Hopefully this is not just going to stir up the "rules before theme/theme before rules" debate further, but rather allow us to set it aside for the moment. So here are my thoughts, and if you are satisfied enough by this approach then let's leave it there for now and discuss details later:
The issue of free version users being able to fairly participate, and problems of varying levels of income and access to resources influencing the results, have been brought up at almost every contest we've seen around TG. There has never been a really good solution in my view. But I've had a thought.
I suggest we consider differentiating the awards/prizes based on the kinds of restrictions discussed above. There could be a "Best Free Version Entry", a "Best Pure Landscape" (no populations, etc.), and/or "Best Terragen-only" prize. This not only addresses the concerns expressed above, it also allows NWDA to tailor the prize package to best fit the category. After all someone who is competing in "Best Free Version Entry" is a lot more likely to benefit from a TG3 Pro license than someone who isn't eligible (i.e. owns Terragen already). And we've had several winners in the past who already did own TG, and either donated their prize (very nice of them!) or used it as a minor upgrade (an equivalent prize of just $150 for example vs. $699 for someone who doesn't own TG at all yet, for the same prize!).
It would probably require some minor modifications to how entries are submitted, but it should not be too difficult. Everyone would enter into the same general pool as a baseline, that way anyone can win the Grand Prize. Then each entry could also be optionally submitted into additional judging categories, Free Version, Pure Landscape, etc. The selection of categories would be done by the entrant. Categories would need to have very clear criteria so people could select appropriately. Scene files would need to be provided for verification upon request, and Planetside could check the registration DB in cases of Free Version usage doubts.
Obviously there would need to be (separate!) discussion about what categories there should be, and the total number of such additional categories should be kept to a minimum, with the selection probably influenced most by the idea of improving fairness overall (e.g. the free version category). It's also still an open question whether there would be 2nd and 3rd prizes in addition to these, or if the category-based prizes would replace them. But in any case I think it's a potentially effective solution, and even if it's not *the* solution chosen, I hope we can proceed on the fair assumption that a solution *will* be found so that we can concentrate for now on what the best theme would be and ignore the otherwise unrelated issues of fairness, resource access, etc. that I do not think should influence the choice of a *theme*.
- Oshyan
