Deatherella, I love, love, LOVE those bathroom walls! Do you happen to remember where you got them? Also, the house in general is great. I love your landscaping. I so need to improve on landscaping. lol

this is just ridiculous. but anyway...

Just take a deep breathe....okay now...in with the good-happy-let's-get-through-this-contest-air....out with the bad-omg-everyone-zip-the-piehole-and-build-some-houses-air...

Proper EJ's ??? Bite my simmie

I think I got them at vitasims in one of the Victorian house lots. I will check to see what the description on them is, again, the next time I load my game and let you know for sure. I downloaded several packs from that site -- they have all kinds of Victorian goodies.

Final Round is in judging now! Good Luck to all of you! You have each done outstanding work here and should be proud of yourselves for your efforts! Three cheers for great contestants! Final results to be posted as soon as all scores are back, or on Feb, 20th! Once again, thanks for your participation, and GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

You know, I wasn't going to say anything, but I feel I must. Just...because. I'm not going to get into the mudflinging and all, but I feel I need to say something, to Kattenijin, specifically, but also to any others who might be feeling disgruntled.

Firstly, we all put our names on our entries. That immediately takes away any possibility of the judges being completely impartial. Why? Because they're human beings and because people who have a "name" in this community will join these contests. Those people will tend to get preference. It's not the way it should be, no, but it is the way it is. It's like if I were in a non-blind cello competition with Yo Yo Ma, he'd win even if I somehow, miraculously, managed to play better than he did. It's just how it is. (Then again, sometimes your "name" works against you, if a judge doesn't particularly like you. ) I think it would be nice if we could post anonymously for contests, but the way the forum is set up disallows that, so it isn't possible. And I understand why the forum's set up that way, too.

Secondly, even if the judging was/could be completely unbiased, you do realize that judging of this nature is a wholly subjective thing, right? What one person will think is totally awesome someone else will just think is "eh."

So, how do you think creativity should be judged, exactly, since you initially said that you thought the contest was about creativity? Seriously, I'm curious to know. Why? Because I'm a musician, professionally, you see, though I wear other hats, too. In my earlier years, especially, I entered many competitions, both as a soloist or as a member of a small ensemble. This includes some of the more famous international ones -- like the Cliburn piano competition -- in which I placed fairly well, all things considered, though never near the top or anything. In the Cliburn's case, it's a huge honor to make it through the screenings and be there at all, even if you're eliminated more or less right away, as I was.

Anyway, at some of these events, I was baffled at my scores and/or feedback because they were either -- in MY opinion, at least -- way too low/critical or, on a few occasions, way too high/praising. The reason for the (IMO) too-low scores, of course, is that the judges were looking for something other than what I gave them, even though I thought I was giving them exactly what they wanted. In one case that I remember, when I was in my teens, I played technically perfectly, having robotically practiced my pieces for 6-8 hours a day, every day, for MONTHS until the technical perfection was there. The problem was that in my robotic-ness, I lost all emotional connection with the music, and this showed in my playing. I was a perfect little piano-playing robot, but that wasn't what the judges were looking for. Thing is, I KNEW this, going in, and yet I still drummed the feeling out of myself. And I was still pissed because a person who *gasp!* made a few barely-noticeable mistakes ended up winning the competition and the very nice chunk of prize money. Because HE showed a far better connection to the music than I did, which in the end was what the judges were looking for, not perfection.

In the case of this little contest, for Round 3, I personally thought that a lot of the entries were too large for retirees to be able to maintain themselves and, really, larger than real retirees would really want. Most retirees want to downsize after having had to own and maintain larger house for many years in order to raise families. So my interpretation was that, because the house was for retirees, it should be smaller, easily maintainable, but still nice. Not a mansion-sized place, which is what more than a few people submitted for the round. So, I thought I might do better in that round than I did in the others, because I thought that my house was more appropriate for retirees than many of the others. But as it turned out, I think I actually placed lower in that round than I had in the others. So obviously, the judges had interpreted the requirements and the spirit of them differently than I did. This isn't a failing of the judges nor is it a failing on my part. It's just how things turned out, and I totally accept that.

So I'm wondering in this case if the judges were looking for something that you didn't give them...although apparently you did succeed at that, overall, since MissTech said you were winning the contest on the whole. Unless you don't believe her? Even if she's lying (and I don't think she is), I really don't understand why you're so huffy about this? I mean, if you don't win this particular contest, what do you lose? A star under your name? C'mon, now...

ETA, because I forgot: Thanks for the info about those walls, Deatherella! I'll check out Vitasims. In the booty, if necessary.

I have to disagree on this part, i cant vouch for any of the other judges as im not inside there heads. But personally, names here mean nothing to me. I have come to know a lot of the names over the time iv been here yes, but in no way do i treat them any differently. After all, we're all just normal people who share a common love?

I find it highly offensive that ANYONE would accuse any contest host of making their contest about popularity. Especially people who have themselves been involved in numerous contests as a contestant and judge themselves.

Anyone who has run a contest can tell you that it takes a lot of time and dedication to run one. From creating the concept, the rounds, the rules, the requirements, finding reliable volunteer judges, prizes, laying out judging guidelines, keeping the thread up to date, answering contestants and judges questions, sending/receiving PMs with scores, keeping hardcopies of the scoring, etc. Loads of work and time that gains the person running the contest NOTHING for their work, so to suggest they do this all for the 'most popular contestant' to showcase themselves is not only offensive, it is outright ludicrious.

Now as to the personal attacks on me about how I run my contests, you will see throughout the thread that Ive kept everyone abreast about the goings on with this contest. I DID NOT have to name the people I used to fill in for my judges, I did that to be honest and upfront about the actions I took. As I said before, I couldve easily stepped in as an EJ for Round 3 as I did with Round 2, but felt that these judges had abandoned the contest and it would be a conflict for me to step in and EJ 3 of 4 rounds or the majority of the contest. (Im sure had I done that, someone wouldve most certainly had complaints!) BEFORE replacing my judges as I did, I PMed Boolpropped and specifically asked about whom I could or could not use as replacements. Again, all on the up and up, whether or not certain people choose to believe that or not is beyond my control.

And as far as having run a contest similar to this in the past that crashed and burned, that is quite correct and I am so sorry that my fathers passing inconvenienced certain people's quest for a little yellow star under their names. (Some of us have jobs, spouses, children and real world issues and responsibilities with which to deal sometimes, unfortunate as that may seem to those who have nothing more going on their lives than a sim contest.) Were I the lousy contest host Ive been accused of being, I ask, would the mods continue to approve my contests? I highly doubt they would. Enough said!


I have 1 set of scores back for the final round. Will be wrapping this up as soon as the final sets come back and I can find the time to tab it all. The winner is going to be receiving the Sim from my Avvie (Eve), and a nice small home (2 Willow St), a picture of which I hope to post. The rest of my contestants and judges who saw the contest through will recieve their choice of one of those 2 prizes. THANKS EVERYONE. :D

Heh, well, I guess not everyone is blinded by names. That's awesome if you can indeed be totally impartial like that. Can I perhaps persuade you into judging musical competitions/auditions that I enter?

But in my experience, it's difficult to be impartial if names/faces are seen. I've gotten into more high-profile musical ensembles/orchestras when the auditions were blind as opposed to when they weren't. I think it's because, when the people making a decision see such-a-such a name and they know that person's general ability and they really want that player in their group, then that player gets in, even if they totally screw up the audition. I, as a relative unknown, don't have that advantage, and if the audition isn't blind and "names" show up, I don't get into the group, even if I play brilliantly. When the auditions are blind, though, I've been much more likely to get in even though I'm weird in that I actually play better under the pressure of people watching me. I have the opposite of stage fright, apparently.

Anyway, it's not fair, it's not right, but it's what I've experienced. But I guess the situation here is probably a little bit different. And I'm guessing that the second part of what I said is far more applicable, anyway.

ETA: MissTech, I hope you weren't taking what I said as a criticism of you. That wasn't my intent at all. I do acknowledge that, in general, people can be -- even subconsciously -- influenced by a name, since, as I said, I've seen it happen many, many times, albeit in a totally different context. But I didn't mean that that specifically happened here, in this contest; I should have made that clearer, and I'm sorry if I've upset you. I didn't mean to.

The main thrust of what I was trying to say is that judging, by its very nature, is subjective. If one doesn't place as well as one thinks one should have, then in my experience its usually because the judges and the contestants interpret the criteria differently. It doesn't make the judges bad or biased or whatever. It just means that two people will always see things a little differently, is all, and it's not a reason to get upset. Especially because, really, there is absolutely nothing at stake here.

I understand what you were saying and took no offense at all. Mind you I am a real world beauty pageant contestant, judge, and director and know exactly how subjective juding on appearance, be it a person/child on a stage or a simulated computer building, is. (And the pageant crowd is a way more tough crowd than any complainer here!)

Lord, I would think so! You have my sympathies...

Just letting y'all know my results are in, and to thank you all for making this a great contest to judge. You all did an amazing job!

yay! can't wait for the round 4 results and to see who won... even though i'll be no where close! No matter though :-)

Hi everyone!

Well, here it is time for the Round 4 results. Another round with pretty tight competition as you will soon see when I post the Final Results and the winner of the Architect! I know you are all anxious for the final results, but I ask that you bear with me because it is a lot of information to post! Before we can do the final results, first come your Round 4 results!

ROUND 4 RANKINGS

1.) Contestant #7
2.) Contestant #4
3.) Contestant #8
4.) Contestant #5
5.) Contestant #10
6.) Contestant #6
7.) Contestant #3
8.) Contestant #2


JUDGES COMMENTS

Contestant 2
~I like the little hot tub area,
perfect for some alone time with his lady friends! But the lot has a lot of potential as a family home when he settles down.


Contestant 3
~I like the brickwork you've used outside, fits in well with the beachy feel of the lot.Again, has lot of potential as a family home too.


Contestant 4
~I love the little entrance part with the stairs and fountain, very nicely done. I love the color pallet you've used.


Contestant 5
~I love the secluded cosy feel to this place, and great useof floor paints and landscaping.


Contestant 6
~Great work, i love how the driveway is sloped down and sorta hidden away, and all the landscaping looks great.


Contestant 7
~What a great lodge! It has a great rustic feel to the place, I love the huge windows and little balcony above the garage.


Contestant 8
~This is a great lot,i like the island idea. I love what you've done with the pool and the sloped windows look very unusual, id love to sit watching rain cascade down them!


Contestant 10
~I love the combination of black and white, works really well.Great landscaping and use of the fencing around the pool, iv always been unable to make it look good but you succeeded.

(Please note that only one judge submitted comments for this round!)


Well congrats to you all on a successful final Round! Stay tuned for the Final Results! :D

Well everyone, its time for the final results and the announcement of the winner of the Architect! Now, as promised I will be listing the numerical scores for each contestant for each round, and your final rankings in the contest! Good luck all!

Now I understand that for many of you, this was your first contest and I hope that you each enjoyed your time with the Architect no matter how you end up placing in the end. I personally have enjoyed creating the challenges and watching your creativity in rising to meet them! Thank you all for your participation in this contest!

Now, onto the results!

Round 1 Scoring

~Contestant 1: J1: 18.5 J2: 18.5 J3: 19.5 Tot: 56.5 Rank: 1
~Contestant 2: J1: 18.5 J2: 15.2 J3: 18.0 Tot: 51.4 Rank: 9
~Contestant 3: J1: 17.5 J2: 16.8 J3: 17.5 Tot: 51.8 Rank: 8
~Contestant 4: J1: 16.8 J2: 17.1 J3: 18.5 Tot: 52.4 Rank: 7
~Contestant 5: J1: 17.5 J2: 18.2 J3: 17.25 Tot: 52.95 Rank: 6
~Contestant 6: J1: 17.6 J2: 18.0 J3: 17.75 Tot: 53.35 Rank: 5
~Contestant 7: J1: 16.4 J2: 18.5 J3: 18.5 Tot: 53.40 Rank: 4
~Contestant 8: J1: 16.2 J2: 18.2 J3: 19.5 Tot: 55.6 Rank: 2
~Contestant 9: J1: 16.2 J2: 18.2 J3: 16.5 Tot: 50.9 Rank: 10
~Contestant 10: J1: 18.7 J2: 18.4 J3: 17.0 Tot: 54.1 Rank: 3


Round 2 Scoring

~Contestant 1: J1: 20.0 J2: 19.1 J3: 19.9 Tot: 59.0 Rank: 3
~Contestant 2: J1: 17.5 J2: 18.0 J3: 18.8 Tot: 54.3 Rank: 7
~Contestant 3: J1: 18.25 J2: 17.4 J3: 17.8 Tot: 53.45 Rank: 8
~Contestant 4: J1: 18.75 J2: 19.2 J3: 17.5 Tot: 55.45 Rank: 5
~Contestant 5: J1: 19.5 J2: 18.5 J3: 18.0 Tot: 56.0 Rank: 4
~Contestant 6: J1: 18.25 J2: 18.3 J3: 18.6 Tot: 55.15 Rank: 6
~Contestant 7: J1: 20.0 J2: 19.5 J3: 19.8 Tot: 59.3 Rank: 1
~Contestant 8: J1: 20.0 J2: 19.2 J3: 19.9 Tot: 59.1 Rank: 2
~Contestant 10: J1: 17.5 J2: 16.4 J3: 17.5 Tot: 51.4 Rank: 9


Round 3 Scoring

~Contestant 1: J1: 19.8 J2: 16.5 J3: 17.8 Tot: 54.1 Rank: 6 (tie)
~Contestant 2: J1: 19.3 J2: 17.5 J3: 18.2 Tot: 55.0 Rank: 3
~Contestant 3: J1: 17.8 J2: 16.5 J3: 17.4 Tot: 51.7 Rank: 9
~Contestant 4: J1: 19.9 J2: 15.5 J3: 18.7 Tot: 54.1 Rank: 6 (tie)
~Contestant 5: J1: 19.8 J2: 15.5 J3: 19.0 Tot: 54.3 Rank: 5
~Contestant 6: J1: 19.8 J2: 17.5 J3: 17.5 Tot: 54.8 Rank: 4
~Contestant 7: J1: 19.5 J2: 18.5 J3: 19.7 Tot: 57.7 Rank: 1
~Contestant 8: J1: 19.8 J2: 18,5 J3: 19.1 Tot: 57.4 Rank: 2
~Contestant 10: J1: 18.8 J2: 16.0 J3: 17.1 Tot: 51.9 Rank: 8


Round 4 Scoring

~Contestant 2: J1: 19.0 J2: 18.1 J3: 15.5 Tot: 52.6 Rank: 8
~Contestant 3: J1: 17.9 J2: 18.5 J3: 16.5 Tot: 52.9 Rank: 7
~Contestant 4: J1: 20.0 J2: 18.7 J3: 17.5 Tot: 56.2 Rank: 2
~Contestant 5: J1: 18.9 J2: 18.0 J3: 17.5 Tot: 54.4 Rank: 4
~Contestant 6: J1: 18.9 J2: 17.1 J3: 17.5 Tot: 53.5 Rank: 6
~Contestant 7: J1: 20.0 J2: 19.7 J3: 19.0 Tot: 58.7 Rank: 1
~Contestant 8: J1: 18.0 J2: 18.5 J3: 19.0 Tot: 55.5 Rank: 3
~Contestant 10: J1: 17.9 J2: 18.5 J3: 17.5 Tot: 53.9 Rank: 5


FINAL RANKINGS

10.) Contestant #9 SimCharley1990 Total Score: 50.9 (1 Round)

9.) Contestant #1 kattenijin Total Score: 169.6 (3 Rounds)

8.) Contestant #3 craziidaisii Total Score: 209.85

7.) Contestant #2 Clw8 Total Score: 213.3

6.) Contestant #6 Deatherella Total Score: 216.8

5.) Contestant #5 LostSock Total Score: 217.65

4.) Contestant #4 iCad Total Score: 218.15

3.) Contestant #10 TRIriana Total Score: 218.50

2.) Contestant #8 Eedgan Total Score: 227.6

1.) Contestant #7 I.nfectious Total Score: 229.1


Whew! Told you guys it was a lot of information! LOL!

Well, congratulations to I.nfectious for being named "The Architect", and congratulations to you all for a job and a contest well done! Again, I hope you enjoyed the competition! Now, I need all Contestants, as well as chowgilly & PuX-80s to PM me with your choice of prize and an email address where your prize can be sent! Again, thank you all for for participating in the Architect!! :D

Congrats to everybody and espesically I.nfectious, btw are you going to claim a star? :D

Wow, we all get a prize? Cool. I shall send PM...

Congrats to everyone on a great contest. I.nfectious, I'd say you definitely earned the top spot. :D

Congratulations! This was a very fun contest to take part in. .