds, in our imagination and sucking out the very essence that this game thrives on. Our costumes...
    Who is hiding behind the curtains of evil? Who is pulling the strings? Who controls the hotdog sellers in Millennium City?
    Who?
    WHO?!
    WHO?!!
    Are we even real?
    Or is this just fantasy?

    We must stop this.
    I have a cunning plan. We must gather and form a secret underground rebellion.
    We must be brave and go to these gatherings of evilness, these powwows of madness only dressed in our underware! Pink underware.
    Let's see how they deal with that!

    Did i say underware. Yes. Yes i did.
    Let us pick this name 'UNDERWARE' as our secret name of the underground rebellion.

    Viva la Revolucion!
    DOWN WITH PANTS!!!

    And i pick 'BigBadMomma' as my callsign.
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  • drgmstrdrgmstr Posts: 886 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Didn't we already discuss something like this before that CCs are more about having fun and being social to total strangers than being 'my costume is better than all of yours so you should all just go home' attitude? Who cares if they are rigged or you always lose. I am mostly there to look at how creative other players can be with their costumes and possibly get ideas for the next coming CC. Quite frankly I am surprised that I have won a few CCs before and to be totally honest, I would ask the judges to pick someone else because I can see there are better costumes than I.

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  • slapperfishslapperfish Posts: 92 Arc User
    edited May 2021
    (deleted)
    Post edited by slapperfish on
  • tigerofcachticetigerofcachtice Posts: 551 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    flyingfinn wrote: »
    DOWN WITH PANTS!!!

    Finn, were you there when I was "The Boss Just Took Off His Pants"? (He won.)

    See, I'm not a monster...I'm just ahead of the curve. And I'll happily drop trou with you.

    ---

    I often observe as well, to see winning costumes, but I don't keep track winners' names.

    But I want to ask, Hexsing, you keep track of winners, but do you note the losers too?

    Because I noticed the frequent winners don't have the best winning percentages.

    They just enter. A LOT. Like every CC. So they do win a lot, but lose even more.

    (IMHO, an observe really notes only the winners, they just are more noticeable.)

    ---

    So I'm observing similar things to you, but I see a very different trend.

    It's not bias. It's experience.

    By entering a lot, these frequent winners learn a lot.

    They also judge, so they have the experience on what judges look for.

    Then within their SG, they do a lot of peer critique, so they actually share experience.

    If there was a secret, it's that these guys always learn, win or lose...then they improve.

    (Even after they win, they run backstage, to further tweak their costumes.)

    ---

    Now, although we shouldn't stop people from improving, how can we make this more fair?

    Like if we really wanted to make experience irrelevant, give newcomers a chance.

    The solution is: make new contest categories, so past experience has less effect.

    But that's something judges already do, so I think it evens out quite nicely.
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  • cascadencecascadence Posts: 505 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Oh I have a theory as well... 85.52% of the time I win when I stand on the front row tile. Try it by yourself guys!! works!!

    More seriously tho.... honestly I don't see any sort of hoax or stuff. Just talented people with good costumes. Most of the time I just attend CCs just to inspire myself for a new costume (which hasn't happened as of late =( ), or just have a good time.

    I am curious if I am on that list =p, not so long ago had a winning streak lol.
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  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Alright, you got us. We admit it. It's all staged, just like the WWE and visits from Santa Claus.(But in all seriousness, some people are just really ridiculously good at costumes. As for the SG, I'm sure they probably have a lot of costuming pros and critique each other's costumes on a normal basis to maximize winning efficiency.)

    I allways knew there is some prime evil megalodon lurking behind those googly eyes.
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  • kharma23kharma23 Posts: 403 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    cascadence wrote: »
    Oh I have a theory as well... 85.52% of the time I win when I stand on the front row tile. Try it by yourself guys!! works!!

    More seriously tho.... honestly I don't see any sort of hoax or stuff. Just talented people with good costumes. Most of the time I just attend CCs just to inspire myself for a new costume (which hasn't happened as of late =( ), or just have a good time.

    I am curious if I am on that list =p, not so long ago had a winning streak lol.

    pfft, you win all the time so we KNOW you're part of the CC conspiracy! :tongue:
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  • vitalityprimevitalityprime Posts: 478 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    As someone who has been a judge for a costume contest...I will say this...

    ...you need to realize that the winners are being chosen based on our (the judges) likes and dislikes.

    Just because you do not believe the winners of the contest had a good enough costume does not mean that the judges should feel the same way.

    It's all about opinion...and in the case of costume contests...it's the judge's opinion that counts.



    So not only are the contests very legit...but the person(s) who sets them up goes through a lot of work putting them together so that everyone can have a fun time.

    Please do not let the OP discourage you from enjoying these events.
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  • bluhmanbluhman Posts: 2,410 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    You have my word on this: I pick winners purely based on what I find visually appealing.

    In fact, not just that - I sometimes go out of my way to make sure that not all of my winners come from the same group, just to reduce the probability of an accusation like this from arising. Anyone who wants to complain that my winners are too diverse in selection are welcome to do so.
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  • benevonbenevon Posts: 388 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    I've hosted and judged many contests myself. All choices were based entirely on visual appearance and had nothing to do with the player.

    I could go on about people's differences in what they find appealing. But frankly, it's a waste of my time. This is an obvious troll who didn't win at a CC and had his feelings hurt. If you can't handle it in a freakin' video game, the real world is gonna eat you alive, kid.


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  • epeleskerepelesker Posts: 307 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Here's the secret to "winning" a CC: someone gives you a compliment on your costume. If someone out there appreciates your work, it doesn't matter if you get a prize of Globals for it. You've done your job.

    I have other comments but I'd rather not go into them.
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  • mrf0rz1mrf0rz1 Posts: 556 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    You're not forced to make fun of the OP, there used to be a time where the winners of the most popular CC's were always the same 4 people under the same 4 characters. And many people announcing a certain winner because he's awesome.

    That time is gone though, and the tests I have made are far more disturbing than the usual 'it's rigged' argument.

    I'll log R.H.I.N.O., and win a fair amount of prizes, it's a simple, enough mechanized Rhino with boxing gloves and good overall synergy and a steampunk look.

    I'll log Riftwalker and hopelessly try to win one because... Well because I love that character design along with every single detail, I want to show it to the rest of the world! But most of the time the people thinking the same thing are next to me and not in the middle of the theater. I'd eventually continue to try because I get quite alot of encouraging PM's but I tend to suggest many judges prefer simple and flashy things, I try to be wrong on this, I really do, everyday.

  • benevonbenevon Posts: 388 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    There really is no argument being made here about judges personal tastes. I could argue that point all night long. It's ridiculous to actually accuse people of having this whole elaborate set up of hosting CCs just to give prizes to the same people over and over so they have money to those THEIR CCs, as that would be overly redundant and a waste of a lot of people's time.

    I can't stand it when people immediately scream "rigged" on the forums just because their tastes don't match those of the judges. There is no master conspiracy here.


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  • jonsillsjonsills Posts: 6,315 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    mrf0rz1 wrote: »
    You're not forced to make fun of the OP...
    That's true. We're not forced to do it - in much the same sense as we're not forced to eat chocolate ice cream or mock our elected officials. But we do it anyway, don't we? :biggrin:
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  • mrf0rz1mrf0rz1 Posts: 556 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    jonsills wrote: »
    That's true. We're not forced to do it - in much the same sense as we're not forced to eat chocolate ice cream or mock our elected officials. But we do it anyway, don't we? :biggrin:

    Just as you're not forced to follow the most popular fashion around that game.

    And Benevon, I know I'm naturally a magnitude 11 jerk, but you're much much much better than this. If anything you shouldn't take part in it since it's not concerning you and that everyone trusts you.

  • chalupaoffurychalupaoffury Posts: 2,553 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    AH HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    *gasp*

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    *milk squirting out of nose*

    BA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    *tears*

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    *phew*

    God, I need a cigarette now. I think I just peed a little.
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  • kemmicalskemmicals Posts: 853 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    cromartie-high-school-hayashida-kamiyama.jpg













    What did I just read?
  • tomaantomaan Posts: 82 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    And they would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for that meddling Hexsing
  • keikomystkeikomyst Posts: 626 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    The thing is, the SG with the @ handles that are always winning? That's what they do. They are a costume-based SG that's all about making the best costumes. This is their endgame.

    Of course I think it's atrocious when 90% of the winners are from that SG, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Suck it up and try again later. It also helps to not go there to win. Like an earlier poster said, if I get ANY compliment on a costume I take to a costume contest, it's a win for me.
  • tigerofcachticetigerofcachtice Posts: 551 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Hi guys, just responding just to give those interested in CCs more perspective.

    All us CC veterans are discussing, and newcomers wonder, "What chance do I have?"

    I actually think plenty, and here's sort of why.
    epelesker wrote: »
    Here's the secret to "winning" a CC: someone gives you a compliment on your costume. If someone out there appreciates your work, it doesn't matter if you get a prize of Globals for it. You've done your job.

    Comedians have a phrase, "playing to the back row."

    It's when they don't care about making their intended audience laugh.

    Instead, they're trying to make the other comedians...the tougher crowd...laugh.

    So, winning CCs for prizes and getting "oogled" stops being fun after awhile.

    So a lot of us don't play to win. We play to entertain, shock, and bewilder.

    And a lot of us do this by choosing the worst category to enter.

    So to newcomers...no worries. Many of us CC vets aren't competing with you.

    We're just trying to make each other laugh. Hopefully, you too will get the joke.
    mrf0rz1 wrote: »
    You're not forced to make fun of the OP, there used to be a time where the winners of the most popular CC's were always the same 4 people under the same 4 characters.

    That is so true of the past. It's also when every CC had the same categories.

    But that's really not true now. There's just so many curveball categories.

    So I'm just a little bit surprised at this sentiment coming out now. It's just outdated IMHO.
    keikomyst wrote: »
    The thing is, the SG with the @ handles that are always winning? That's what they do. They are a costume-based SG that's all about making the best costumes. This is their endgame.

    I briefly thought of the possibility this SG should step aside to give newcomers a chance.

    Then I realized this was the WORST idea ever. It's stupid and counter-productive.

    Reason: you don't strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

    I actually think the SG is very important to set a high standard for us to exceed.

    So don't blame this SG for winning. Don't blame the judges. Don't blame yourself.

    Just focus on how to win, or in the case of the CC vets, making other people laugh.
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  • mrf0rz1mrf0rz1 Posts: 556 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    That is so true of the past. It's also when every CC had the same categories.

    But that's really not true now. There's just so many curveball categories.

    So I'm just a little bit surprised at this sentiment coming out now. It's just outdated IMHO.

    Oh, I know that, I even mentioned it. But all the blatant 'you mad bro' stuff surfing around the thread sounded like it never, ever, ever happened, almost reminds me of my current government. As this feeling coming out now.. Well you could say the few bad apples spoiled the bunch for most of people.

    Besides for now, I'm only wishing there are much more specific categories. You can be sure that for most, Creature and Scary are pretty much the same thing.

  • highrealityhighreality Posts: 402 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Meh.. About this whole costume contest thing... Sometimes I can't help but wonder "what were they thinking ?" when I see the winners. Like when the winner for "best" is a re-colored full costume pack or when it is a black and purple mess of blades and spikes with a dark aura.
    My theory is that for this kind of bull**** not to happen, you would need to do CC's only with people you know and appreciate, and with everybody knowing and appreciating everybody. This way you know that the judges won't pick "duh" costumes, and that the winner won't say "suck it looser" when his name is announced. Problem is : with the few people playing this game, it's hard forming such a posse, so you're stuck with strangers most of the time. The solution ? Be friends with everybody and win all the time.

    *re-reads* -wait that makes no sense. ****.

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  • benevonbenevon Posts: 388 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    mrf0rz1 wrote: »
    Besides for now, I'm only wishing there are much more specific categories. You can be sure that for most, Creature and Scary are pretty much the same thing.

    And too many people think retro and tights ARE the same thing, where I would beg to differ :wink:


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  • chalupaoffurychalupaoffury Posts: 2,553 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I find it a bit absurd that a super group *specifically created and maintained for people who enjoy costume contests and tailoring* gets called out so consistently for winning costume contests. That's what they do. It's not "the judges pick em because they're in the SG", it's "they're in the SG because the judges pick em".

    I suppose I should expand on my original laughing, and actually explain some things. Hi, I'm operations director for Spear. We held the first costume contest in game. We've no doubt held more than anyone else, I've personally hosted over a thousand. Know what our rule is? Same as every other SG (and I've been in every sg that holds costume contests, at some point, because we're a tight community), our rule is "you judge the costume, not the @". Little known secret is we actually judge our friends HARSHER than we judge the strangers. Why? We know what they're capable of. You come in a stranger off the street, and blow me away with a costume? I'm going to recognize it. You're someone I've known in the community for a few years, with a good costume? I'm going to want a great one, because I know you're capable of amazing work. I should also point out that before I quit, I was one of those people that you'd see win CC after CC. On any of my like 30 cc-going alts, when I have about 5 years of experience in hosting and competing in ccs. So you could certainly write my name down, but what you're not catching is that I've got a ton of practice at this. I know the judges, their tastes, and I've got about every costume piece possible.

    I'm also the very first person to give costume advice, if someone asks, and hand out free costume unlocks if I've already got em. Because I wanted to see the scene expand and people have a great time doing it.

    And finally, the absurdity. This is what I laugh at every time I read these. What in the flying monkey-covered purple colored jalapeno flavored hell would the point be in gathering a bunch of people together just to intentionally call my friend out and give em 100g? Think about this. You think if their costume is not good, anyone's gonna give a single honest crap that they won? No, they're gonna complain. Granted, people *always * complain, but moreso than usual. As well, my rep and the rep of my SG is gonna suffer. People won't come to my CCs because they know I make bad picks.

    OP: I'll be direct. I used to give away a become device or vehicle at every single CC I hosted. I've spent thousands on this game, giving away shiny things to random strangers just to make the game more fun. Posts like this are why I quit, and won't even compete anymore. Know that every time you spread this bulls**t, you get a step closer to driving an old and friendly vet away from the scene for good. WTF is the point of even trying if there's always gonna be some jealous jerk waiting in the wings to say your win is more a result of your friendships, rather than the 3 hours you spent fine tuning your look? And why in the actual hell would I want to give my money out when you're one of the people that might win it? I know if you're willing to blame a massive conspiracy, you honestly think you *deserve* every win. And the hell you do, there's not a player in game (although I could make a good argument for slapperfish) that can walk into a cc category and honestly say "this category is mine, because nobody else can build a costume like I do".
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  • lilsteffielilsteffie Posts: 598 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    First thing i'd like to put out there.

    We're not robots, we're humans. CC's are purely based on opinions..

    I've been hosting CC"s for a while and what i've really got to say to this thread is this..

    "Really? You think we're rigging these CC's? What would be the point of even hosting? I do it to please the community and have fun."

    For a fact, my most recent CC, the anniversary CC special costed me over $40 and over 600g alone. I prepare before hand buying prizes for people i dont even know.

    Another fact. When i get in there, its jam packed, how the hell do you really expect me to go through everyone's handle? i give everyone an equal opportunity to win. I'd never spend my time, grinding through hours of gameplay, earning G's and only to give it to some jerk who demands to win in a CC. It just wont happen. Ever.

    You get in there, you make a costume and you get judged based on the judges opinions.. did you see the key word there..? OPINIONS.

    If you're mad about people judging whether or not they like your costume, dont come. People who constantly go to CC's get inspired to make better costumes and get ideas. I believe every time someone comes back to a CC.. they improve because they observe and learn...

    im sick of these types of threads.
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  • jonsillsjonsills Posts: 6,315 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Hey, as long as the experts are here, I have a request, and I'll understand if you don't want to or just don't have the time, but..

    ...could one of you take a look at my thread ("Jon's Visual Recognition Guide") and tell me if any of the costumes in there seem like they might be winners some time? I just can't decide - one problem I have is that I sometimes wind up liking the backstory so much, I think the costume is amazing, but others can't see the backstory, just the costume, which makes it less impressive. (404, for instance, is designed to look as ordinary and nondescript as possible, because he's "the little man who wasn't there." But it's hard for that to come across, you know?)
    "Science teaches us to expect -- demand -- more than just eerie mysteries. What use is a puzzle that can't be solved? Patience is fine, but I'm not going to stop asking the universe to make sense!"

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  • gerberatetragerberatetra Posts: 821 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I think the reason people get uptight when the same bunch of people win is that it's frustrating.

    I've gone to costume contests off and on since the game started and I quit mostly out of boredom.

    The thing that'd piss me off was I'd see some great original costumes* and worse ones, really worse ones would win and it was usually the same @handles winning.

    I can see how that would frustrate any new comer. It made the tedium of sitting for a contest unbearable.

    I'm old enough to remember when the PH was a box, with a few other boxes attached.

    -Short version-

    If you like costume contests go for it; the socializing can be fun and can make winning possible by making buddies with the people who run them.

    If you want to win one? Don't even think about it untill your a known costumer.


    *not mine, I'm good with costumes but so so at being original.


    Here we are now going to the West Side
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  • missmaeheymmissmaeheym Posts: 33 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    epelesker wrote: »
    Here's the secret to "winning" a CC: someone gives you a compliment on your costume. If someone out there appreciates your work, it doesn't matter if you get a prize of Globals for it. You've done your job.

    I have other comments but I'd rather not go into them.


    This is EXACTLY why I go to CC's. Win/lose, not so important as that random /tell from someone I don't know (even if I do know) that tells me my look is awesome. THAT makes my night!

    After I found out the existence of CC's almost 3 years ago, I attended for SIX months before I ever won one. I watched and noted and learned. Then I got better. :) I joined Society of Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen about 2 years ago. We all talk costuming and try to help each other look great. Its how we have fun. CC's is what we do.

    Something to consider when you think about how often we win. We attend CC's en masse. There's rarely ever less than 5 or 6 of us. We seem to win a lot because there's a lot of us attending. Once upon a time we used to regularly fill the entire back row of one side and spill into the next. We love watching good costumes.

    Anyway, love us or hate us, as long as there are CC's, SODLAG will be there. :)


    For those that do not know me: Miss Mayhem aka Reaper aka Mynx aka WARHEAD aka Kinslayer

    See ya in the theater!

    Oh, and Mr. OP.....if you're having trouble winning, just pm me in game, I'll be happy to throw you some pointers.
  • chalupaoffurychalupaoffury Posts: 2,553 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    If you want to win one? Don't even think about it untill your a known costumer.


    *not mine, I'm good with costumes but so so at being original.
    See, and this is what I take issue with. My favorite costume of all time, the one I point at specifically when I am asked what makes a good costume? An unknown to the scene. He had this one look, that even I blatantly poached for a nemesis (with permission) because it was that brilliant. What made it so good? It was unlike anything else we'd seen before. It was, for the time, the kind of thing that commonly wins now. But back then? It was mind blowing. A collection of "how did you even do that" which to this day I still hold as the top example of what great tailoring is.

    IMO, if you want to get noticed at a CC? Rock your costume. And rock it well. And don't give an honest f**k what the judges think. The crowd will tell you if you're good, and a few of us (myself used to be included) will walk over and give you G if we like what you brought. Or tell you it's good, so you know to use it again. In fact, as a host, I would call out costumes I enjoyed, so people knew it was a style I enjoyed. Why? Not so I could say "you got second best" but more to say "and you did that right, come to mine in that style and you've got a good shot". Most of the good cc hosts tend to do that with legit costumes. That's why we offer honorable mentions.

    Jon? I'd be glad to look over your stuff. I know you're good at the tailor, I can't imagine that you aren't capable of a bunch of wins given a bit of time.
    In game, I am @EvilTaco. Happily killing purple gang members since May 2008.
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  • benevonbenevon Posts: 388 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I've been going to CCs for a long time as well as, like I said before, have hosted and judged. See, the thing about seeing a lot of the veterans win is that they also have been going to CCs for awhile and know the judges tastes (which is why it's best to switch up judges once in awhile anyway). But you can get a general idea of what a certain SG looks for in a costume.

    Now personally, I'd rather win in a costume I like, rather than try to win with something somebody else likes for the sake of winning. And I have won some with costumes I'm proud of, I have won categories that made me go "really? why me?", I have lost to ones that weren't my personal taste, I have lost to ones that damn well deserved it and I have lost and been flooded with PMs that I should have won....

    Point is, these are people giving away resources to people for the fun of it. I learned a long time ago that going to a CC to win will lead to nothing but frustration. Go to have fun, chat with friends, get new costume combination ideas, and show off your rockin' tights and who cares if you get picked as long as YOU like it.


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  • keikomystkeikomyst Posts: 626 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    It's no fault of the judges, because purposefully rigging a CC is lame and pointless. All it does is result in butthurt and threads like these.

    I'm going to tell you what I do with CCs.
    Step 1. Arrive ten minutes early and check out the crowd. If your preferred category has:
    A. A joke entry (i.e. a ninja category, the joke entry is a clown ninja)
    B. A cute entry (i.e. a ninja category, the cute entry is a little girl ninja)
    C. An honest-to-god superior entry (i.e. a ninja category, someone has the COOLEST ninja)
    D. Too many entries (TOO MANY NINJAS)
    Choose another category. Judges in general (I know I'm stereotyping) LOVE joke and cute entries for categories that generally aren't funny or cute, and if you're outmatched by a better costume, then you're outmatched. While it might be awesome to win in a category that 70% of the contestants are going for, your best bet is to just pick another category.

    Step 2. Wait. If you can multitask, do so, unless the CC host has something for everyone to do while the judges do their thing. Trivia and the like. Do some homework, play some other video games... Why don't I say check out some other costumes? Because you should have done that in Step 1. *bops the reader* Truth be told, I've beaten many a game during CC judging periods. Keep an eye on Zone Chat though! You don't want to miss...

    Step 3. THE ANNOUNCEMENT! Put down your video game or stop doing your homework for now and pay attention. If your name is called, congratulations, get on up there. If it isn't, wait until the CC's over and go look at the winners and see what they've done to win... unless it's, y'know, a joke entry or a cute entry, which may not be your style. If that's the case, try again at another CC!

    Step 4. Improve. Refine your costume. Make it the aforementioned superior costume. Keep an eye out for costuming trends and defy them. I actually won a tech CC after the Holohex set came out by tastefully using Holohex, Cyberpunk and a few other pieces together instead of abusing the Holohex set like crazy, as well as using a not-commonly-seen base color.

    If you follow my four steps to CC sanity, you won't have any 'wasted time' just sitting around waiting for the judges to finish, you'll wind up with better costumes, and all in all you'll have a smoother time of it.

    Unless you, y'know, actually want to socialize with people... which I actually find difficult... ._.

    ALSO, if you have a true character concept that you don't wish to defy (I often dress my CHARACTER in the costume as opposed to just straight up making the costume) you're going to have a hard time. Certain people can pull it off, but if your character is, say, a vampire bunny ninja, or a lizard woman, and you want to participate in CCs? GOOD LUCK!
  • datslendermandatslenderman Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    hexsing wrote: »
    So...My theory is correct.

    I made a post not long ago in Flare's Costume contest stating that people should just back out.

    So I ran a test. I did something I would not normally do, and while I can't name names, I have been keeping a journal of winners of CC's.

    I did the exact same thing once upon a time. My results were basically the same. I just didn't bother posting or talking about it and just left them to their own business. I had far better things to do then stand around waiting for a cat girl to win again.
  • themightyzeniththemightyzenith Posts: 4,599 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    This is EXACTLY why I go to CC's. Win/lose, not so important as that random /tell from someone I don't know (even if I do know) that tells me my look is awesome. THAT makes my night!

    After I found out the existence of CC's almost 3 years ago, I attended for SIX months before I ever won one. I watched and noted and learned. Then I got better. :) I joined Society of Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen about 2 years ago. We all talk costuming and try to help each other look great. Its how we have fun. CC's is what we do.

    Something to consider when you think about how often we win. We attend CC's en masse. There's rarely ever less than 5 or 6 of us. We seem to win a lot because there's a lot of us attending. Once upon a time we used to regularly fill the entire back row of one side and spill into the next. We love watching good costumes.

    Anyway, love us or hate us, as long as there are CC's, SODLAG will be there. :)


    For those that do not know me: Miss Mayhem aka Reaper aka Mynx aka WARHEAD aka Kinslayer

    See ya in the theater!

    Oh, and Mr. OP.....if you're having trouble winning, just pm me in game, I'll be happy to throw you some pointers.

    Excellent points May:smile:

    I'm also in SODLAG and wanted to make these points but May got there before me and did it better (as usual:mad:).

    There is no conspiracy OP.
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  • drgmstrdrgmstr Posts: 886 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    There is no conspiracy OP.

    Shhh don't say that, then UFOs, Big Foot, Loch Ness, and 99 cent stores were all lies too!

    Handle: @drgmstr

    "Embrace your dreams"

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  • vizzonevizzone Posts: 252 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    drgmstr wrote: »
    Shhh don't say that, then UFOs, Big Foot, Loch Ness, and 99 cent stores were all lies too!

    You... you mean my Tsitaka Bigfoot fur coat isn't genuine?
  • tigerofcachticetigerofcachtice Posts: 551 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Just a quick clarification 1st:
    So I'm just a little bit surprised at this sentiment coming out now. It's just outdated IMHO.
    mrf0rz1 wrote: »
    Oh, I know that, I even mentioned it. But all the blatant 'you mad bro' stuff surfing around the thread sounded like it never, ever, ever happened, almost reminds me of my current government. As this feeling coming out now.. Well you could say the few bad apples spoiled the bunch for most of people..

    Sorry if it sounded like I'm associating the current sore losers' sentiments to you , Mr. Forz.

    I was agreeing with you, as I remember. But I never held a grudge against those winners.

    I don't know of any bad apples, maybe I missed those CCs. What I see is, experience.
    If you want to win one? Don't even think about it untill your a known costumer.

    IMHO, that's backwards. You get known only by winning and doing so consistently.

    When I started, it took me at least a week of trying to win my 1st CC.

    Then after that 1st win, I started winning more consistently, every time with new toons.

    I'd also lose...no one remembers the losing entries, but I would learn more each time.

    (OP marked down the @handles when they won. But how about when they lost?)

    When I won a lot, did people know me? Yes.

    Was that why I won? I doubt it, because I never really hosted.

    IMHO, it was simply by that time I got so much experience from winning AND losing.

    ---

    If you guys really don't know the 1 trick of CCs already, IMHO it is simply this:

    Judges do NOT judge which looks the best (usually).

    Judges pick out the best FIT to 1 specific category.


    This is why sometimes a more boring costume wins. It's designed to fit that 1 category.

    It sounds simple, but it's not easy. There's thousands of nuances to this 1 trick.

    And how do people know about these nuances? Experience.
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  • bwdaresbwdares Posts: 1,517 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Alright, you got us. We admit it. It's all staged, just like the WWE and visits from Santa Claus.









    (But in all seriousness, some people are just really ridiculously good at costumes. As for the SG, I'm sure they probably have a lot of costuming pros and critique each other's costumes on a normal basis to maximize winning efficiency.)

    WWE is FAKE??? I have been watching it for over 20 years and would never have guessed!!! My world is shattered!!!!!

    I will now blame Costume Contests for my pain.
    #Mechanon!(completed) #New Zones! #Foundry!
  • drgmstrdrgmstr Posts: 886 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I will say this about this thread: Have one person bash over a community activity because they never win so they make it look bad, have others try to believe this 'conspiracy' so less people would attend, thus better odds for the OP to win. Threads like this I think should be somewhere along the lines of being closed.

    Just my 2 cents...

    Handle: @drgmstr

    "Embrace your dreams"

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  • thecobra22thecobra22 Posts: 33 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    costume contests are probably the most sociable thing in this game,and for the most part the stuff you win shouldn't be the main reason your going there for.

    the annoying thing if anything about a contest are people who show up and be incredibly rude.

    a personal annoyance of mine, is when a judge calls out the winner of a category, there is usually always someone who will just pick up and leave because they haven't won, instead of staying till the end. and it makes me glad that that person didn't win as they clearly don't appreciate the effort that people go through in this game so this games community actually have some sort of regular thing to do together day in and day out. if it wasn't for these people this game would have not much going for it.

    and its also these same moaning people that make it out like taking part in the contest is some long back breaking procedure. you basically stand in a square for twenty minutes- half an hour and you might win yourself something. if that half an hour is some huge loss out of your day your more than welcome to stick with your exhilarating life style of sky diving and bear wrestling.
  • jonsillsjonsills Posts: 6,315 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    thecobra22 wrote: »
    a personal annoyance of mine, is when a judge calls out the winner of a category, there is usually always someone who will just pick up and leave because they haven't won, instead of staying till the end. and it makes me glad that that person didn't win as they clearly don't appreciate the effort that people go through in this game so this games community actually have some sort of regular thing to do together day in and day out.
    While it's not a particular pet peeve of mine, I can certainly see your point. I had to leave a CC this evening (it was time to put the boy in the tub), but I was at least polite enough to say something to that effect before I left.
    "Science teaches us to expect -- demand -- more than just eerie mysteries. What use is a puzzle that can't be solved? Patience is fine, but I'm not going to stop asking the universe to make sense!"

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  • zyborg2zyborg2 Posts: 22 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I actually won one of the contests, although there were multiple winners in it. I had no previous winnings or honorable mentions, and the character I used wasn't even in a clan. I won because I had a supercompany backing me, as I entered as Captain Awesome (TM), the action figure with tai chi grip, realistic neon guns, and a bacon dispenser. it was fun just being able to show off, but I didn't expect to win anything. That made winning feel even better. Going in not expecting to win but just to have fun, I believe, is the best attitude you can have.
  • tigerofcachticetigerofcachtice Posts: 551 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    zyborg2 wrote: »
    I actually won one of the contests, although there were multiple winners in it. I had no previous winnings or honorable mentions, and the character I used wasn't even in a clan. I won because I had a supercompany backing me, as I entered as Captain Awesome (TM), the action figure with tai chi grip, realistic neon guns, and a bacon dispenser. it was fun just being able to show off, but I didn't expect to win anything. That made winning feel even better. Going in not expecting to win but just to have fun, I believe, is the best attitude you can have.

    $9.95, right? Tell your parents to buy me now, if they don't, they don't love you!

    See, that's exactly it. You skipped a step because that's what veteran winners do.

    Ironically, that "I don't care if I win" mentality actually improves chances to win.
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  • chalupaoffurychalupaoffury Posts: 2,553 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    $9.95, right? Tell your parents to buy me now, if they don't, they don't love you!

    See, that's exactly it. You skipped a step because that's what veteran winners do.

    Ironically, that "I don't care if I win" mentality actually improves chances to win.

    It's true. A complete lack of giving a crap usually leads to some inspired, off the wall costumes. Most of my biggest winning costumes are based on looks I put together specifically to mess with the judges, and not out of any serious desire to be the very best in a given category. However, judges can tell when you're being playful with your costume. And I only know of a few super groups that won't laugh and give such a costume recognition, and at least an honorable mention.
    In game, I am @EvilTaco. Happily killing purple gang members since May 2008.
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  • ealford1985ealford1985 Posts: 3,582 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Did you ever consider maybe you are ugly?
  • iamtherockitiamtherockit Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    The SG that I am involved in hosts CCs and we are also a group that regularly attends them. We love costuming and felt that we'd be honored to host contests so that we could in turn show appreciation back to the same community of players in the game that also spend time, zen and effort in trying to have excellent style with their toons in game.

    We host CCs because we love costumes and the great variety of detail you can express yourself in game. We don't pick or avoid picking winners based on their SG affiliation at all, we look at the costumes and decide who we like best for the categories.

    Our group decided as well that in addition to category winners, decided upon consensus of all the judges, that each judge in the contest would award (with a prize) their own personal Honorable Mention to a toon that isn't otherwise chosen as a category winner. This gives us even more freedom to recognize the efforts we really enjoy and serves to swell the winners pool beyond the typical categories as well.

    Finally we all also thought that one thing usually missing from CCs that bugged us a little bit was an answer to the question of "Why did that toon win?". So as a part of our announcements for the category and honorable mention winners our judges give a brief explanation or comment about the winner and why we each liked that costume enough to recognize it.

    We are not 'cheap' on prize Globals, we don't always use the same categories from CC to CC (although there are some staple cats that appear regularly), we try to keep our categories clear enough that 'overlap' is not a big problem (as mentioned above where retro & tights often get blurred) and we respect the whole community of CC attendees and other hosts for doing the best they can just to enjoy the game the way they want to. We even hang around after our CCs and give tips and comments to those who approach us for that kind of dialogue.

    It's a real shame that some players feel that the costume contest environment may be rigged, predictable, unfair, flawed or designed just to promote a plan in the minds of a few players alone but I've found that this just isn't the case and am glad that there are others who want to provide events where players may gather and possibly be recognized for their use of the great costume creator this game provides.

    Our SG is small and it takes work for us to accumulate the Globals we recognize other players with at these CCs but it's really worth our time and effort just to marvel in the creations of others. If that's so wrong, I don't want to be right!
    .
    .
    The user formerly known as Rockit.
  • benevonbenevon Posts: 388 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Anybody find it funny that this thread has gone on for 5 pages and the OP never posted one reply behind his first? :biggrin:

    I think that just proves everyone's point that the people who come here crying because they lost and CCs are rigged is a big joke.

    And when I hosted CCs, I welcomed any PMs asking why a certain contestant won over another. It helps people understand what certain groups tend to look for.


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  • drgmstrdrgmstr Posts: 886 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    benevon wrote: »
    Anybody find it funny that this thread has gone on for 5 pages and the OP never posted one reply behind his first? :biggrin:

    I was thinking that too in my last post, and lets be honest about this thread...isn't this a textbook definition of calling out someone (either an individual or an entire SG) which is against the forum rules?

    More of my 2 cents... *cough*

    Handle: @drgmstr

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