This contest was pretty good, right? I personally didn't see any issues with it.
One thing though is building space boundaries. I'm sure a lot of people looked at the map right when it started and wondered "woah... where do i start?" I did the same, but to solve this, I quickly drew the lines of my build with dirt and proceeded to build inside of it.
Problem: Building locations not defined.
Solution: Have preset building locations that fit the number of contestands.
Pros: This would stop a lot of confusion about building areas and help promote building early on, instead of giving someone the uncomfortable task of building somewhere they might not know to be totally secure.
There would be no disputes over land.
If pre-assigned areas are made, then tags with people's names above or against their area could be added in to let vieweres know who is who right off the bat.
Cons: Builds would be limited to a certain area, so larger builds (like mine) may not be possible.
People who sign up but do not end up building (for whatever reason), or simply lack the usage of a large portion of their space, would be affecting those who need the larger space for their builds they wish to make.
(If Imissed some things, feel free to point it out)
Personally, I liked the free-build thing you did the first time, but I think that this is at least worth a try. After all, nthing ventured, nothing gained.
Though I have to dissagre on the sprite-build only idea. Many people are not good with sprites, or simply do not want to build anythig associated with them. I am one who likes to get down to the 3-D glory, not a 2-D picture. Minecraft itslef combines elements of art, architecture, eginuity, creativity, and diversification. Sprites (for the most part) only tap into mainly the art section, with a bit of diversification in there. There is little to no enginuity, as it is simply a bunch of blocks in a set pattern that you copy off a picture. The creativity is limited only to which sprite you pick, as there are little to no custom sprites out there or on minecraft for that matter that are anywhere near successful. Architecture.... it's a picutre, not a structure. As for diversification, that is mainly limited to what sprite you choose or what blocks you use to create it.
We all love sprites, and we think they are very cool when made well, but I do not believe they are contest-worthy material. 3-D and structral builds are where it's at. (this is all my opinon)
Please tell me what you think of this Jerzey