Vela Nanashi wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:07 pm
If we get an odd number on some level I would certainly agree that we can make one of the matches have 3 members rather than not having a game at all for one random contestant...
I suppose so, but I'd prefer to see the sweet sixteen.
Claire wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 2:36 pm... Once the voting period begins, I will move all stories at once either to the Public Stories board or a contest board and people will be able to read and vote for the stories using the reputation system.
Fourteen (at least) stories do merit a separate contest voting board, I think.
LaLia wrote: Fri Jul 04, 2025 12:13 am
As I said, when it comes to reaching the number 16, then I am in the game
Duly noted, there's time aplenty for the fifteenth participant to join in.
A big thank you to everybody who signed up! I will now use the next two days to create the pen-name accounts, the tournament board and to assign the themes, and then the writing can begin on Sunday! You will then have two weeks to write your story. There will be a pinned thread in the tournament board that will hopefully answer all question you might have.
A big thank you again to all who signed up and to @Lucius for keeping the list of contestants up to date!
My stories: Claire's Cesspool of Sin. I'm always happy to receive a comment on my stories, even more so on an older one!
All of you should have received a PM with your pen name and the theme for your round of 16 match. The PM should also have included some additional information. We decided to make an adjustment to the tournament that has no effect on the contest itself but adds some flavour to it.
We added a role play element to the whole thing. Rather than just being a means to hide your identity, we are giving you access to your pen name account. You should now no longer be able to see the tournament board with your regular accounts but only with your pen name accounts. You can access your pen name account with your pen name and the password included in the PM I sent you.
So you can now create your story threads in the tournament directly using your pen name account. Furthermore, I would like to encourage you to use your pen name account for some role playing throughout the tournament. This is of course completely optional. But feel free to use your pen name account to comment in character on your opponent's story or other contestant's stories as well. Or respond in character to feedback you got. Trash talk your opponents, write a tongue in cheek scathing review of their story or take a side in another match unrelated to you. For inspiration, you have also been assigned a sworn enemy and a dear friend from the other contestants. But, friendships can of course break over the course of the tournament and enemies might become friends after all. If and how you engage with this role play element is up to you. The goal is to get as many people as possible to follow your pen name account. Whoever has the most followers at the end of the tournament will get some form of additional price. However, as I said before, if this not your thing, you can completely ignore the role playing and just focus on writing your stories.
My stories: Claire's Cesspool of Sin. I'm always happy to receive a comment on my stories, even more so on an older one!
I received the email with my pen name and the corresponding password.
If I enter it in a separate browser, I can use the forum simultaneously with my regular nickname and the nickname for the competition. And with the new nickname, I can also see the thread designated for the competition. Everything seems to be working, and I also think the topic for the first round is a good fit for me for the competition.
What I'm curious to see is how the "role play" works. It's certainly an interesting variation – if the participants accept it. But it will probably develop in some direction over time.
