Monthly Make-A-Magus Contest

[Leftovers]

I mostly create characters so I can write them in an RP or fanfic so I've always liked the inclusion of narrative segments to a sheet's package, either as CE shorts or story segments, to organically present characters beyond hard stats and skill descriptions, doubly for magus characters which lack the Servant sheet's standalone realisation of the character through the technical merit of its mechanics and the interpretation of the figure and the frame of reference that they necessarily come attached with. It feels like a snapshot of the character in their creative context and the world they exist in really brings them to life. That said, I don't see how codifying that aspect into the contest's format wouldn't force potential entrants to do extra work that they might not even want to do, or bring into voters' consideration elements extraneous to sheet-making without turning this into a fanfiction contest wholesale. Then again this is Fanfics, so idk, maybe people wouldn't have a problem with that, just tossing the sentiment out there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[You]

So it seems like the issue is more to do with the floor of intrinsic investment
At the very base of create-a-servant. It's about adapting historical/mythological figures you have buy in. Or one step further, further adapting HS's that TM has adapted (Lancer Achilles, Cu Lily etc).
While for magus you need to create something for yourself to buy into.
If that's the conventional wisdom, then what sort of feasible ways on the organizer's part can things like that be addressed so that more people are willing to participate? Or is it pretty much a lost cause because TM is pretty much Servants Servants Servants at this point.

[Historia]

It's a lost cause. You're actually creating something from scratch, opposed to having some basic framework available for the character with a Servant sheet. Plus, I don't believe people know enough about the magic system in general to make a magus, either. Some haven't even read the VN where the majority of it can be found.

[ScarfDyedShadow]

I don't have the strongest of feedback, but I think moving the deadline to the 24th or the 25th would help? The actual voting doesn't take all that long and even if it spilled over to the beginning of Monthly Create A Servant (which it needn't) I don't think it'd be a real problem. The reasoning being that, as has been said far more eloquently by others, it's overall a lot harder to make a magus compared to making a Servant. The extra time could go some way to helping that.

[Bugs]

The contest could have no set deadline, or at most a corollary that it needs at least three or five entrants or whatever before it's considered "over".
The Servant contest could be every month instead of every other month, tbh. Creative juices that would have dried up looking at "just making a magus" might flow a bit more readily if there's both a Servant and a magus to work on. Or maybe that's just me and I'm crazy

[SleepMode]

The contest could have no set deadline, or at most a corollary that it needs at least three or five entrants or whatever before it's considered "over".
The Servant contest could be every month instead of every other month, tbh. Creative juices that would have dried up looking at "just making a magus" might flow a bit more readily if there's both a Servant and a magus to work on. Or maybe that's just me and I'm crazy

I'm more in favor of Scarf's suggestion, as having an extended deadline still gives the creators more time to work as well as an incentive to finish their prompts. And if there wasn't a deadline it's more or less another Create-A-Mage thread.

[You]

Moving deadlines is easy enough to do and will probably fix some voting inefficiencies.

One idea I'm grappling with in grounding the contest and making it something with more direction is possibly changing it into a Make-a-Master and having it wholly as a companion contest to the Make-a-Servant. As in, the prompt each month will be making a Master for the winner of the Servant contest.
However, I feel there are a lot of problems with that.
But I want to throw it out there as a 10am idea.

[34]

Maybe it would be good to just use that idea and start next month's with "Master" prompt, though maybe not necessarily have to be a Master for the contest's winner.

[Spartacus]

That would be a fun special prompt, but I don't think it is a good idea doing that for every contest.
And maybe, not just the winners, but the runner-ups and thirds as well.

[You]

So then what i would like to do in this final week is to form an plan of action.
What should next month's contest look like or should there just not be a contest until more interest has been developed in this topic.

[ScarfDyedShadow]

I think we should have a contest next month, yup. It'd be somewhat difficult to gauge when interest would develop otherwise.

[You]

So does anyone else share this opinion
or is it more ambivalent on even having a magus making contest

[Spartacus]

I want it to continue too.

[gyrowins]

It might be prudent to make the next contest a "Make a Master" contest in order to gauge the interest for it.

As for the ruling, I feel like masters should be chosen based on how interesting their dynamic is with the servant in question? Maybe its a non-catalyst summon, or maybe they intentionally looked for that hero. There's stuff to work with, but I'm not sure how interested everyone would be in such a topic.

[You]

Considering that only three people answered, saying they want the contest to continue. I think it might be best to just shut it down.

[SleepMode]

Damn.

Although I only participated in two submissions, this was challenging fun while it lasted.

[SteelBeowulf]

When it comes to Magus, maybe Lord El Melloi II Case Files could provide a few "templates". From how I see official writers make Magus, as long as they follow overall how magecraft works, how their life and personality is affected by their origin, following the magus hierarchy, magus with any power would do.

[34]

is the contest shutting down for reals?

[You]

unless someone else wants to set it up yes

[Kabalisto Koga]

unless someone else wants to set it up yes

experimental wise would i try to sett it up for atleast one or two Rounds and see if it gets enough Attention ?