Interactive Fandom FAQ

1. What is this?
2. When are these?
3. Who does this?
4. Can I submit an entry?
5. Will my entry be accepted?
6. What is the rating system?
7. I don't like being judged.
8. Can I submit more than one?
9. Can I make my own picture?
10. Can I edit my submission?
11. Will a contest be repeated?
12. Do you need ideas for IFs?

Get the who, what, and why? for the general flow of the Interactive Fandom, or "If You Could Make a..." contests.

It's a rather straight-forward concept. Every one of the contests asks, "If You Could Make a..." and completes the thought with some element from the game series. They'll all be about the game series and never the animated one. Sorry, folks, thems how it goes.

What is Interactive Fandom? If the previous page didn't explain it well enough, this is a series of regularly held contests where the fans of the Kirby series can flex their creative muscles and show how they would make things in Kirby if given the change. The target is not to clash with the trends established in the games but rather to mesh with them seamlessly while still standing apart as unique. For example, a Final Fantasy sprite would stand out like a soar thumb on Pop Star, but a recolored Dream Land sprite would just be lazy.

When are these? The contests are held semi-regularly. They average about two months in length, typically starting on the first. During most of this time, submissions are allowed to be entered and ratings can be given on accepted material. A few weeks before the close of a contest, about two weeks, submissions are closed to allow adequate judgement by visitors on the entries. Voting closes about a week later, and the final wrap up is delivered before another starts up.

Who does this? The contests are held by Bimblesnaff ... that's me. See my name at the bottom of every page? That's 'cuz I'm the one doing this. Should be a good clue. People actually have not been able to put this together before, which is why it's a FAQ. I'm also the one who draws all of the pictures on entries unless otherwise noted on the entry. Typically, it's pretty easy to spot.

Can I submit an entry? Anyone can submit an entry. You can be a long time resident of the Resort or have just stumbled in. There's really no special requirements to send in an idea. It's at least asked that you read through the Guidelines and look at currently received entries for an idea of how to shape your submission.

Will my entry be accepted? While anyone can send in an entry, that doesn't guarantee that it'll be posted. Each contest has some pretty simple rules to filter out the serious submissions from the jokes or garbage. These are clearly explained on the Guidelines found with every contest. If asked for a fruit and you hand in celery, that won't do. This screening also ensures a low bar of quality. A two sentance submission just isn't going to cut it.

What is the rating system? This is a way for the public, and myself, to know the general feelings regarding an entry. It also opens up my opinion. This can help shape their decision on a future submission by avoid errors clearly warned against ... again. It started out a little ... complex, but has been shaved down to a more pass/fail system.

I don't like being judged. Oh, grow-up and man-up. Generally, the entries with the poorest reception are those that contradict the already established guidelines or rules. Or, it contains language like, "And it kills everything!!!111".

Can I submit more than one? There isn't necessarily any ban preventing more than one entry by a user, so don't bother coming up with fake names. There should be moderation, however, and I'll hold up that end if need be. If you enter one and come up with a really good idea days later, I probably won't even realize you already put one in. However, if a flood comes in and they aren't that good, I'll probably only pick the best one.

Can I make my own picture? If you want to supply artwork for your own entry, or even someone else's, feel free to note it. You can provide a link to the image in the entry submission or a notice that a picture will be made (so I don't waste my time with it). They can be funneled through the Fanart Gallery or simply emailed to me. There's dozens of ways to get ahold of Uncle Gobbo.

Can I edit my submission? As long as it isn't too drastic, then yes. If a name needs changed or part of the description, sure. Drop me a line or even submit a dud entry explaining the correction. Now, if you want it to go from an apple to orange (again with the fruit!), then no. At that point, you might as well make a new entry. The changes shouldn't influence the standing ratings on the submission.

Will a contest ever be repeated? At this moment, it's uncertain. When the contests started out, they weren't as well known about and people may have missed something they wanted to get in on. Well, I really don't know if things will be repeated. I don't even know how long these things will even keep going on, quite frankly. It's always an open possibility. Although, really, who nowadays even cares about the Animal Friends? (besides me ;_;)

Do you need ideas for IFs? While the number is pretty limited for how much things can be fan-made in the Kirby game series, it can be stretched pretty far. Since I know know what the public seems to prefer, I can milk that out for a while.

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