[Superpower]

Can we stop with this Vin nonsense

[Scorpio]

Ouhh, I love game-planning.

Contact me if you need some ideas.

[conatus]

Originally posted by Subomie

not connor sleeping with a judge and still losing

Bitch.

[Kitt]

Originally posted by Superpower

Can we stop with this Vin nonsense

Stay pressed.

[Scene.]

Goodbye @ all these Giselle suggestions

[supaspaz]

All those hours spent on my questions and no one even cared.

Oh, well. Great job with the reunion, DripDrip! It was highly entertaining.

[Jezang Looz]

Originally posted by supaspaz

All those hours spent on my questions and no one even cared.

Oh, well. Great job with the reunion, DripDrip! It was highly entertaining.

Gurl bye I definitely left a comment. It's just that all of mine were late cause I had to read everything and Drippy was speeding through the judges interviews

But I thought you did fine - your comments seemed constructive to me and I liked your interview answers. If Matty is up for it, I'd love to see both you and Citrus return for next cycle. It's fun to have mods on the panel and Citrus was the standout judge (to me) this cycle so that's my vote

[Matty]

Originally posted by Jezang Looz

Gurl bye I definitely left a comment. It's just that all of mine were late cause I had to read everything and Drippy was speeding through the judges interviews

But I thought you did fine - your comments seemed constructive to me and I liked your interview answers. If Matty is up for it, I'd love to see both you and Citrus return for next cycle. It's fun to have mods on the panel and Citrus was the standout judge (to me) this cycle so that's my vote

And that's been the biggest criticism from everyone it seems like.

Will never make everyone happy, but I'll find some kind of balance.

[Superpower]

Originally posted by Matty

And that's been the biggest criticism from everyone it seems like.

Will never make everyone happy, but I'll find some kind of balance.

Keep the mods in the panel but get more guest judges (non mods) Guest judges for every round!

[A Bomb]

No, less mods.
Super and Jezang missing the point completely.
The only reason this is being brought up is, because all the mods on the judges panel make this game cater to "nice" members. Which is why many times throughout past cycles this was brought up. Like i get ya'll don't care, because this didn't affect your run, but it affected mine and plenty of other amazing members during their respective cycles. So, pls matty continue on towards diversifying the judges panel; every member should be given an equal chance to win.

[Achilles.]

2 mods = okay
3 mods = too much

Poor Cupid.

[Achilles.]

I just deleted all of my sent messages, but it reminded me that I had cute, thematically relevant titles for all of the entries I sent to Matty.


Speech was "It's just plastic, we could... share it"
Portfolio was "p-p-p-portfolio"
Trials & Testimonies was "the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands"
Artist Promo was "we pray to Jesus and we play the lotto"
Threads was "I'm a hot **** cultured musical elitist" (an old joke with a friend)
Music Taste was "come a little closer" (or was it "I feel so close to you right now"?)
Branding was "when you call my name, it's like a little prayer" (ironically off-brand)
Trends was "I can see it now"

Can't remember the others tbh

[Matty]

Originally posted by JakeKills

2 mods = okay
3 mods = too much

Poor Cupid.

I then look back at previous cycles; cycle 8 basically had 4 mods out of 5 judges and the winner was Edge.
Love you Edge, but you're not the "clean"est from the definition I've been reading. That's a good thing though.

Poor Edge. Won during a cycle of mods.


I see where everyone is getting from and I'm keeping it in mind, but from what I'm seeing it may not be solely about moderators. I asked for names and most of what I got from people were moderators or past judges that were even moderators; not many fresh new names from the forum. What I think the problem here is what A Bomb just spoke in his post above is that some members don't think they have an equal chance. I totally think that is ridiculous, but from what I've seen from this cycle and a few others are those who are convinced judges are biased towards people and want them out. I try my hardest to make sure that doesn't happen and people have an equal shot, but people can be blind in more ways than one [the host not seeing it and the judge not seeing the bias - two way street] or even over think things to the fact they believe it. It's even harder when it's online because all you are basing things on are scores and texts, not body language and how people truly feel.

Which is why I think whomever brought up the idea of a midseason check up where the judges give their thoughts on the contestants so they are in the know could be on to something. Yet again, no one should really be afraid to speak up to someone if you feel like there is something going on. I'm going to toy around with this subject and judges for 14.

[Jezang Looz]

Originally posted by Matty

And that's been the biggest criticism from everyone it seems like.

Will never make everyone happy, but I'll find some kind of balance.

I think you said it best in your interview with Drip:

Our purpose is not to find the next top moderator or future moderators, but more often than not who we are looking for in moderators or the qualities I see and us moderators see in top members. The key thing in all of this is quality

I don't think mods on the panel is a problem. We only had 2 this cycle until Cupid got promoted, but even at 3 I don't think it's a problem. It's really who you pick as judges that seems to be the issue people are circling around.

You + Jake + Supa + Citrus + [open] would be good.

Open could be another previous winner/runner-up/mod/top member. Whomever you feel would make a good balance to the panel - but I wouldn't worry about the title so much as the personality. But that's just me.

I also think five permanent judges are better than rotating/guest judges. It's your call either way but this game is a journey and it feels more focused with the same people on-board throughout the whole thing. I liked that you had guest judges during two rounds, so keep something similar to that for the next cycle.

Originally posted by A Bomb

No, less mods.
Super and Jezang missing the point completely.
The only reason this is being brought up is, because all the mods on the judges panel make this game cater to "nice" members. Which is why many times throughout past cycles this was brought up. Like i get ya'll don't care, because this didn't affect your run, but it affected mine and plenty of other amazing members during their respective cycles. So, pls matty continue on towards diversifying the judges panel; every member should be given an equal chance to win.

Mods on the panel aren't the problem for you (and I'm guessing others) but the personality chosen. Had it been Ace/Doc/Retro/Lipton on the panel you would be saying something different. I think having mods on the panel is fine and expected because of what Matty said in the above quote.

I think the main focus should be updating the challenges / make this game feel fresh. I know a lot of the challenges have been tweaked or updated - but I think there could still be more improvements made. I can't get too specific because I haven't put much thought into it yet, but it's just a general feeling that I have.

The judges I think are fine as is but again that's just me. He just needs a more diverse panel of personalities.

[Citrus]

Originally posted by Matty

Which is why I think whomever brought up the idea of a midseason check up where the judges give their thoughts on the contestants so they are in the know could be on to something.

[supaspaz]

Originally posted by A Bomb

No, less mods.
Super and Jezang missing the point completely.
The only reason this is being brought up is, because all the mods on the judges panel make this game cater to "nice" members. Which is why many times throughout past cycles this was brought up. Like i get ya'll don't care, because this didn't affect your run, but it affected mine and plenty of other amazing members during their respective cycles. So, pls matty continue on towards diversifying the judges panel; every member should be given an equal chance to win.

How did it affect your run? You made it all the way to the finale. I'd say you greatly exceeded expectations, particularly given your multiple meltdowns.

And it's not about being a moderator. My perspective on what I like about ATRL and value in members comes from who I am as a person. So you can disagree with my opinions, but that's not a bias against you. I give every contestant an equal chance to impress me—much like any other judge.

I'm still not sure why you think I had it out for you. As I've said before, I had no idea who you were before this competition, so all I had to go on was the work you submitted. Let's look back on the critique that set this all off:

I was on board with your entry—the Mickey boxing gloves and Disney font and bright color scheme nicely reflect how "feisty" is something more spirited and playful than aggressive. Then I read your examples. These posts cross well into abrasive territory (and you seem to have reached back quite far for some of them, too). I hope you find a better tone for future weeks, because that is not the type of personality I like to promote as a top member.

I didn't like a branding choice you made. That's it. There's no personal jab, nothing outside the bounds of the challenge. And how my comment could ever be perceived as an indication that you couldn't win—or that I would do everything in my power to keep you from victory—is beyond me.

I really don't get why we're dwelling on this, especially after I already addressed it in week two and my reunion questions, but here we are. I sympathize with your disappointment at losing the competition, but the way you've made it so personal just feels like poor sportsmanship. It's certainly lowered my esteem for you.

[A Bomb]

how quickly we forget. I should have won the testimonial challenge, i lost by one point and was still put up for elimination, because for some bizarre reason my "attitude" was brought up. Even though I literally didn't do or say anything after i quit. But it's cool ya'll can continue to dismiss the issue most people have with this game or ya'll can shake up panel, and balance it a bit.

also idg why you keep bringing Edge up. He literally won Cycle 8 and this is cycle 13! Like wow 1/13 winners wasnt "nice", so that must prove this game is for everyone. This is literally the equivalent of "racism is over bc Obama and Beyoncé". You can miss me with that

[jax.]

Originally posted by A Bomb

No, less mods.
Super and Jezang missing the point completely.
The only reason this is being brought up is, because all the mods on the judges panel make this game cater to "nice" members. Which is why many times throughout past cycles this was brought up. Like i get ya'll don't care, because this didn't affect your run, but it affected mine and plenty of other amazing members during their respective cycles. So, pls matty continue on towards diversifying the judges panel; every member should be given an equal chance to win.

hi

[jax.]

Originally posted by A Bomb

how quickly we forget. I should have won the testimonial challenge, i lost by one point and was still put up for elimination, because for some bizarre reason my "attitude" was brought up. Even though I literally didn't do or say anything after i quit. But it's cool ya'll can continue to dismiss the issue most people have with this game or ya'll can shake up panel, and balance it a bit.

also idg why you keep bringing Edge up. He literally won Cycle 8 and this is cycle 13! Like wow 1/13 winners wasnt "nice", so that must prove this game is for everyone. This is literally the equivalent of "racism is over bc Obama and Beyoncé". You can miss me with that

ajskdfjas the ACCURACY

[Superpower]

Originally posted by Matty

---

EPISODE 12 | FINALE: ATRL's NEXT TOP MEMBER

ATRL'S NEXT TOP MEMBER IS...

JAKEKILLS

74/80
CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE ATRL'S NEXT TOP MEMBER!!!


Superpower:
72/80

WHAT???

I LOST??



AFTER ALL THE WORK IVE PUT INTO MY ENTRIES?? AFTER ALL MY WINS??

AAAAAAARRRRGGGGJHH



I DEMAND A RECOUNT NOW!!!!!