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  • MangyForestCat posted an update in the group Group logo of Beginner Modeler - Modeling Competition 2017Beginner Modeler – Modeling Competition 2017 6 years, 1 month ago

    @syd Why is there a “racial purity test” for this competition?

    I do not understand at all the decision made to have this mixed messaging of what kits we are and are not allowed to use and whether they came from HLJ.com or not.

    If your intention was to create a completely closed ecosystem where no kits, but those bought from HLJ.com, would be eligible then obviously it is within your rights to do so. In that case why even bother with the description in the Advanced Category that it can be “a kit completely scratch-built, even a creation all your own that has never been seen before.”

    You know that from a logical perspective that those two things are mutually exclusive and cannot be true at the same time.

    You cannot BOTH

    A) Have a kit that you bought from HLJ.com or has been available to purchase from HLJ.com

    AND

    B) Make “a kit completely scratch-built, even a creation all your own that has never been seen before.”

    Those two are completely and utterly incompatible with each other. If you completely scratch-build a kit then it has obviously never been available for sale at HLJ.com. On top of which how do you judge this nonsensical little gem “the main part of your entry [has to] be an item that is, or was at one point, available for sale on hlj.com”? A completely scratch built, one-of-a-kind model, made at home from personally molded plastic/resin/vinyl/carbon-fiber, isn’t a kit that was once available from HLJ. On top of that, since it won’t have a “main part” to claim is from your website, how would you even possibly begin to categorize whether it’s eligible to partcipate?

    Honestly, I’ve studied with friends that have done computer programming and friends that have gone to law school. From a purely logical standpoint. This is terrible logic programming and makes no sense whatsoever.

    I bet this all went down a little something like this.

    Your boss Scott and everyone involved had a big discussion and, after a long examination and debate over 2013/2014, you decided to go a different direction and be more closed off, stifling, and restrictive with this year’s rules. Seeing all of this attention drawn to scratch built kits and items you do not sell on HLJ.com, you all came to the conclusion was not good for your business. You decided to make it more promotional in nature so that people would be more interested in using materials, building, and buying from HLJ.

    I get that. I completely understand that you want to draw attention to your company and this is all just one big promotion scheme. I’m not against that.

    What I am against is unclear rules and stifling creativity.

    Why not just be extremely clear, unrelenting, and Draconian with the rules? Why not just outright and flat-out state that we had to buy and a use a kit directly from HLJ.com? Why keep the colorful language in the Advanced Category saying you can completely scratch build a kit, when obviously that would, by any measure of logic, go against the idea that it’s from HLJ.com, or has at one time been sold there? You want to have it both ways and honestly your rules are not even close to allowing that to be true.

    And finally, why not just be more honest and open about this with EVERYONE? Why not just flat out tell everyone the reasons why you have different rules this year? Why have all this colorful, meandering, fuzzy, language around what is an isn’t allowed?

    Just be honest. You examined the 2013/2014 competition. You realized people weren’t necessarily using HLJ kits and materials. You didn’t really appreciate the true scratch-built and models from companies you don’t sell from. You decided to do this competition and be more restrictive with the rules and regulations. You decided to stifle people’s choices and imaginations in order to promote your shop.

    I hold none of that against you. You are a business. However, as I already mentioned, what I do hold against you is this unclear and rather ridiculous stance you have taken. It’s obvious you just did a “Copy & Paste” of the old competition rules and category descriptions but you added in the “racial purity test” to make sure the kits come from HLJ. However you failed to notice that the rules from 2013/2014 do not mesh well with the ADDED “racial purity test” of 2017.

    Why not just extremely clear about this?

    * For reference to everyone this is the link to 2013/2014’s competition.
    http://hlj.com/Playing-With-Plamo-Modeling-Competition-2013#howto

    ** This is the link to 2017’s competition
    http://hlj.com/plamo-2017#howto

    • I agree with your reason that they want to promote their company, and it is completely fine. As for the unclear rules, I believe hlj.com does offer scratch build materials.
      http://hlj.com/product/TAM70124/Sup
      So I guess nothing is wrong then.

      • I didn’t say they don’t offer scratch build materials. I know that HLJ offers many things including scratch built materials. That is besides the point. I can go to my local art supply or hobby store, and buy all the materials for scratch building. Someone building a completely scratch built model can use materials from various sources. How does @Syd and the other judges factor in which counts as the “main part of the entry” in that case?

        This “racial purity test” looking for this patrilineal relation with kits sold or at one time offered by HLJ is nonsensical. Why not just make the rules clear and exceedingly simple? So they only want kits from HLJ. Fine. Then why the mixed messaging and semi-open language around the FAQs? In which case why just “Copy & Paste” the entire same page with the same category descriptions from 2013-2014? Why not be clear?

        Only kits bought from HLJ are eligible. Just make it simple and clear. Tune the “racial purity test” straight to 100% and make the entire competition fully promotional.

        • In the most recent Gunpla TV episode, Syd confirmed that the materials can be purchased anywhere, they only needed to be available on hlj.com.

          • Again this has nothing to do with my post. You have failed to understand the internal hypocrisy and illogical inconsistencies arising from these new rules added on top of the 2013/2014 rules and category description.

    • Racial purity rest?

      It’s their competition. They want you to use their kits / supplies to win their prizes. It’s their promotion. Seems pretty legitimate to me. And I agree with it.

      I’m a side note, please don’t refer to basic modeling promotion rules as racial purity tests. It is offensive and really doesn’t make sense either.

      • If unclear rules is ur issue, contact HLJ staffs/ read FAQs. They have made stuff much more clear in the FAQ page. Stifling creativity? not sure about that. HLJ does sell huge selection of scratch building materials. Besides, read the FAQ page on 2017 page. U are allowed to use kits NOT BOUGHT FROM HLJ but U WILL NEED TO OWN A HLJ ACCOUNT.

        p.s. just like tony said above don’t refer this as a racial puriy tests. Seriously, it’s offensive and do mind using a more appropriate vocabulary when posting something.

        • I think I can grasp a bit of Mangy’s frustration/confusion. The root of this problem is not the scratch building or using an HLJ kit, etc, but the use of poor diction to describe the “mentioned” judging criteria. The term “completely” was probably implied as 100% of the kit is built from non preexisting parts (i.e. literally building it from the ground up like a clay sculpture). This created a contradiction since the entry needs to be, at one point, a kit HLJ sales/sold.
          But in all fairness, this is the second time HLJ is hosting the contest, thus they should have clearer guidelines. However, it is not uncommon to discover some growing pains with the new rules. It is the participant’s liability to read, understand, and stay updated on the rules and ask for clarification if need. If the participant do not like the rules set by HLJ, then they have the right to not enter the competition. HLJ also has the right withhold entries if they don’t meet their criteria.
          All and all, this issue could of been solve civilly by just sending an email.

          • You are the only one who has hit the nail right on the head. You’re exactly right. You understand my frustration and confusion considering I was already thinking of what I would be modeling and painting. It is absolutely semantics but it’s also about being both contradicting and inconsistent within their own rules.

          • I’ve already mentioned this but think of the ridiculousness of not allowing limited edition mail-order Gundam kits.

            Like say from the website Gentei Kits.

            http://genteikits.com/kits/

            These are exclusive Bandai Gundam models that are available only if you order them by mail and available only in Japan on a one by one ordering basis.

            HLJ does not, has never, and will never sell the following available kits you can get directly from Bandai.

            MG 1/100 Tallgeese II & III

            HGUC 1/144 RGM-89S Proto Stark Jegan

            RE/100 1/100 Rebawoo

            So how do we classify those kits? Not allowed according to the ridiculous rules, or is it allowed because they are so similar to the “kinds of kits” that HLJ sells? So how “pure” do the kits have to be? Are only kits from HLJ.com allowed? How about kits that are from the same family of the companies and models HLJ sells from but aren’t available, and have never been available, and will never be available at HLJ? Are those allowed?

            Because the FAQ says it has to be a kit that is/was available at HLJ.com and that specifically rules those out even though they are Gundams themselves.

            • The base kit needs to be available on HLJ for purchase.
              Since the listed kits are originally a “P-Bandai” they will be considered illegal because they are not available at HLJ. However, it is not against the rules to alter another kit to resemble a P-Bandai. For example, HG IBO Iok’s Reginlaze is just a recolor of HG IBO Julieta’s Reginlaze. You can get Julieta’s Reginlaze and just repaint it.

            • For eligibility, the competition states “The first photo posted should be of the model kit box you intend to build.” This is done so the judges can confirm, what kit you are building and is the available for purchase. This is why they also have at least 4 work in progress photo, as a reference to check if you are not cheating. If anything, the more photos you post, the creditable your entry will be.