NE Olympics '16 / NE Olympics: Evaluation

NE Olympics: Evaluation

Despite some really good entries and some good rounds, it's no secret that the NE Olympics wasn't as succesful as it should've been. The contest was experimental in nature, so it was to be expected that not everyting would go smoothly. We feel like we've learned more about what makes or breaks contests, as we do each time we host one, but we'd like to hear some feedback from you all as well. Keep in mind this discussion is for future reference and to aid future contests, so please remember there's no need to bash the people you deem responsible for some of the failing aspects of the NE Olympics, nor is it useful to address the staff's struggles to keep up with the contest; those are personal matters not related to the contest format. In short, keep it civil and be reasonable and constructive.

Some possible discussion topics:
- Team size
- Mandatory versus optional rounds
- Bottom-up team formation and the Parkmaker limit
- Including everyone who signs up/no reserves
- 'Experimental' rounds such as the improvisation and sprints
- Contest schedule and duration
- Parks not being anonymous and the voting process in general

-reminder to respond

Improv was a great idea. But of course some of the objects were so bad that they impacted the ability to view some of the parks. Perhaps a similar idea would be to use a PT1 or other early bench to give us a taste of an uncommon object assemblage?

My experience with this contest was pretty good. Despite our team being not as succesful as hoped. Reason for that, I'd say, was mainly that our team didn't really have people skilled enough to take the lead in such contest parks. This stemmed partially from the inclusiveness from this contest, but seeing as it's no H2H I'd say that's still a good thing.

 

Making the categories mandatory would've likely lead to more unfinished submissions, although you could decide on saying that each team should, for example, enter at least three rounds and the parade of flags.

 

The categories were really clever. Improv was probably your best idea, but the sprints were quite clever too. The inclusion of a LL category was nice, as was the LL output this contest in general.

 

Generally, I'd say this was a nice lighthearted contest. It would've been more fun if everyone was on the same page regarding the seriousness; e.g. everyone taking it super-serious like H2H or everyone seeing the fun/joke in it.

I liked the relaxed style of the contest, it was great to see a lot of newplayers get together to build on parks too, it has stirred up a fresh batch of NE members that are getting more active. If there was a way to pair up these players with more experienced players like in H2H could have helped their progress I guess. No major issue though.

 

My only thought for mandatory rounds vs optional rounds, perhaps simply adding a penalty if a team doesn't complete a mandatory contest, perhaps a loss of X amount of points.

 

In the end, it was great to have a contest this year! Thanks for organizing everything guys!

I want to say up front I don't speak for all of ][topia (I am after all a benevolent dictator).  My glorious, loyal, peerless countrymen are all entitled to their own opinions.

 

I thought the whole thing went well.  There weren't a whole lot of goalposts discussed at the outset of the contest, but what there was - try something new, encourage participation and community interaction at all levels - definitely hit the mark.  

 

The Olympics was obviously not a success if the goal was to develop a new contest on par with the fiercely competitive and all-consuming H2H, but it seems pretty clear to me that a community event doesn't have to be H2H to benefit the community.  

 

When most of us think about "pushing NE forward" or the like, we think about cutting-edge work and new spotlight-quality efforts, but I think the Olympics proves there is a very important base to build up before we reach the summit of parkmaking.  We got a lot of parks and ideas and communication happening that wouldn't have otherwise happened and much of that was from membership outside the usual big hitters club; great for overall community health, great for breakout new builders, great for convincing people new to the NE environment that they can be a part of it.

 

As a Captain/Flagbearer:

The contest showed some pretty clear strains of being a new format and first-time adventure for everyone.  The scale of everything was slightly off; rounds too big or too fast to be confident we could pull together the kind of work we wanted with small teams and the inevitabilities of group projects.  There's some potential in forcing teams to make smart decisions about where to invest their effort, but it'll take some experience to understand the balance there.  

Many teams weren't set up for success in the strictest terms of the format because nobody went into it with a strong idea of "working on whatever was assigned and bringing it to completion" the way we do for H2H.  The undisciplined atmosphere was refreshing and made for a low entry barrier, but it ended up clashing with the format when the deadlines weren't so relaxed as the teams.  Things started slowly but then rapidly became overwhelming for ][topia when we came up against a series of parks we were interested in trying for but weren't sure we could finish with the variable membership available and still pivot to the next round.

 

I think the compromise solutions are either

A: run the Olympics again, perhaps with a couple less disciplines and slightly longer deadlines, and let the chips fall where they may.  Enthusiastic and productive teams have an advantage, but maybe that's an angle of the community we want to promote rather than painstaking hyper-detail.  We already have several official NE formats that award that kind of work.  

 

B: keep the energy and commitment level high in contests we know are winners - namely, H2H - and for other contests adopt a smaller, laid-back premise that allows looser cooperation rules and encourages out-of-the box building.  Six week lightning challenge twice a year featuring a Nightmare Bench and a wildcard round.  NEDCs.  Scenario builds. 

 

Ultimately, I think the Olympics tried to be all things at once and kind of  succeeded.  At least, in the sense that people more or less got what they, individually, wanted out of it.

I'm sure the more competitively-driven members would have liked to see all teams as serious contenders,
and the admin team would have wanted to see everyone submitting two parks every round with crazy high-level work with new ideas and hacks and themes,
and the 420vaporwave crowd would have wanted free tickets to coachella, but overall we did see some competitive teams and some new ideas and some relaxed freeform work and everyone got to do what they wanted.

I actually thought it went pretty well too. I had a good time and I think some good parks were made! 

 

I think the 'sprint' ideas were interesting but didn't do much for the contest- they distracted us at points where we needed to be working on the 'bigger' rounds. But they were really fun so we wanted to do them, it would have been cool to have them since the beginning to better plan our time (even if they are due only a couple weeks in). For me I think I had the most fun building on stuff with more specific goals, like the 50x50 improvising. I think the more open, h2h parks ended up a lot more unfinished and un-participated in than the more concrete disciplines.

 

at any rate, I really liked the relaxed vibe and chance to sort of hang out with more NE people (even when I fought with them, sorry dimi ). I've been on a bit of a rct break for a while, mostly due to uni stuff and other priorities so I've been a bit quiet. But I'm still around!

Just change the whole team creating process. It was a nightmare for me.

^You made it a nightmare! You had a team and then chose to leave it to go elsewhere and ended up screwed lol

I don't know, I just found the system weird. Guys, who already knew they wanted to play together found a team on day 2 and the rest had to wait a really long time. I went into the last day not knowing if I have a team or not.

 

Plus, you don't get to blame me. You basically said, that your teams would give everyone the opportunity to play with expierienced players and that it was all about fun. In the end you built 2 great teams and basically filled one team with the worst of the players that you had available, so I don't regret that choice for a second.

^ You were on my team at one point, with Jappy, Coasterbill & thirteen, and choose to abandon ship for green pastures, or murkier waters, or crappier toilets!  That being said, I also don't regret your choice for a second either!!!

At the point my decision to leave was done, I was on a team with Roomie, csw, GammaZero, Super G and Che. I wasn't to keen on just waiting how this all ends.

 

I mean at the end it doesn't really matter because, from a competitive standpoint, my team ranked higher than the teams I tried to get on and from a workrate standpoint, my team seemed somehow more active, but still.

^ You were on my team at one point, with Jappy, Coasterbill & thirteen, and choose to abandon ship for green pastures, or murkier waters, or crappier toilets!  That being said, I also don't regret your choice for a second either!!!

 

Well, looking back, it might have been a better idea to have stayed with you. I was promised a chill team with great builders and no stress, and that's what I got... Only not many people were interested in actually competing so... We only finished one entry! No hard feelings Louis, Rob and the rest, just wished we actually did something more!  

At the point my decision to leave was done, I was on a team with Roomie, csw, GammaZero, Super G and Che. I wasn't to keen on just waiting how this all ends.

Thanks Hitler

Not much complaints or suggestions over here. I liked we had much freedom to decide what we wanted to do or not, making things mandatory will only result in unfinished parks. Main complaint is I would like to see more time between challenges, but I'm a slow builder so maybe it's just me who feels that way.

I was just joking with you Version, why so serious.

Thanks Hitler

While I agree with your sentiment, be assured V1 is not Hitler.

He cant grow the necessary mustache.

 

 

While I agree with your sentiment, be assured V1 is not Hitler.

He cant grow the necessary mustache.

 

Dying. 

 

 

While I agree with your sentiment, be assured V1 is not Hitler.

He cant grow the necessary mustache.

 

 

Omg   Post of the year!  

I'm so happy to have been given this opportunity to participate in this community. It was a really fun experience and I'm glad I did it, and I thank all of you here at NE for making it possible. I did feel rushed at times as I'm also a slow builder, but the sprints were also great for me to see how I work in a very limited time. I surprised myself by finishing my vertical sprint entry. I'm so proud of myself and my country for managing to get third even though it was for quantity, not quality lmao.

I look forward to future contests!