PERC Presents: Mr. and Ms. Paragon Universe 2010 - Virtue

Virtue turnout was awesome -- lots of great ideas

In terms of people thinking Virtue was different in how the event was executed -- it wasn't. The only difference was that I didn't announce the people that moved into phase 2. All I did was state that you would know if you got it and that it was in the arena - AND if you wished to observe the next round you could. It was my fault for not compiling the list for everyone else -- I intended to though...

Firstly, thanks to PERC for a nifty event, I like CC's, and this is basically a CC on steroids so I liked the idea.

Secondly, as one of the winners on virtue's part of the event (Mister Infinity), I'd like to point out to those who kept crying about it being rigged - Which I swear to god happens at every single Contest I've yet to attend, people really need to grow up - that I've been playing for, what, two maybe three weeks. So..

Personally I have no idea who any of the PERC people are, or even that their was an organization such as PERC in existance prior to seeing their post. So why people would rig things in favour of players they have never heard of is beyond me.

Just depressing to see people voluntarily put together events for other players (as far as I know they dont stand to gain anything by doing this? feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) and for them to get essentially flamed for their efforts.

simple solutions

1) join perc so you can put your 2 cents worth in since you clearly feel the rest of us did such a poor job

2) hold your own contests, set your own rules, make your own decisions and take the hits when someone feels you did such a poor job and that clearly they can do it better

3) dont participate in events.

Not that an explination is owed but..

There are/were a lot of people involved in the contest format and rule sets. There are several checks in place to make sure things are being done correctly and that the original posts that eventually make it out to the servers are clear and concise. It's not as if we all just sit around a spit ball ideas and toss out rules. Its gone over, checked, re checked, adjusted and tweaked where needed .. then and only then are we given the green light to post. This contest is MONTHS in the making.

As with anything in life, there are times where people dont agree and break things down to the most miniscule parts of any given thing to fit their argument.

I'm sorry that you, along with a few others, dont agree with some of the wording, or how the contest was held.

1st apperances are everything.. those that made it to semis, had the opportunity to strut their stuff, and to be honest, they did a great job. The female winner on this server did an outstanding job.

There are reasons a huge deal wasnt made about bio's being a crucial part to a persons costume this early on.. a lot of people that play this game dont have bio's or arent as creative to compose them, a lot of the players on this game are younger and we felt as a whole that it wasnt fair to them.. to be EXCLUDED because they DIDNT have a bio. Not everyone is as creative as you.

Some things I liked this year about the contest:
1) They posted the times CLEARLY this time... as far as when the costume contest would be held and what time the Finals on the test server would be. Last year I won on my server, and wasn't told clearly what time the final would be, so I missed the test server finals. (To make a point, the rep on my home server said the time on another post that was to another person...so naturally I didn't read the post.... and then at the end of the paragraph he mentioned the correct time.) At least this year they are very clear.

2) They stated the rules clearly.

3) The prizes were much better. Good job obtaining those goodies guys. Nice job. Who broke out the knee pads and asked for the good stuff? :P

Some things I disliked this year about the contest (on Virtue):
1) On my home server, things were very clearly told. However, when I was on the virtue server.... it appeared that the reps weren't very clear with everyone.

2) The reps abruptly didn't announce to anyone that WHO exactly was chosen as the winners. So some people were still milling about the pocket D area wondering what was going on. Because most of us thought it was going to be said to us so we could check out the costumes of the 8 server finalists.

3) I have never seen so much complaining before. Now... since your sever RPs a lot... I wasn't sure if that was in RP mode... or just pure complaining from the players. But come on guys... the contest isn't rigged. YOU may disagree with the judges choices (oh heck I disagreed with some of the choices on the final 8 on my home server and Virtue server) but it's THEIR choice. They are the judges.

4) I would have liked for the contest to have actually had less of a gathering time allowance.
a.) I can understand the need to have more contestants on lower population servers so waiting a bit is okay. However, not on a busy server like Virtue.
b.) I understand that some of the judges didn't show on time. So some judges had to be pulled from elsewhere. Perhaps next year PERC can make a rule... if a judge doesn't show up, the judges that are there will be doing all the judging instead? This way you guys don't make all the players wait. A few minutes, like 10 minutes or so is acceptable.. but 20 is a bit much. It's kind of boring having to wait that much longer.

Gratzy to all the Virtue winners. I saw some great costumes there

Well, I'll be short:

PERC has been a major let down about 3 times in a row, maybe even more, on our server. As for the complaining about rigged, Infinity, it wasn't that.

It was the fact that the reps did (to them) a horrible job.

Trying to understand this, because a lot of what you're saying doesn't make sense. The fact that the finalists are required to have bios should also require the semi-finalists to have bios as well in order to be able to move on. Or am I wrong? Also, I would like to see pictures of previous years winners as I know they were requested before and no one responded.

I remember the roach, but forgot about the cowboy.

Jade! Your post is very well balanced and very constructive! This is the kind of feedback I LOVE getting! Because you worked diligently and balanced on it I would love to respond and help clarify and acknowledge some things!

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Originally Posted by Jade_Forest Some things I liked this year about the contest: 1) They posted the times CLEARLY this time... as far as when the costume contest would be held and what time the Finals on the test server would be. Last year I won on my server, and wasn't told clearly what time the final would be, so I missed the test server finals. (To make a point, the rep on my home server said the time on another post that was to another person...so naturally I didn't read the post.... and then at the end of the paragraph he mentioned the correct time.) At least this year they are very clear.

THANK YOU! We actually initially had times posted in ALL times zones and had the schedule not as specific. I am glad you liked the way it turned out! Scheduling is definitely important!

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2) They stated the rules clearly.

We work very hard year after year (four years now) to make sure rules are explained out without getting too long and detailed, yet remain understandable. This year our details almost doubled and since many things changed we made sure they were included. Also of note is how MANY things were added because of a lot of feedback given last year. We definitely listen and are glad this is noticed!

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3) The prizes were much better. Good job obtaining those goodies guys. Nice job. Who broke out the knee pads and asked for the good stuff? :P

You can thank EVERY rep across all servers for INF donations! Everyone met and we worked together to make it worthwhile! ALSO HUGE THANKS TO NCSOFT AND MOD08! They love YOU guys and wanted you to get some awesome prizes. MOD08 is amazing and is the best community rep we have ever had!

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Some things I disliked this year about the contest (on Virtue): 1) On my home server, things were very clearly told. However, when I was on the virtue server.... it appeared that the reps weren't very clear with everyone.

Since Reps are individuals we allow them to put their own twist on things and run the event how they feel most comfortable. In the past scripts have been given and this will be noted for the next one. Perhaps... we not have a script but maybe a guideline of things that MUST be on their script when hosting. I know I personally have binds and macros and it would be easy to copy and past a set of macros we could make so that the important things are clearly communicated on all servers. Great advise!

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2) The reps abruptly didn't announce to anyone that WHO exactly was chosen as the winners. So some people were still milling about the pocket D area wondering what was going on. Because most of us thought it was going to be said to us so we could check out the costumes of the 8 server finalists.

I cannot recall this part of the event but I was under the understanding the 8 semi-finalists were announced. I apologize if this was not clearly done... my memory is a tad vague on that part as we are judging and preparing to enter the arena. I do have to say I liked how we had ALL semi-finalists enter and take turns showing off their powers.

I know some are arguing an accidental fire and the one targeted was not the one who fired. In fact I remember that two of our judges got hit (tanks mind you) and almost died. This is our first time doing the arena and though the rules dictate the DQ we laughed it off and I actually think everyone found it funny. I know for a fact that every semi-finalist had ample time to show off their concepts and if there was an intrusion it did NOT count against them. Obviously the new addition needs to be practiced and observed and then next year we can continue adapting it for optimal execution!

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3) I have never seen so much complaining before. Now... since your sever RPs a lot... I wasn't sure if that was in RP mode... or just pure complaining from the players. But come on guys... the contest isn't rigged. YOU may disagree with the judges choices (oh heck I disagreed with some of the choices on the final 8 on my home server and Virtue server) but it's THEIR choice. They are the judges.

I LOVE THIS STATEMENT. I want to remind everyone that when you target US as a group that it is unfair. Many of us are judges from other servers and as we all know, every server / community is different. For the most part many of us felt welcomed, greeted, and an enjoyable part of the event. I also don't prefer being called "one of them" or "those judges" or "those reps." We all are individuals! We think for ourselves, have different opinions, different tastes, different opinions, and different personalities. THIS IS EXACTLY why we have the rule that the home server reps cannot judge their own server. We do this so we have multiple outside views and tastes so that many different / un-bias people have to put all their preferences aside and find the best overall candidate.

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4) I would have liked for the contest to have actually had less of a gathering time allowance. a.) I can understand the need to have more contestants on lower population servers so waiting a bit is okay. However, not on a busy server like Virtue. b.) I understand that some of the judges didn't show on time. So some judges had to be pulled from elsewhere. Perhaps next year PERC can make a rule... if a judge doesn't show up, the judges that are there will be doing all the judging instead? This way you guys don't make all the players wait. A few minutes, like 10 minutes or so is acceptable.. but 20 is a bit much. It's kind of boring having to wait that much longer.

WOW! This is actually something I hadn't heard of till now. It is an interesting conundrum. According to the schedule gathering started at 8:00 and judging at 8:20. Many are debating this. Last year the time was hours long. Yes we judged on the spot... but in all honesty I liked having the event have about twenty minutes. No judges were late though. I was one and we all were here on time. The time lapse of 20 minutes is to allow us time to broadcast in global channels so straggles and last minuters can hustle on over before judging starts. It is an interesting point though and appreciate the feedback. I know one thing we've talked about on Champion is just setting a simple event START TIME and leave it to the people to show up by then. Personally... I've done it both and some people are A) always late / never on time & B) something can come up. Having that 20 minute cushion has always served to give us ample time to setup, allow people to arrive, and allow for unexpectedness. Thoughts?

Hmmm... now that you explain the 20 minutes... I guess that 20 minutes is a good time for people to gather, as long as the 20 minutes is enforced strictly. It's not fair for the people that are on time to have to wait longer for those that are late.
a.) So in the case of players if 20 minutes past the hour has hit, then no more entries should be entered in. It is only fair to the players that arrived on time. And it's only fair to the judges so they dont' have to waste their time as well.
b.) In the case where a judge might be late, if it is past the 20 minute mark, and a judge isn't there, then the judges that are there, should just fill in. It's only fair to the players waiting to be judged.


Per my comment about the 8 finalists. This is what happened (from my point of view and also a few other friends that were playing and were on vent at the time.). There was an announcement that the 8 finalists were picked. At that point, we were waiting to see who won so we could congratulate them, check out their outfits etc. At that time there was a whole bunch of global chatter... and then we noticed that alot of players had left. We were all wondering what happened... and then furiously did some scrolling to see past messages... and then noticed that the judging was abruptly moved to the arena for the final judging. There was no announcement as to WHO exactly won. So naturally we grumbled a bit, but we just went to the arena to watch the match. We just chalked it all up to it being late at night and the judges were tired and didn't want to deal with all the global chatter going on. It is rather distracting.

Oh by the way... In general a few other things that I liked about this year's contest was:
1.) I like it that there is not a differentiation between hero and villain. So it is only 2 server champions.

2.) NO MORE HAVING TO SIGN UP!!! In the past we all had to go to another website and sign up our toon to compete. However, even though those that didn't sign up were still allowed to compete. Which ticked some of us off. Eliminating that sign up makes it better. And also recognizes the fact that not everyone is a forum goer.

3.) The arena phase. Since I got called away early to do a Task Force, I wasn't there to see the rest of the Virtue judging. However... on my home/main server, after the winners were called... I loved how all the "losers" of the event started killing all the judges and the winners! Hahahahah! "What?!? You don't like our costumes?!?! DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! LOL! That was the best part of the whole contest!

The face I made while reading this thread...



"You mad? You mad."

:Scratches her head: I thought Virtue ousted PERC a long time ago?

So a few questions; Could you post screenies of the winners, and whats the bribe running at these days, cause we all know the markets going to crash soon....

I saw the female winner on Virtue. She was one of the top 3 I would have picked for it. Justice Maiden was my fav in the Virtue line-up and I was glad to see she moved on to the arena. I would've voted for her if I had a say in things. But then, if I had a say in things, I couldn't compete in these sorts of things. And I wanna compete. Oh well, maybe next time.

LOL! Wow! I find it creepy that out of all the posts on this thread you chose mine, because my home server is Pinnacle. But before we get to that... let's get to your post....

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Originally Posted by PureAmerican Dazz the person you are replying to is from Pinnacle, they are not a very big server, 20 minutes organization time on Pinnacle is probably not acceptable due to the population size. All due respect, I think they might be a little out of touch with the scale in the difference in size of the player population. I would say 20 minutes is perfect, it would give players time to get into zone if they became locked out, any less than 20 minutes given the size of the participation would probably not be fair to the contestants. Pocket D on Virtue is always bustling with RP'ers socializing, at times I am sure it could fill with just those players all by itself, on Pinnacle it's only really used for the holiday event.

First off... "They"? I didn't realize that I represented the entire Pinnacle server. My opinions are based upon my own experience in the game. I've actively played this game for almost 4 years. So, there is no way that I'm going to be on just one server. I have toons on Freedom because real life people I know from Hawai'i are on that server. I have toons on Virtue because I enjoy the roleplaying aspects that this server offers. I have toons on Triumph and Champion as well because I met some nice people over there that I enjoy teaming with. With that being said, in the almost 4 years I have played this game I've participated in costume contest, pvp events, special events, etc. (on all 5 servers). I've donated recipes, influence, and salvage to help with the prizes on various contests (Freedom, Pinnacle, & Triumph.). I've been a judge and also been the organizer of costume contests (Freedom, Pinnacle & Triumph). So, with that in mind, your generalization of me just because Pinnacle is my home server, is not accurate. I am very aware of the differences in server size. So, now that I've established that...

Secondly... can't you read Pure American? PERC is a cross server organization. We are allowed to voice our opinions for something like that. If you read, you will notice that I voiced my opinion, Dazz voiced his reasonings, then I responded back in the positive and agreed with him. Over and done with. I personally still think that with the prizes that was being given out this year, PERC could have stated whatever time they wanted the contest to start at. I'm more of the "If you want the stuff I'm giving out for free, then you will arive on time" person. This game isn't an airplane where a boarding time and take off time is needed. Be there or you are out! That's my 2 cents. But hey, I can see Dazz's point, and I did agree with him. Everyone does things differently.

Thirdly... Pure Amerian (who is also known as Tazz of World Wide Evil... a Pinnacle Villain group, BTW)... I find it funny that you chose to make a polite suggestion while in an off handed way diss the Pinnacle server. You have many times posted that you HATE this game and think it sucks. You even went so far as to advertise another game (Champions Online) on several of your threads a while back and that we should all join that game because it's so much better than City of Heroes/Villains. You have also stated a few times that you hardly ever play this game any more, and that you maintain an account mainly just so that you can post on the forums. Ewwww... how creepy is that? What I also find funny is that you mainly played on the Pinnacle server. But when the people of that server didn't want you on their teams anymore because of how creepy you were, you started dissing the Pinnacle server. One of the nice parts about being on a small server (for me) is that I get to learn who the creeps are. The nice part about being on a big server (for a person like Pure American) is that no one knows your reputation (good or bad). There have been times when I've seen you post on the Pinnacle threads and say horrible things or post things to derail the subject at hand. And for the most part I didn't want to post anything in response to your horrible comments because I wanted to stay off your radar and not be bothered by you. But, since the word Pinnacle is on your radar, I guess I'm not immune. So I don't see how you of all people have any credibility in your opinions at all. Oh wait... it's not about credibility... you've paid your money so you can post on the forums.... so once again... ewww.. creepy.

I had alot of fun with this contest and thought the Arena finals was a great way to showcase our powers and characters.

I'm not sure if it's possible, but could everyone in the arena be set to the same team except for the combat "dummy"? Some of us have powers with a mind of their own, (stop Tornado stop!) or large AOEs and it would be a shame to get disqualified for hitting someone on accident.

For the Finals tonight, test is being a little wonky.

If your test is updated -- you can get in by making a shortcut to the cityofheroes.exe (not the updater, but the file) and after the " of the target add -project cohtest and yes there needs to be a space between the " and -

This will allow you to get on to the test server.

Contestants who are absolutely unable to get onto test, please contact me in game @Madame Pistacio and we will work something else out. Hopefully everyone should be able to use this fix and get on.

Mr. and Ms. Paragon Universe went through many changes this year. We included bios, power customization, costumes, and asked each player about their characters. We wanted to thank the community for making this a memorable event as you all do every year. This event is always hard to judge and this was no exception. All of the finalists had amazing concepts and put on a great show for us. Tonight was a special event and we want to thank everyone that participated. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding through technical difficulties. We are proud to say that every single server finalist was present and judged tonight!

The Overall Winners

Mr. Paragon Universe, From the Liberty Server
Vilhjalmur


Ms. Paragon Universe, from the Virtue Server
Desert Owl

Both characters not only had great costumes, but awesome concepts. They put on a phenomenal performance. Congratulations to you both and thank you to everyone that participated!

Those costumes look fantastic. Congratulations, guys.

Congrats guys, those are some great looking costumes. I think I need to step my costume-designing game now.