2025 HC Base Contest Discussion Thread

[Easter Bunny]

@Viking Queen We found this link from a previous showcase for Victrix Historical Society. Looks as though the correct passcode should be VICTRIX001-3323.
 

 

[Fade]

I'm considering entering the base contest with the first base I've ever built to completion, but the Novice category has a lot of competition in it. Would I be better off entering into a different category (Other/Miscellaneous, in this case)? Are the Novice bases going to be judged on a different level (perhaps more forgiving) than the other categories?

EDIT: Another unrelated question: Some of my friends helped out with tips and tricks and suggestions. Will naming them as collaborators prevent them from submitting their own entries due to the "one base per player" rule?

Edited April 23 by Fade

[Dacy]

The bases in Novice are not expected to be as polished, but will be judged with the same rubric. The difference will be in who you are competing with. More experienced base builders, some have spent literally years polishing their bases, learning new techniques, etc; so expect that the winners of the other categories 

would be at a high level of refinement and polish. I encourage you to enter the novice, this is where novices will compete against other novices, so it does not matter what the standard is for the other categories. Some novices will catch on more quickly than others, so some bases will have a higher degree of sophistication than others, but all are people who have not dedicated lots of time to perfecting their building skills as of this contest. Regardless of what category you enter, people will see your build, and you can get feedback about it. Now, feedback will likely be a bit different for a novice, who might not know what and how to do things, vs. a veteran, who has had the time and experience to learn what and how to do things. But each category is judged only against the rubric, and only competes against others in that same category. So...if I were you and wanted to see where I had the best chance (remembering there is only one winner per category), I'd go to the TOUR hubs and see the bases that I'd be competing against. (You'll have to go to the other shards to get them all.) If you happen to be in a light category, maybe, sure, go with that, but otherwise I'd advise Novice.

Edited April 23 by Dacy

[slo644]

If the Novice catagory  is not policed its likly  it will be taken advantage of by other than  novice builder

Edited April 23 by slo644

[Easter Bunny]

Yes, both Dacy and I and the HC Council gave this a lot of thought, as it was a major concern before implementing the Novice category. Ultimately, three key factors led to our decision:

1. Honor System Disclaimer:
   The contest announcement includes a clear statement:

   "We are relying on the honor system to ensure fair competition. The Novice tier is meant for casual builders and those still honing their craft- not experienced builders seeking an easy win. Violating this may result in disqualification and a ban from future contests."
   We want the event to be fun and fair for everyone. Enter with integrity and respect for fellow builders.

2. Title Transparency:
   Winners will be labeled as “Novice Champion.” For a true novice, this is something to be proud of. For a skilled builder trying to game the system, it’s less appealing.

3. Community Awareness:
   We know our community well. If someone’s competed before, we’ll likely recognize them. If they haven’t, chances are they are genuinely new.

Lastly, while we’re not actively investigating every entry upfront, we reserve the right to review standout bases and ensure the category’s integrity is upheld.

Edited April 23 by Easter Bunny

[ZacKing]

Question - Are multiple entries for the same SG allowed?  Looks like there are people from within the same SG entering different bases of theirs related to their SG. 

[Easter Bunny]

2 hours ago, ZacKing said:

Question - Are multiple entries for the same SG allowed?  Looks like there are people from within the same SG entering different bases of theirs related to their SG. 

Yes, multiple entries from the same Supergroup are allowed - there’s no rule against that.

However, individual builders can only be part of ONE entry. If a builder contributes to multiple bases, they must choose one to be officially listed on. This means a person cannot be credited on more than one entry, even if they belong to the same SG.

I see the post you are referring to and have reached out to those involved for clarification on how they want to proceed.

[Fade]

1 hour ago, Easter Bunny said:

Yes, multiple entries from the same Supergroup are allowed - there’s no rule against that.

However, individual builders can only be part of ONE entry. If a builder contributes to multiple bases, they must choose one to be officially listed on. This means a person cannot be credited on more than one entry, even if they belong to the same SG.

I see the post you are referring to and have reached out to those involved for clarification on how they want to proceed.

 

That would be me! I asked this question earlier, and I think it was overlooked in favor of the other question I posted.

 

On 4/22/2025 at 11:52 PM, Fade said:

EDIT: Another unrelated question: Some of my friends helped out with tips and tricks and suggestions. Will naming them as collaborators prevent them from submitting their own entries due to the "one base per player" rule?

 

Considering I built the base by myself, but my friends helped by teaching me how the base builder worked, should I remove them from the contributing builders section to avoid misconception?

[Easter Bunny]

Ah! Whoops! Sorry for missing your earlier question!

Yes, the collaborators portion of the entry form does directly connect to the "one base per player" rule.

However, I love that you want to thank your friends and fully support that. Maybe add a Special Thanks section on your entry ❤️ That should bypass the rule just fine, they won't be credited as builders to your base that way.

[Fade]

23 minutes ago, Easter Bunny said:

Ah! Whoops! Sorry for missing your earlier question!

Yes, the collaborators portion of the entry form does directly connect to the "one base per player" rule.

However, I love that you want to thank your friends and fully support that. Maybe add a Special Thanks section on your entry ❤️ That should bypass the rule just fine, they won't be credited as builders to your base that way.

That's a great way to handle it, and I edited my submission post.

[ZacKing]

2 hours ago, Easter Bunny said:

Yes, multiple entries from the same Supergroup are allowed - there’s no rule against that.

However, individual builders can only be part of ONE entry. If a builder contributes to multiple bases, they must choose one to be officially listed on. This means a person cannot be credited on more than one entry, even if they belong to the same SG.

 

Thanks for the follow up.  I have some follow up comments, but will message you directly.

[ZamuelNow]

Bumping the portal alignment question in case anyone else who's working on an entry runs into the same issue: