Regarding the Winter Loading Screen Contest

Bubbles - Morai

It's been about 4 days since the winners were posted.
Normally, I don't care much for contests.
Usually I'd just sit back and scroll past it, not paying attention to an event I had no participation in.

This time... I can't stay silent about it.
I was planning not to make a thread on this, but after reading the sticky, I think there are others who feel the same way as I do.

The winner of the winter loading screen contest is ok... But some of the other entries... Deserve more recognition.
Call it opinion all you want, but this simply isn't nitpicking or waaaaa I don't like the winner.

This is something we will be seeing in game while it loads.

But before I go off ranting more about how I feel about it, I want to know if you, the community, agrees with the picked winner.
If it's just me, then fine, I'll just stick to looking for tidbits on the expansion or w/e.
But if it isn't... Well... I'll just hope pwe will consider our opinion as well.

I'm not trying to say that the picked winner is bad or didn't deserve to be picked, just that I feel some of the other entries may have been more worthy or also deserve to be in game.
I'm not flaming on anyone or on their artwork, just looking for others opinion's on this and possible compensation.

RedsRose - Lost City

I think it is MORE odd that they have this contest and end it when it is FEBRUARY!!!

This should have been a loading screen through like Nov-Jan not Feb through whenever the heck it will be on there (maybe Dec -.-)...

Odd/Bad timing much?

Also, I think this also should have been up for a community vote..After all, we have to stare at the damn thing, but then again you can get out of the loading screen pretty fast b:chuckle

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

I personally think both Dokuro and Lingzi's technique wise were more realistic than the other entries; they were even more aesthetically pleasing. But I also feel that Cadveria's and the winner's ultimately fit the theme better. It wasn't supposed to be oh, draw a gorgeous pic and that will be the loading screen. It was supposed to be, PWI in the winter time. The prize being that the winner's would become a loading screen. A veno wearing the winter fash while riding on the barb is definitely something you would see in-game during the winter months. As Lingzi himself pointed out, the barb looked alive. I don't think there is anything wrong with the winner, and that it met all of the criteria unlike past winners. Even if anime-style isn't your cup of tea, realism wasn't a requirement. The requirement was PWI in the winter, and EarlGrey's entry showed just that.


Also, I'm strongly against community votes because they just end up being popularity contests. With this player asking their faction to vote them, etc. Whereas the PWI judges, for better or for worse, try not to put a bias on just the most gorgeous pics. Instead of going by the theme, people would probably vote for the most aesthetically pleasing. I think there is no shame in losing to EarlGrey and that all of the people in the art category did a fantastic job.

Bubbles - Morai

RedsRose - Lost City wrote: »

Also, I think this also should have been up for a community vote..After all, we have to stare at the damn thing, but then again you can get out of the loading screen pretty fast b:chuckle

This so much...
I think pwe should also host a community vote on a second loading screen.
Hopefully they'll consider it if enough people ask for it..

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

I personally think both Dokuro and Lingzi's technique wise were more realistic than the other entries; they were even more aesthetically pleasing. But I also feel that Cadveria's and the winner's ultimately fit the theme better. It wasn't supposed to be oh, draw a gorgeous pic and that will be the loading screen. It was supposed to be, PWI in the winter time. The prize being that the winner's would become a loading screen. A veno wearing the winter fash while riding on the barb is definitely something you would see in-game during the winter months. As Lingzi himself pointed out, the barb looked alive. I don't think there is anything wrong with the winner, and that it met all of the criteria unlike past winners. Even if anime-style isn't your cup of tea, realism wasn't a requirement. The requirement was PWI in the winter, and EarlGrey's entry showed just that.

I don't dislike the anime style, I usually like it.
Just not how the winner portrayed it.

Aesthor - Heavens Tear

The winner isn't in "anime" style, it's much closer to western cartoon.

Not that it matters to the discussion but I just thought it was funny people kept thinking it was anime-ish.

Eccii - Raging Tide

Frankie said we'll be having those loading screens till mid march...
Like i said in the loading screen thread, i'll be sweating my *** of in mid march, i dun see the point in even implementing them now, way too late...

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

I don't dislike the anime style, I usually like it.
Just not how the winner portrayed it.

See but thats based on personal preference toward a way you would it to be portrayed; not on whose pic based conveyed the contest theme.

Bubbles - Morai

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

See but thats based on personal preference toward a way you would it to be portrayed; not on whose pic based conveyed the contest theme.

Of course it's all opinion.
But if you really want to know my opinion... The winner isn't truly winter themed.
Yeah sure, you got your snow, the xmas outfit, and uh... That's about it.
There's really nothing to it that suggests it's winter above any time of the year.
It's almost like me driving up to a really snowy part of north america, taking a picture by my car in a santa outfit during a snowstorm with a small caption at the bottom "oh boy I think it's winter!".

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

Of course it's all opinion.
But if you really want to know my opinion... The winner isn't truly winter themed.
Yeah sure, you got your snow, the xmas outfit, and uh... That's about it.
There's really nothing to it that suggests it's winter above any time of the year.
It's almost like me driving up to a really snowy part of north america, taking a picture by my car in a santa outfit during a snowstorm with a small caption at the bottom "oh boy I think it's winter!".

Well what would you consider winter themed? If using some of the traditional symbols of winter to convey a winter theme don't count? I'm being sincere here. How is the people you would have picked convey a winter theme better? Dokuro just uses snow, and Lingzi's uses ice. The winner has two things to convey that this is supposed to be a winter scene (a piece of clothing to demonstrate the time period, and snow) while their's only have one. Just objectively speaking here, I actually like the style of Dokura and Lingzi's more than the winner.

Bubbles - Morai

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Well what would you consider winter themed? If using some of the traditional symbols of winter to convey a winter theme don't count? I'm being sincere here.

I'm not good at explaining stuff in full detail...
There isn't a requirement on what something should have to be winter themed, just...

Ugh.
If the artist had drawn the picture in a different manner, maybe showing off more winter-related things or added in a more detailed environment compared to just a mere snow storm in what seems to be Antarctica, it would be better.

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

I'm not good at explaining stuff in full detail...
There isn't a requirement on what something should have to be winter themed, just...

Ugh.
If the artist had drawn the picture in a different manner, maybe showing off more winter-related things or added in a more detailed environment compared to just a mere snow storm in what seems to be Antarctica, it would be better.

Ah you keep ninjaing me when I go back to edit. It's a problem. XD


I don't see any of the entries with a super detailed background that is very obviously an area in the winter as opposed to just a place that has winter all year due to perma-frost. Except for Faiskittles. I won't speak to the screenshot categories because of course they have more background and I wouldn't be able to objectively grade those.

Lingzi - Lost City

i was secretly hoping someone would step up and do the non-winners justice. i did say the winner's picture was good, but actually i only said that because i dont want people to think i am butthurt and having no sportsmanship qualities. i was actually very upset, n was wondering if the judges were just 'pretentious' or really think EarlGrey's is really good. when i say pretentious, i mean people liking things which they dont really like - just to look cool, like smoking. b:sadb:sadb:sadb:sadb:sad

SoultheWolf - Lost City

omg Its Redsrose! Hai Hun!

Bubbles - Morai

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Ah you keep ninjaing me when I go back to edit. It's a problem. XD


I don't see any of the entries with a super detailed background that is very obviously an area in the winter as opposed to just a place that has winter all year due to perma-frost. Except for Faiskittles. I won't speak to the screenshot categories because of course they have more background and I wouldn't be able to objectively grade those.

Not detailed as in realistic or better quality, I mean more interesting or at least has something to it.
The other entries had like wind with snowflakes or trees or ice...
The entry just seems bland. Two half-dynamic characters in a bland environment that doesn't do them any real justice.

Kerona - Sanctuary

I just want the hot chick on my load screen.b:dirty

RedsRose - Lost City

SoultheWolf - Lost City wrote: »

omg Its Redsrose! Hai Hun!

HAHA...Hai hunny!!! b:cuteb:kiss

SoultheWolf - Lost City

RedsRose - Lost City wrote: »

HAHA...Hai hunny!!! b:cuteb:kiss

How've you been?! I've missed you sexy cleric! T_T <333

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

Not detailed as in realistic or better quality, I mean more interesting or at least has something to it.
The other entries had like wind with snowflakes or trees or ice...
The entry just seems bland. Two half-dynamic characters in a bland environment that doesn't do them any real justice.

In the end, we just have to agree to disagree. If I were to pick a loading just based off a loading screen contest without a theme, I would have picked Lingzi or Dokuro, hands down. Their work is just absolutely 100% gorgeous and i am super jelly of their talent. But Dokuro's kinda looks it could be any warrior, and we don't really have capes like that in this game. It doesn't really scream PWI to me. It could be a loading screen in any fantasy game. And Lingzi's doesn't scream winter. The color one could just as easily be a bed of crystals as a bed of ice, and with the black and white one, if your monitor resolution turned down its difficult to see the snow flurries. Although the sheer beauty and quality of the rank 9 assassin shines through even then.


So even though I like other entries more, I can understand why they picked this one. As opposed to say the creative character one, where the person just tweaked the colors of an already established preset and entered the contest late, but still won.

lordhanzo

The winner looks ok to me, yes it might be more simple than the others, but its catchy.

Bubbles - Morai

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

In the end, we just have to agree to disagree. If I were to pick a loading just based off a loading screen contest without a theme, I would have picked Lingzi or Dokuro, hands down. Their work is just absolutely 100% gorgeous and i am super jelly of their talent. But Dokuro's kinda looks it could be any warrior, and we don't really have capes like that in this game. It doesn't really scream PWI to me. It could be a loading screen in any fantasy game. And Lingzi's doesn't scream winter. The color one could just as easily be a bed of crystals as a bed of ice, and with the black and white one, if your monitor resolution turned down its difficult to see the snow flurries. Although the sheer beauty and quality of the rank 9 assassin shines through even then.


So even though I like other entries more, I can understand why they picked this one. As opposed to say the creative character one, where the person just tweaked the colors of an already established preset and entered the contest late, but still won.

fine, i'll gripe about it
if the contest was a mere winter image submission contest, I wouldn't care
these are loading screens we are talking about

it doesn't matter whats correct, or what's technically pwe and what's generic looking
i mean come on, the loading screens that wanmei makes are kinda generic themselves
what matters is how they are presented and how'll they look at highest resolutions
the style of the winner just doesn't suit my idea of a good loading screen

ItsAWolf - Archosaur

I liked the winning pic, and also some of the others that I think deserve to be one of the loading screens. You can't really argue taste. I'm glad they didn't do a community vote as those will only lead to forms of fraud (people voting with lots of accounts, popularity contest as mentioned earlier, etc). and don't necessarily lead to the 'best' picture either.

I've seen plenty of such events go horribly wrong in different games, simply because there was a community vote.

Desdi - Sanctuary

I'll have to agree here. Since it's something we are going to have on our loading screens it would have been better if the community had a chance to vote or if runner ups would be added as well.

The winner's artwork was alright. Poses are catchy but the rest is rather dull. It's my opinion, of course. I would have preferred something else as loading screen. I'm slightly annoyed that we didn't get to vote rather than who won because in the end I don't care.

I'm just supporting the idea that we had the right to vote being a loading screen we will keep seeing. Then again, it won't be there forever..

EDIT: Yes, there are chances of turning into a popularity poll or whatnot but there are ways to prevent that but I won't bother mentioning them since it does not matter XD

Xainou - Sanctuary

Sun will blow up, I don't care.


Nah. Tbh I really love the screenshots ones. But they were only runner ups.
There were some really good drawn and manipulated ones too but meh... I'd rather see screenshot-based things :< They just fit this game way more.

And I don't need another halfnaked chick flashing her **** into my face. I thought this is a fantasy MMO, not a **** site <.<

_Perses_ - Lost City

Aesthor - Heavens Tear wrote: »

The winner isn't in "anime" style, it's much closer to western cartoon.

Not that it matters to the discussion but I just thought it was funny people kept thinking it was anime-ish.

I wish it was anime style...would of made it look half decent at least...

SoulRequiem - Sanctuary

_Perses_ - Lost City wrote: »

I wish it was anime style...would of made it look half decent at least...

I agree I don't like the winning ones either.

ResMePls - Heavens Tear

Xainou - Sanctuary wrote: »

Sun will blow up, I don't care.


Nah. Tbh I really love the screenshots ones. But they were only runner ups.
There were some really good drawn and manipulated ones too but meh... I'd rather see screenshot-based things :< They just fit this game way more.

And I don't need another halfnaked chick flashing her **** into my face. I thought this is a fantasy MMO, not a **** site <.<

K rlly? I am n0t g0ing t0 say the first place winner's w0rk is a peice 0f crap, cause it is'nt.But what I will say is Lingzi,D0ks, 0r, Midi's art sh0uld have w0n. Their art actually matches the PWI theme, alth0ugh 0verall D0k's fits the best.Why are all PWI's c0ntest judged by rand0ms slapping their epeens 0n the keyb0ard and calling that results?0h and I am still sh0cked Er0tic art failed t0 win c0nsidering 90% 0f PWI's female stuff is Er0tic in 0ne way 0r an0ther. And an0ther thing Xai, whats wr0ng with b00bs >:(.

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

fine, i'll gripe about it
if the contest was a mere winter image submission contest, I wouldn't care
these are loading screens we are talking about

it doesn't matter whats correct, or what's technically pwe and what's generic looking
i mean come on, the loading screens that wanmei makes are kinda generic themselves
what matters is how they are presented and how'll they look at highest resolutions
the style of the winner just doesn't suit my idea of a good loading screen

Thats exactly why I don't want a community vote. It is a winter in PWI image submission contest, the prize is that it will become a loading screen. Which also makes it a loading screen contest, but the rules clearly stated what it should convey. It shouldn't be the person who wins is the one that people want to look at most often. That's going to default to the prettiest ones.

It should be who best followed the spirit of the rules, and didn't just draw whatever they wanted to. Why should someone whose image doesn't follow the spirit of the contest rules automatically win just because they draw in a more popular style than the winner? People would just automatically vote on whose picture they liked better and want to see on their computer, and wouldn't care what is correct. And the loading screens wanmei make, while in generic fantasy style, are still easily identifiable as PWI by anyone who plays the game. We can look at them and pick out whose supposed to be the seeker, that the fancy circle above the party's head is the cleric buffing them, etc. Even when they do things like use a seeker with a dagger, it's still obviously a seeker by the third eye on her head. The claymore on her back, and the fact that she's using heavy armor.

Tatuaje - Lost City

I voted to support the current winning screen. I probably would have chosen it as well if I had a vote.

As for allowing the communuity to vote, I think it is a bad idea. It is not hard to have someone's guild or tonnes of friend put in votes just because they like someone.

What if there were 10 pics and 1 was obviously below par compared to the rest but a large group got behind it and voted just to get it won in the contest. People would be so upset.

It is better to have people who are not part of the actually players vote so it as much un-biased as possible.

Bubbles - Morai

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Thats exactly why I don't want a community vote. It is a winter in PWI image submission contest, the prize is that it will become a loading screen. Which also makes it a loading screen contest, but the rules clearly stated what it should convey. It shouldn't be the person who wins is the one that people want to look at most often. That's going to default to the prettiest ones.

It should be who best followed the spirit of the rules, and didn't just draw whatever they wanted to. Why should someone whose image doesn't follow the spirit of the contest rules automatically win just because they draw in a more popular style than the winner? People would just automatically vote on whose picture they liked better and want to see on their computer, and wouldn't care what is correct. And the loading screens wanmei make, while in generic fantasy style, are still easily identifiable as PWI by anyone who plays the game. We can look at them and pick out whose supposed to be the seeker, that the fancy circle above the party's head is the cleric buffing them, etc. Even when they do things like use a seeker with a dagger, it's still obviously a seeker by the third eye on her head. The claymore on her back, and the fact that she's using heavy armor.

...I think you are getting fan art and loading screens mixed up.
I think I see what you mean now, but gotta understand something... A loading screen isn't a complex piece of art, it's a simple yet elegant way of portraying the game while it loads.
If this contest were draw a winter theme fan art, the current winner would definitely match it.
However, this is a loading screen we're talking about... It's supposed to be more focused on beauty or style than technicalities.

Here. If we're gonna discuss loading screens, I might as well put up the newest ones. They are similar to the style that dokuro/lingzi used. For the current winner, eh... Not so much. I don't mean anime/western style, just how the picture is done and in what context.

Some of them are pw-related, others seem kinda too far out there or not exactly correct.

Tatuaje - Lost City

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

...I think you are getting fan art and loading screens mixed up.
I think I see what you mean now, but gotta understand something... A loading screen isn't a complex piece of art, it's a simple yet elegant way of portraying the game while it loads.
If this contest were draw a winter theme fan art, the current winner would definitely match it.
However, this is a loading screen we're talking about... It's supposed to be more focused on beauty or style than technicalities.

First, where is it written how a loading screen is supposed to look like?? You act like you were the inventor of Loading Screens or something.

All you do is give your opinion in a way to make it seem that your way is the only way it can be and that the PWI is totally wrong on their choice.

The contest was to make a picture that would be placed as a loading screen as a reward. That is it, just a picture. If only people had sumitted screen shots and no handdrawn artwork was submitted, should the PWI staff cancel the contest because by your rules of a loading screen they should not be eligable.

VenusArmani - Dreamweaver

Bubbles - Lothranis wrote: »

...I think you are getting fan art and loading screens mixed up.
I think I see what you mean now, but gotta understand something... A loading screen isn't a complex piece of art, it's a simple yet elegant way of portraying the game while it loads.
If this contest were draw a winter theme fan art, the current winner would definitely match it.
However, this is a loading screen we're talking about... It's supposed to be more focused on beauty or style than technicalities.

Here. If we're gonna discuss loading screens, I might as well put up the newest ones. They are similar to the style that dokuro/lingzi used. For the current winner, eh... Not so much. I don't mean anime/western style, just how the picture is done and in what context.

Some of them are pw-related, others seem kinda too far out there or not exactly correct.

I'm definitely not getting them mixed up. It's a picture that potrays the game while it loads up, as you said. So a picture that doesn't potray the game and could just as easily be in any other game, like Dokuro's wouldn't be appropriate. Lingzi's didn't really portray the winter theme. She had the ice, but the only reason I know it's ice is because it's submitted in a winter contest. That could just as easily be a bed of crystals. The snow around her assassin doesn't really have any form, and there really isn't a background. Just a gorgeous picture of her character. Dokuro's potrayed winter better than most, but it doesn't really portray PWI. Lingzi's potrayed PWI better than anyone else, but it didn't really potrary winter. The winner did both. That's really all it should boil down too, the winner needs to be a picture that followed the spirit of all the rules. A loading screen shouldn't be disqualified just because it used a certain style of artwork. That picture is a highly stylized and pretty picture that portrays the game and the theme that was required of the contest.

Those two did get runner up prizes because the style clearly was better than the others, but neither of them incorporated all the elements in a strong way as to deserve to be the winner. Faiskittles, TiikeriLiija, Cadaveria, and EarlGrey all included both elements in a strong and real way. Not just nominally so it couldn't be disqualified. EarlGrey is amonst the ones that did, and the judges liked his the best. So he deseres his win. He met the spirit of the contest in every way. He shouldn't be disqualified from winning because he didn't use the specific style that previous loading screens did, as that wasn't one of the rules of the contest.