enderxenocide0's page

Thanks, Monica and Feros! The Schulze method makes sense and, in retrospect, is the obvious choice over a genetic algorithm. If we used a GA, each candidate would require multiple points of comparison (cost accuracy, template/formatting, ability cohesion, theme, imagination, etc) in order to compare which of the two items was more fit. Then it would go ahead and do a crossover between the two for the next generation... which isn't what we want, obviously.

Although, that makes me wonder... if we took all of the items to have ever reached the top 32, gave them all points of comparison, and ran them through a genetic algorithm with some sort of fitness criteria... what monstrosity of an item would it produce?!

enderxenocide0 wrote:

A thought: it sounds like culls happen after a certain number of votes have taken place. At least, that's the general feel I'm getting from some posts. If a counter of Total Votes Placed versus Votes Remaining Until Next Cull was instituted (clearly not for this season), would that, perhaps, give the voters more incentive to vote? I mean, I think I can safely say that we like the culls... perhaps too much at times... so a counter that shows our progress toward the next cull could spur us on to reach specific goals.

DISCLAIMER: I fully admit that I haven't thought about the ramifications of such a feature for more than a few minutes. I'm just spitballing and am completely okay with the way things are currently.

Cool idea in theory, but keep in mind how much more influence that would give Mr. Thomas LeBlanc over the contest results; (scroll up to see what I mean).

Assuming we're talking about Champion Voters in general, it wouldn't give them any more power than they already have. The counter would merely show us how much work has been done. Champion Voters and the like are still contributing roughly the same amount in comparison to the other voters, but it might close the gap slightly if it increases the votes coming from Marathon and below.

What I've heard in a number of posts (and the "racking wine" analogy you wrote, Feros) leads me to believe there's a genetic algorithm (maybe truncated selection method?) being used for the voting. That sound accurate? Or am I way off base?

DISCLAIMER: It's been a couple years since I studied genetic algorithms so I may simply be seeing something I wish was there (because, guys, genetic algorithms are awesome).

A thought: it sounds like culls happen after a certain number of votes have taken place. At least, that's the general feel I'm getting from some posts. If a counter of Total Votes Placed versus Votes Remaining Until Next Cull was instituted (clearly not for this season), would that, perhaps, give the voters more incentive to vote? I mean, I think I can safely say that we like the culls... perhaps too much at times... so a counter that shows our progress toward the next cull could spur us on to reach specific goals.

DISCLAIMER: I fully admit that I haven't thought about the ramifications of such a feature for more than a few minutes. I'm just spitballing and am completely okay with the way things are currently.

For me, provided I have the time, I vote rather obsessively for the first 24 hours after a cull. After that, I don't stop, but I get voting fatigue and just leave the window open in my browser and switch back to it every so often while I'm doing something else.

I actually prefer not knowing when a cull is coming because I suspect it would make me a little lazy and slow my votes even more.

I think your designer has watched a fantastic (yet rather unknown) miniseries. You're just different enough that I can't be certain... but it's dangerous water to tread.

But you should really be an artifact anyway.

Now that is a really cool, useful, and surprisingly simple ability for an armor to possess. The small, random element might not be the best choice, but I love the item as a whole.

Every time I see this item, I come up with a new way I could use it to break the game.

Covent wrote:

The more voting I do the more angry "Joke" items make me. Not "Funny" items, items using humor or alliteration that are honest contest entries may or may not always be my cup of tea but are fine.

I mean items that make no attempt at the contest and honestly feel mocking to the voters and the contest itself. Really upsetting due to the lack of respect towards how much effort contestants, judges, and all others involved with the contest have put in.

Just *Grr*.

I appreciate the joke items but I understand where you are coming from.

You know, I like joke items, too. They can help to break up the monotony of voting. But I sort of wish there was a separate entry for joke items, specifically. Then, maybe, after so many votes, instead of getting another pair to vote on, you're given a joke item to help you laugh. I just get tired of having a joke item in a voting pair.

Christopher Tin for me, not sure why.

Just because a weapon/armor is angelic, or holy, or divine does not mean it has to grant the user the ability to fly. I mean, I get it, thematically. I'm just getting tired of seeing it so frequently.

But... that's already a thing in Pathfinder and it does something completely different!

[accent="InigoMontoya"]You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.[/accent]

So many dice. So. Many.

Is it just me, or are there a lot of "Take that, ghosts!" entries?

I've come across a few items that are really just a couple pre-existing items that have been sovereign glued together. I want to like the ones that have a good theme... but... I don't need an item that's just other items.

Interesting description and history, though that's a lot. Oh, silly me, I must have missed the mechanics in that read-through.

*reads again*

Wait.

*reads again*

No... that can't be...

*reads again*

Sigh. What a lovely, costly backstory.

I have a soft spot for items that open up tactical options or think of a really clever way of manipulating mechanics to achieve a specific goal, but the ones I see usually don't consider all the ramifications.

I'm sorry, it costs how much?!

Now that's a simple, useful ability with a reasonable price that even low level parties could have a use for. I like!

enderxenocide0 wrote:

I'd also be more than happy to help with critiques/feedback for items (and would love a few extra set of eyes on mine, as well). It would certainly give me a break from obsessively staring at my own items :P

Items? PLURAL?! OMG multi-accounts... RIGGED! *eye twitch* HAXXORZ! /s

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Heh, I simply haven't decided which item to submit. Each one (there's only two) I designed has pros and cons when I look at them.

I'd also be more than happy to help with critiques/feedback for items (and would love a few extra set of eyes on mine, as well). It would certainly give me a break from obsessively staring at my own items :P

And what about when spell requirements are X or Y? There are a couple of weapon qualities that give the "or" option.

I was wondering that, as well. Flame Tongue is one such weapon that lists the spells as "scorching ray and fireball, flame blade, or flame strike". To me, that would suggest putting the "X or Y" spell requirements at the end, even though it is no longer in alphabetical order (although the X or Y spells, themselves, are in alphabetical order).