Official Contest Chat

[GaminKWB]

Man, between this and the final BSG tonight, I don't think I can handle any more anticipation! I hope my four digit negative score is good enough!

Those three zeros in the decimals don't count.

[sean_gabriel]

You mean that's not a comma? D'oh!!!

I'm just glad I submitted two weeks ago, or else I wouldn't have gotten ANY work done this month.

[weasel]

Fantastic Contraption: Ruining careers and marriages since 2008

[jdelgado06]

if I get fired, can i work for FC?



...If I get divorced, will you marry me weasel?

[Cruiser40]

Fantastic Contraption: Ruining careers and marriages since 2008

Hence, my listed occupation:

Software developer about to be fired because of this stupid game.

[weasel]

If anyone loses their job or marriage because of the game, or is in danger of doing so, feel free to give my email address to your boss/spouse. I'll be happy to distract them for you while you squeeze that extra point out of the competition.

[roboboys]

Weasel, how will you know who copied whose design? How will you figure out if designs were copied, because there are high chances that they will be close to same, or maybe even identical?

Also, since I'm a programmer, I would make sure multiple accounts were not used to submit designs by the same person. This would be an easy job, because you can use the flash functions to determine the mac address or hardware id of a computer. This way, a single computer may submit a single design.

Also, IP addresses can be dynamic, so a household's ip address will not be the same everyday, or every so often. Since the IP's are dynamic, there is a high chance for someone else's household's ip address to be the same as another household's ip address, right? Sgt Superman or w/e his name is, stated that I am also the user: krishnaa; he is my friend and has come to my house many of times.

With that said, I am going to submit my designs.

[GaminKWB]

Weasel, how will you know who copied whose design? How will you figure out if designs were copied, because there are high chances that they will be close to same, or maybe even identical?

All of my submissions are the type that if you move something one pixel in any direction. It will not solve. Or the ticks will be way off. It will be easy to see if anyone copied me. I wonder if there is also an 'original' designer that is stored in the DB if someone opens up a design and resaves it. That would make it easy too. Just looking at some of these designs does not make replication easy, even if its only a few pieces. Its a matter of getting the right size pieces in the right locations.

On top of all of that, he only has to judge the top 10 (or so). And if many of them are established users, it will be easier to distinguish the originality of their designs.

[roboboys]

Weasel, how will you know who copied whose design? How will you figure out if designs were copied, because there are high chances that they will be close to same, or maybe even identical?

All of my submissions are the type that if you move something one pixel in any direction. It will not solve. Or the ticks will be way off. It will be easy to see if anyone copied me. I wonder if there is also an 'original' designer that is stored in the DB if someone opens up a design and resaves it. That would make it easy too. Just looking at some of these designs does not make replication easy, even if its only a few pieces. Its a matter of getting the right size pieces in the right locations.

On top of all of that, he only has to judge the top 10 (or so). And if many of them are established users, it will be easier to distinguish the originality of their designs.

What will happen if the winner had multiple accounts, but only submitted his/her designs on one of the accounts, but the designs came from the other accounts? What will happen then, because technically the designs were made by a single person, not multiple, but the designs come from different accounts?...

[GaminKWB]

First off, why would someone need multiple accounts?
Second, you can check/compare IP addresses on the accounts. This would probably be based on their last login.
Thirdly, I am not in charge of the competition, so I have no idea how it would actually be determined. I am just going by my own personal opinion on the matter.

[weasel]

Weasel, how will you know ....

Magic!

I don't want to reveal my tricks as it'll harm future contests we hold. Just know that I've already Disqualified quite a few folks for a variety of reasons. We don't just rely on IPs, which many people are discussing in this forum.

[Mike.the.kitty]

Just know that I've already Disqualified quite a few folks for a variety of reasons.

Please please please tell me I'm dq'd - that way I can claim a -47 and just say, "yeah, but weasel dq'd me for darkeagleness."

[jofjltn4]

Sigh... I guess basically what all this comes down to is: jofjltn4 should be disqualified.

I completely forgot this thread even existed...so I start reading backwards to try to catch up to where I left off and this is one of the first posts I see.

Now I have to keep reading further back to see why I should be Dairy Queened. My theory is that there was a maximum level of awesomeness in the fine print of the contest rules and I exceeded it.

=P

J

[jofjltn4]

Man, between this and the final BSG tonight, I don't think I can handle any more anticipation! I hope my four digit negative score is good enough!

I completely forgot about BSG.

Watch two hour series finale or tweak? Try to do both? Argh!!!

J

[roboboys]

You should not post your solutions before the winner is announced, such as to the forums or to your personal blog. Don't hit "Publish!" People may copy the idea and steal your victory!

Weasel...after I read that, I just realized that you can win by cheating... Now I feel as if I have wasted my time.

[weasel]

You should not post your solutions before the winner is announced, such as to the forums or to your personal blog. Don't hit "Publish!" People may copy the idea and steal your victory!

Weasel...after I read that, I just realized that you can win by cheating... Now I feel as if I have wasted my time.

If we find out people are not posting their own original work (determined by designID), then they are disqualified - that's in the rules. However there are many people who gained "inspiration" from already-published designs, or from the iPhone version, that we can't do too much about. We try to judge it on a case by case basis.

If you've submitted your scores, roboboys - go kick up your feet and watch BSG or something! stop worrying about it and move on.

[GaminKWB]

You should not post your solutions before the winner is announced, such as to the forums or to your personal blog. Don't hit "Publish!" People may copy the idea and steal your victory!

Weasel...after I read that, I just realized that you can win by cheating... Now I feel as if I have wasted my time.

You should have fully read the rules before starting. Have you published your designs? If not then there is nothing to be worried about. Besides, first you have to beat out everyone else (but 9).

[sccook]

I wonder if there is also an 'original' designer that is stored in the DB if someone opens up a design and resaves it.

That's the only thing that I would change about FC. Only the original designer should be able to modify and resave an FC.

[GaminKWB]

I wonder if there is also an 'original' designer that is stored in the DB if someone opens up a design and resaves it.

That's the only thing that I would change about FC. Only the original designer should be able to modify and resave an FC.

There should be a 'public' design flag that you can check. This would be for group working and submissions. Especially with stuff like Long-Way solutions.

[roboboys]

I just read in the Official Rules: your Submission must be your original work

Thanks, Weasel, but being a programmer myself, I always try to find out flaws and think of security features in everything that I do, whether it is programming a game, making software, or making a website. I'm not worrying about if I will win or not, but I just don't feel good when I lose when people abuse loop-holes in the rules.

For instance, the rules state that one entry may be submitted per household, but what happens if one submits at school or at a university? Technically, it is not a household because others who submit their design are not always your family members; therefore, ip address checking and other forms of verification are out of perspective.

Sorry for these, um, some-what harsh comments, but I must speak my mind. I am not blaming you in any way.

~I'll shut up now about this topic.

Thanks for everything.