Your tower example is plausible. I really don’t think an author would make such a drastic change to pander for votes. For one, there is no guarantee that the requestor(s) would follow through with the votes. In addition, such a change might reduce votes from others who liked the mod fine without a tower. Lastly, everyone could add towers, which would therefore negate any unfair advantage to any individual mod.
You mention that allowing changes during voting period negates the deadline. There is a deadline though – entries still need to be initially submitted by 3/9/15 to participate.
There is still a challenge. Authors will have to make decisions as to whether or not they need to (or should) make any changes/improvements, based on any feedback, or “promises” of potential votes.
I think the reality would be that authors would simply be making fixes.
And if a major point or “challenge” of this contest is to vote on the homes “as is” when submitted, then anything that doesn’t work in the mod as intended (storage activator doesn’t work, navmesh doesn’t work, floor/walls don’t match up perfectly), that mod failed to meet the intent of the contest.
Many contests that have multiple judges provide guidelines to the judges – things to look for when evaluating the entries. I’m not sure if you intend to that here (I’m guessing you won’t be). It will probably be simply pick the ones you like. I’m also guessing that judges will overlook minor things, and even base their voting on the overall concept of the home, and on the mod’s potential for future fixes to any minor flaws.
Basically, I don’t imagine judges will be adhering to the strict “as-is” challenge. If so, it would not be incorrect for judges to point out all the flaws and warts of any particular mod, in case other judges did not notice them. They should even be encouraged to do so.
Don’t get me wrong though – I understand the “pencils up!” concept prevalent in timed tests. But in those cases, all participants start at the same time. You have already conceded that people who started their mod well in advance of others are able to participate, which is a good thing. We have already seen that some entries are already getting feedback, (adding “towers” if you will), which is a good thing.
The playing field is already unlevel, and we acknowledge that. Modifying the rules, so that submissions all need to be in by 3/9/15 (as it currently is), and then allowing changes during the voting period, in essence creates a level field where none previously existed.
Everyone starts on 3/9, and everyone finishes on the (yet to be decided) end date.
Think about it. Before you respond, let’s see if anyone chimes in (which if form holds, no one will). Except for Mathiass, and I already have him down as a “No”.