Welcome to the first unofficial fan contest!   (*but its over now *)

Its over,   no more...     ended on the 27th

The winners are on the 2nd page

This contest is I think the first contest for Elemental fans of any kind, official or otherwise.  This is by fans (or one anyway) for fans.  Disclaimer: It is unofficial because as of right now (when I posted this) there is no official support for it, besides the regular managing of the forum upon which it is being posted.

I hope everybody enjoys it!  Yes, there will be prizes, and they will be shirts and video games (VGs curtiousy of Spartan).  I will get to that part later.  I also plan to give everybody who participates karma and I'd imagine good entries will draw other account holders to their karma thumb as well, so if you are worried about not having enough karma for something frogboy inplied might happen based on karma, here is a chance to get some.

I believe it was Flyguy who said something about a few of us on this forum being "loud", well now its time for you to be loud too (and those people to be louder).  Shout, yell, scream from the rooftops.   Let the whole world know how excited you are for Elemental: War of Magic, then post a picture or video of it to get a prize.

Objective:
Alright, to what is needed to be known.   This is a contest is to show who is the biggest Elemental: War of Magic fan.  The goal is to spread the word of Elemental and generate some positive hype in time for the beta release this summer.  Do something that expresses that you are an E:war fan and post a picture or video of you doing it (or having done it) on photoshop or youtube or where ever is appropriate, and post a link here in this thread.   Ideally you want to also include anything that might reference it, because that is worth tilt and impressiveness (see scoring).  

The idea is to spread the word, so a poem or elemental banner placed on a wall in a basement where nobody could ever see it (except the 1 dim photobucket image used for the entry) is not favorable to the same poem or banner placed in Times Square New York.  Especially if it’s something like a banner for online signatures, if you can somehow show how many actual views of the banner have been made, that is best.   Screen snapshots are acceptable to prove things made website front pages and such.

A small council of judges, including myself and a few others that have not yet been chosen, will grade the submissions and pick 5 winners to be given the prize of a Elemental: War of Magic Polo.  1st and 2nd place will also get a title by Stardock or L4D (1st place gets 1st pick), as they were donated by Spartan.   The last day for submission will be March 27th at midnight (I'll post a *no more entries* post to mark it after that time, but please don't push the line because I'll feel bad if I have to slap my hand down just before a good entry is entered).   That is about 2 months, which should be plenty of time to do whatever you need to do AND generate some feedback on it.  You can enter more than once, in fact, its encouraged since it actually helps your overall score (see scoring below).  There will be at least one judge representing the following categories; non-gamer, girl, artist, and someone who likes games but isn’t into elemental yet.  (most of them are probably 1 person that I almost have confirmed to be a judge)  So using internet references and inside elemental jokes won’t get you favor across the board, and it will ensure that there will be at least some say of non-biased opinion on board.   

Because I only made a few shirts, the size options are very limited.  Small and medium shirts seemed like would be the minority on a gaming forum.  I didn't want too many small shirts, because you can always put on a shirt that is too big, you can't always put on a shirt that is too small. XXL shirts cost extra, so XXL and up people who win will have to find a small friend to wear the shirt for them.   Note:  Spartan has added L4D or stardock title to the prize list.   So 1st and 2nd place will have a chance to be given a video game as well as a shirt.   Prizes can be passed up, at which point the next winner in line will have a shot at it.   I do ask that responces are within a week to ensure there isn't a long wait from contest ending to person having their prize confirmed.

Also, remember there is another semi-secret prize.   That is karma.  I plan to give karma to every person who participates in this contest, and I suspect that others will also give karma to those who make really awesome entries.  So if you need karma, participate.

If you could, also give yourself an entry number.   You can submit  as many times as you want, but use a different entry number each time anyway.   If you have something that effects one of your previous entries (for example, lets say Entry 33 was community food drive, and somehow “Elemental” was worked in as banners or something.  Then later it was posted on a news website, a link to the article or something that showed how many ‘hits’ the news article has had could be added later by referencing the entry number (or just edit the original post which would be easier, but I want to leave options))

Rules for entry and winning:

To enter, you need your entry number, a link to whatever it is, and a description to tell us what exactly you did and how that makes you a big elemental fan/tells lots of other people about the game.

Things to note that feel like are better if numbered.

1.     I hold no legal obligation to anything. Uh… yeah, include most of all that liability and can’t do whatever where ever stuff that is appropriate to your local area.  Its just for fun, I really shouldn’t need a huge disclaimer.  Stardock or some other company probably would, but I have no money to hire a lawyer that would actually be able to make a real disclaimer that is internet worthy.  Just assume I have one, and its right here.   Since I have no money, it’s not worth it for you to bother with anything normal disclaimers protect against anyway.    That also being said, Stardock is in no way involved, so they have no obligation to anything posted by this either, so don’t badger them about it.   By fans, for Fans.  This is just for fun, so let’s not complicate it.  
2.    Please try to ensure whatever you post your link on is something that will remain there.   I’ll try where I can to message people or something if not all the judges are able to see an entry, but honestly I’m not sure what I will do if an entry is lost to the ban-hammer on an image host somewhere, and we can’t review it.
3.    Winners are going to be announced by April 3rd, look for them around then.  Just look for it on the 5th or something.
4.    Winners will be contacted by personal message through the Elemental Forum (stardock’s forum) and you will have a week to respond claiming or not claiming a shirt.  I fear I can’t honestly expect to wait around much more than that when I’m sure other people would want a shirt in your place.  I’m not doing to be a dick about it, just saying because if I don’t hear anything I will have no choice but to move on.   Because there are 5 winners and I'll have to wait for each to contact me, if I don't have this policy there could be one really nasty back-log if not-everybody is responcive in a reasonable time frame.
5.    Because I’m paying for everything out of my own pocket, that includes shipping.  Which means you get the cheapest shipping available to me.  That most likely means it will be the slowest available as well, and possibly not include any of that fancy tracking stuff.
6.    Please number your entry.  Look back a few posts to see what the last entry number was (and the one before it in case the person before you messed up).  It will help me and the other judges keep things straight.
7.    I can’t think of anything else I need to say.  I have an “FAQ” as my 1st post in the thread, so check back with that or just message me if you have any other questions.
8.    Only one winner per account(if you have more than 1 account I probebly won't notice until it comes to shipping, and not even then if you do different addresses).  Also if you don't win, somebody might pass up their prize.  Prizes are awarded on a priority basis, so person who wins no. 1 will have 1st pick, person who places no. 2 gets 2nd pick and so on.
9.   I actually only have 1 medium shirt, and the rest are large and extra large. Unless everybody picks only large or only extra large I should be fine (I have some friends that are going to be claiming the left overs, and they are likely to be judges).   that being said, if you are a medium shirt person, and you are the 2nd person who wants a medium shirt...   you'll have to just tuck it in or something.

Prizes:

There are 5 shirts being given out.  There is I fear only 1 medium and no XXL or larger due to prize production budget (see no. 9 above).  At least getting 1 size up will still be a shirt you can wear.  Since sizes are kinda limited, I am going to ask what your size preference is and the 1st person to claim the medium gets it.

1st and 2nd place will also have a shot at recieving a copy of the PC games L4D or another stardock title, being given by Spartan (credit where credit due).    L4D will be awarded via Steam I assume, and whatever stardock title will be by Impluse  (you will get to pick upon winning).   If you are not interested in either title, or you already have all of stardock's titles and L4D, or are under 18 and can't have L4D because your parents won't permit it Then the prize is then passed down the line 2nd > 3rd > 4th and so on.

It will be graded on 4 categories

Creativity:     This is based on how creative or original the entry is.   Anything that expresses creativity or originalinality gets points here.    So your big points come from doing things like creating like art or music, or doing things that nobody has thought of doing before.  Some things that are so-so on straight creativity but show a lot of talent like posting good music remixes of old master of magic music for the community will also get some decent points.

Impressiveness:  This is based on how impressive the entry is.  This is perhaps the most straight forward.  “Is it impressive?”.   Putting up an Elemental banner is not very impressive, but putting it up in a hard to reach place is.  Making a quick little Elemental picture is not very impressive, but getting it featured on the front page of deviant art is.

Flavor:  This is for how “Elemental: War of Magic” the post is.  This is a bit of a gimmie category.   It will usually get high points, and only when something is very un-elemental themed will  low points be scored.  For example, if you post a banner that says “ELEMENTAL: WAR OF MAGIC!   Be ready, the war is coming” or dress in a bear suit and walk through a mall saying to random strangers “do you like bears?  The people on the Elemental forums do, so you should visit Elementalgame.com” then you shall get full points.   If you write a space opera romance novel that has nothing to do with the Elemental Back story or Galactic Civilizations, then simply put “dedicated to the Elemental: War of Magic video game” at the end, you really aren’t doing anything E:WaM-ish… no points.

Tilt:   This is the category that represents just how much the entry is doing what it should.   Remember, this contest is intended to generate community and attract new players to take interest in E:WoM in time for the beta.  If you do something not very creative or impressive, but still lets many people hear the name “Elemental: War of Magic” then this is where it counts.    That being said, bad news is something that can hurt you.  So no streaking through public with “E:WAM” tattoo’d on your penis, because that will hurt the cause.  (unless you do it at a huge conference where you manage to smack the CEO of a major DRM company, shouting “ELEMENTAL FOR THE WIN!   DRM FOR THE LOSE!  STARDOCK ‘GONNA RULE.  *insert company here* ‘GONNA FAIL!”  at which point you probably went from last place to 1st on principle).   Also, if you just have a lot of 'ok' entries, but in total it seems to add up to a lot of effort, those bonus points would go here.  (and basically be added to all your submittions, so you get the best of whatever the result will be)

EXAMPLE POSTS
Entry: 00
Link:    Me wearing a shirt
Description:  I made a shirt.   First off, it lets people know about the game because it says “Elemental: war of magic” in big friendly letters.  2ndly, It is on my back.  If my ego is correct, then people will see it when they glance back over their shoulder to see if they really saw the sexy beast they thought they saw now that it is without risk of embarrassing eye contact will see it, and since my sexy beast face isn't in view it will be the only thing left to see.  Also it will be the thing they tap on to get my phone number.   However, if my mommy lied, and I am in fact ugly, nobody will be deterred by directly relating it to my face.  I will wear it in all sorts of public places, and it has the main website right there for people to read.   Did I mention it’s a polo?  Cool people wear polos

---- 2nd example ----

Entry:  0 {Logically, the 1st post will come after this one with “entry: 1”)

Link:   http://landiscasner.com/images/stuff/IMG_0677.jpg  (posted the way people who don't understand HTML hyperlinks would post it)

Destription:   This is a poster I put up about the contest here.  It is posted on an opertunities board at my local university.   It should let people know about the contest and even asks those who are interested to sign it so that I may have a list of people who are doing stuff for it.

-----another few post down the road of hypothetical thinking-----

Update on Entry 0:    People have actually signed it.  There are 5 signatures now, two of which are people who saw me putting up the poster and have basically now promised they will look into the game.  So thats 5 more that could be joining our community   >>>  link<-->

------------------------------------  Current latest entry (as of last update by me)  -------

An e-mail sent to friend informing of game:    By Timbur   Reply # 18    >>>>  Entry: 1