Category talk:Event:Ultimate Guru Contest

Lordkalvan's thoughts on the future tutorial contest

1. When somebody posts a tutorial to Tips section of YPP Forum, there is usually quite a bit of feedback, both praise and nitpicking. This results in discussions, and in the warm fuzzies fer the poster when it's praise. I really really missed that in this contest (impossible due to being anonymous and the tutorials not posted immediately, aggravated by the fact that old pros haunt the forums daily but don't notice new stuff on YPPedia). Perhaps a setup like the E2 event, where people posted directly, and could get comments as they worked even (and advice with formatting)? If the judging includes a section for giving feedback to other participants that would also encourage people to use the wiki for discussion and not just passive reading.
2. Fer more participation, ask people (even non participants) to vote fer the tutorial they liked best, and have a "Pirate's Choice" prize fer that winner, mebbe (or 10% of the judging score based on the voting).
3. If ye can work the prizes to cover it, mebbe instead of a straight 1st, 2nd, 3rd place thing, have one set of prizes fer any tutorial that scores more than so many points (80? 85? 90?), and a lesser set fer any that scores a passing grade. This would encourage people to assist each other, which should result in better tutorials on the wiki. Mebbe a special trinket image to put on the tutorial page, marking it as a winner?
4. Would the event be open to any tutorial on the wiki, even those that had been there afore the recent contest? Wikis are supposed to encourage group efforts, so it would be difficult in some cases to determine who gets credit and the prize. On the other hand, a well researched tutorial that gathered information from all over the YPP Forum and the wiki, and organized it well, would be useful too. More thought (and possible discussion) would be needed in this area - do ye insist on new tutorials, allow upgrades of current ones, or even allow unchanged current ones, possibly even group efforts.
5. If ye be trying to improve the wiki as a main goal, mebbe ye offer special prizes fer best tutorial on a specific subject where the wiki is lacking at the time the contest is announced. Fer example, 10 flasks of whisks fer the best tutorial submitted on Whisking; 100 units fine rum fer best tutorial on Distilling; a drinking mug fer best tutorial on Drinking, etc.

All of the above is me opinion, and offered as brainstorming, to give ye ideas. --Tcarr 04:53, 20 March 2006 (PST)

Another idea... the main purpose of this is to get absolutely superb tutorials fer the wiki, right? What about an ongoing contest, and when a tutorial reaches the "just about perfect" stage, the author gets a sleeping pig/turtle, or a fancy trinket, and the tutorial gets moved to the official section of the wiki, with a link from the Tutorials category? Judging done once a month, contestants know each month's deadline, and they get specific feedback so if they score say 85 one month they know what they need to work on fer the next month's judging (assuming somebody else doesn't do the same topic afore they get there o course). Once there is a "just about perfect" tutorial on a topic here, then that topic is not allowed fer the contest any more. (/me brainstorms frequently - a valuable trait in the computer industry as well as academia, so being a computer science professor I get it from both sides!) --Tcarr 18:08, 20 March 2006 (PST)

further possible tweak: somebody who creates XXX number of "just about perfect" tutorials qualifies fer a familiar (or once a year all the tutorial winners fer that year are reviewed, and one of them gets a familiar).--Tcarr 20:15, 20 March 2006 (PST)

Hawkings Thoughts for an Expanded Tutorial Contest

1. My first thought was that there was low participation for it but when I thought about it that shouldn't have surprised me. This contest had two things working against it thay were out of the hosts control. First there was a limited time to create an entry for this contest. I understand that with the E2 format that was part of the contest parameters. My suggestion would be to have about 4 weeks to create and submit entries for this. The more time participants have the better the tutorials will be in the ends. Secondly this contest under the E2 contest was competing for participants. There are only so many contests a player may enter and keep up with real world pursuits like jobs and classes. My suggestion here would be to not compete with so many other contests which should work out mostly automatically outside of the E2 venue.
2. I think that a small prize like a trinket should be awarded for best tutorail in each puzzle. Nothing big but it would encourage mates to create tutorials for all the different aspects of the game particularly the puzzles. No offence but there are lots of tutorials for Gunning, Battle Nav and Sword Fighting but not many for puzzles like Alchemistry, Shipwrightery and Duty Navigation. It doesn't need to be much but a little something for each puzzle would encourage diversity in the tutorials. The best in group was a good idea but I would prefer to see puzzles rewarded which would make judging a bit easier. That is just my 2 PoE worth however. There should of course be a point cut off for a prize to prevent mates from just tossing an all but useless guide together just to get a prize. 60 to 80 points using the scoring from the original.
3. Scoring was absolutely fantastic. The 100 point system I think did a great job of keeping the contest objective. I definately would include this in a future expanded version of the contest.
4. Really from my perspective this contest was very well run and presented to the community. Good show mate. I hope you find the fortitude to run an expanded version of this contest.

--Hawkings 9:30 am, 20 March 2006 (PST)