Round Three!

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/x...yesonidol3.png

Welcome back! Congratulations to all those who have made it this far! We have been really impressed by you all so far. You've made it to the final fourteen and for good reason! We're glad you all decided to join

Now onto the task:

As you know, here at Eyes on Final Fantasy we have been trying to integrate the frontsite with the forums and it's community. It's been an arduous undertaking but we're starting to make some headway in it. While we are interested in you moderating our forums, we're also interested in having you help up with the frontsite when we need it! And we need it lately. In round three you will be able to show us your ability to help the frontsite.

You need to create a piece for the frontsite. Be it news, an article about characters/places/battle systems/etc, countdowns, an amusing critique on cloud's hair, anything really, or even help with the XIII-2 section, we want it! Now, Here's where you can rampage through the mog house general section. We don't want anyone to have the same type of article. We don't want two Kefka articles or two "moogles are super awesome omg" articles. You must work with your remaining competitors to not duplicate anything. Because of this though, you may also be able to work WITH your competitors. Possibly something to celebrate the 25th? A Reoccurring series of articles maybe? Anything as long as it's not duplicated. Heck if there is a news article I haven't posted, write one up and i'll post it!

We want a CK who can mod first and foremost but also one that can help with the editors. You never know, you may not win as a CK in the competition but you might win as an Editor! Show us that you really want to be part of EoFF's Future!

Don't be stingy either! One thing we do ask of each other in staff, Ck and Editor alike, is to edit each others articles. It helps us produce the best article. Don't be afraid to ask for help or be willing to help anyone else! In fact we encourage it.

There isn't too many specific rules on the article itself. Don't write anything vulgar, make sure it's not a wall of text (We don't want to scare off readers) which means format it, and try to get at least 2-3 paragraphs. One picture is great but if you feel like adding more don't overload the thing. I only ask for a finished article PM'd to me by monday night!

As for your mog blogs, we want a new thread! Titled 3 of course. This time we would like you to give us your opinion about the frontsite. Do you look at it? What would make you look at it if you don't? What would you like to see? What would you want to try to implement if you were made part of staff? Etc! It's a work in progress and we would love to hear what you think would help us move forward. We want you to post your thoughts about the current round in the mog blog as well OF COURSE.

Good Luck! Any questions I'll try to answer as soon as i'm able! You'll have til monday night!

EDIT:

Here's an example of an article that's not news done by Jiro a few months ago if you're confused on what I mean.
Here's one in a series we call "The Lore you know"
Here's a silly one I did about the best final fantasy character ever!

Everyone I am writing a piece about the plot-line of Final Fantasy, and how that all exist in a single universe, but you all have just not been able to see it, no one has, until me, you have been warned.

So, are we only submitting one piece of article for the front site? I actually want to see more Final Fantasy fanart to be displayed, so I am thinking of doing an article of fanarts of the week, and I think I want to make it a weekly thing if it were to be implemented. (I called it, so no one takes this from me!)

You can do whatever you'd like! You can make a plan for several things or just one! Just make sure you have at least one thing by the end of the time period!

Well, I might or might not be able to get an article in on time this round because of real life getting in the way. I'm leaving for a Labor Day vacation which may be for the entire weekend, and I'm likely to return home by Monday which doesn't leave me enough time to get something if I decide to procrastinate. So I'll have to come up with something by tomorrow night at the latest. So if you don't get anything from me by Friday morning, I'm probably screwed in this round. xD

Oh I forgot about labor day! I may or may not extended it depending on the turnout of this round because of the holiday!

An Archaeological Analysis of FF13-2

so no one do the same thing lol

I like this idea. At the moment I'm considering writing up a review of planned changes for FFXIV, but I would also be happy to help someone else out on a grander scheme.

EDIT: Also, as someone who friends always came to for proofreading help, I volunteer myself if someone wants an article reviewed.

I'm definitely doing something on FFXI. I think I'm the only contestant who plays, so there shouldn't be much conflict there. I'm thinking a guide to new players, but I may come up with something better on the walk home.

EDIT: I presume CSS is provided as an include, so I'll be leaving the body tag blank. Good/No Good?

Ooh, I like this challenge. Game on!

Attachment 36903NEWS FLASH!

Okay the frontsite isn't much different from the forum, just fyi. In fact I can promote a thread straight to a frontsite article and not change a thing. You can use html coding or the forum coding. If you're using WYSIWYG Editing as I do you can even just format and word wrap things easily and it'll just translate. Such as this chocobo to the right with the word wrapping around it! More people should use this editing. I dunno how well it works in firefox but it works great in chrome. I may have just showed the forum how to make things look pretty or might have just started a formatting apocalypse, we'll see. I put spaces above this text and am writing some more nonsense so you can see that it fully wraps around the chocobo posted on the right.

How that attachment is positioned, placed, or linked to is unclear. Methinks I'll just stick to HTML with no style/body elements.

PS. EoFF's FFXI content is not only incomplete and badly out of date, Jeuno is also not spelled correctly.

General settings> Miscellaneous settings > WYSIWYG Editing > Go to town

I never use css/html.

If you wanna update it feel free ^_^

I was referring to this page, which I do not have access to edit, nor should I just to fix a spelling error.

You may be getting more articles from me after this competition is over. At least for FFXI.

You probably won't want to use them.

Hey, as long as it's not mean and rawr or vulgar, we'll probably take it!

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Originally Posted by Freya

mean and rawr or vulgar

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We've met, right?

Which is why I said it.

Clarification: We each just post a thread in Site Contributions with an article? Post it in here? Will other contestants be able to see my Ultimate Awesomeness? If we do more than one, do they all count, or only the first, or do you pick the best one? What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

What is WYSIWYG?

I don't usually look at the frontsite. I occasionally spy an article that's interesting. However, most of my time is spent in the forums. I feel that's where all of the information is found. I don't know why, I just assume the news will be in the forums rather than on the front.

I'm not sure how well I'll do on this one. I may just try to help someone else the best I can. I don't know that I can come up with some original idea for the frontsite though.

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Originally Posted by Freya

I only ask for a finished article PM'd to me by monday night!

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You can do however many. You can ask others to help but I only REQUIRE one.


Also, African or European?

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Originally Posted by Freya

General settings> Miscellaneous settings > WYSIWYG Editing > Go to town

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Originally Posted by Mercen-X

What is WYSIWYG?

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It's a formatting style for when you make posts. It allows you to do all the nifty stuff without having to use tags or codes, it'll do it right in the box you make your post in. You reach it by how I detailed. I think I may be the only one on the forum set like that besides Rantz xD Ever since I switched, I can't imagine posting any other way. I don't know what it actually stands for.

At this rate you kids wont pass your reading comprehension test.

My article is PG-13ish, yet has minimal swearing. Is that considered vulgar?

Here's a general rule: If it wouldn't show up in a Final fantasy it wont show up here.

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Originally Posted by Freya

Here's a general rule: If it wouldn't show up in a Final fantasy it wont show up here.

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Son of a submariner!

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Originally Posted by Freya

African or European?

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European, of course! African swallows are nonmigratory!

Also, technically African swallows don't exist.

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Originally Posted by Mercen-X

I don't know why, I just assume the news will be in the forums rather than on the front.

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This is the kind of mindset the Editor team is trying to change. News is on the front site, discussion of news happens on the forums. EoFF can become a go-to place for all sorts of useful Final Fantasy news and updates.

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Originally Posted by Mercen-X

I'm not sure how well I'll do on this one. I may just try to help someone else the best I can. I don't know that I can come up with some original idea for the frontsite though.

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It's not hard. In fact, my technique for coming up with new threads can also apply here. Play a Final Fantasy game. Every fifteen minutes, stop and pick a random element from the screen you now see and write about it. Freya has posted several examples of features, but don't be afraid to do some news. There's plenty of stuff going on in the FF and SE world, we just don't have the hands to cover it all!

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Originally Posted by Citizen Bleys

I'm definitely doing something on FFXI. I think I'm the only contestant who plays, so there shouldn't be much conflict there. I'm thinking a guide to new players, but I may come up with something better on the walk home.

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This is a good idea.

Let's see some creativity and passion guys. If you love EoFF and/or Final Fantasy then you should be able to be useful here. Coordinate with your fellows and kick some ass. If you saw how many articles Freya posted during the few days last Editor application process you would be dumbstruck.

I think I'll do a couple of articles on FFXIII-2 since we need the section filling up, really. Might as well just carry on from the walkthrough.

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Originally Posted by Freya

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Originally Posted by Mercen-X

What is WYSIWYG?

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It's a formatting style for when you make posts. It allows you to do all the nifty stuff without having to use tags or codes, it'll do it right in the box you make your post in. You reach it by how I detailed. I think I may be the only one on the forum set like that besides Rantz xD Ever since I switched, I can't imagine posting any other way. I don't know what it actually stands for.

At this rate you kids wont pass your reading comprehension test.

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It stands for "What you see is what you get" which is the standard term for that type of formatting as opposed to using markup code and such. I don't use it as default mode, but the top left button in the editor lets you switch it on and off at convenience, so I do that when I want to format something nicely.

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Originally Posted by milliegoesbeep

I think I'll do a couple of articles on FFXIII-2 since we need the section filling up, really. Might as well just carry on from the walkthrough.

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What would the FFXIII-2 section even be without you. Has anyone else even played the game? Then again, I haven't even looked at that section. I just know there was the announcement about needing more content.

Anyway, I've got an idea rattling around in my head about nostalgia and why the older FF's tend to be remembered more fondly by some than the later ones. Unless I think of something better between now and deadline I'll be running with that.

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mercen-X

I don't know why, I just assume the news will be in the forums rather than on the front.

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This is the kind of mindset the Editor team is trying to change. News is on the front site, discussion of news happens on the forums. EoFF can become a go-to place for all sorts of useful Final Fantasy news and updates.

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This is also essentially the difference between an article on the frontsite and a thread in the forum. A thread is generally an opinionated post that leaves open room for discussion, an article is a point of information that does not.

After this event, can we submit new articles just by making threads in the Site Contributions forum, or will we have to PM them to an editor?

You can pm them to me or make it as a thread right in whatever section! If It's a page such as part of the XI section than I don't handle that as much. I'm sure I could, I just haven't. A dev might be better for that one. If you make a thread and think its article/frontsite worthy just send me a pm and I'll look it over to see if It's worthy of promoting!

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Originally Posted by Shorty

A thread is generally an opinionated post that leaves open room for discussion, an article is a point of information that does not.

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Well, yeah, but I see it as this: most often, meaning far more often than not, other people are reading the front site thus have caught the hype and then they post in the forums so it becomes not just unnecessary for me to post about said news but it becomes usually superfluous. I only respond to previously posted news threads. I don't remember the last time or if I've ever had the scoop before anyone else or was able to present a view on that news from a perspective different from those who'd already posted which in itself is rare to begin as most posters provide threads that directly ask your opinion so there is no need to differentiate.

I really don't know that I can perform well with this task as even at this moment, I can't think of anything to contribute. I tried to search for a pic to contribute to Proto's new fan art idea but the subject is tougher than it sounds. My first sample had no source and my second was far too dated.
The best thing I can think of is an article about my alternate perspectives on FF such as wondering how they would have played out in the real world or my idea of how to incorporate the entirety of the VII compilation into one game. Unfortunately, I think I've already rambled about that stuff in the forums and I don't think many approved. Also, I'm gonna guess that's just not what you have in mind.

I will give my 2 cents and say this is probably the hardest task of the bunch so far. I'm more concerned that giving us merely until Monday will not be enough time. Certainly if you are after editorial pieces of much worth I would suggest extending this deadline til at least weds next week (5/9/12)

That being said I'm thinking of doing something of an opinion piece on the coolest FMV's in FF history.

I would also like more time because the next few days are going to be a bit busy for me. I know at the end of Round 2 I started to slack a bit, but the Labor Day weekend is jam packed. However, if it has to be Monday, I think I'll manage.

Hey guys did you know that there's a theatrhythm demo on the NA Nintendo eShop? Just write a smurfing article about that. Or, you know, the fact that the EU Square Enix store now supports more countries. Or the fact that tickets are being sold for the FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th Anniversary Concert to be held at the Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, California on September 22, 2012. Or maybe the fact that Square Enix is going to be at PAX and what their line up is. Or do a post PAX update. Or write about the re-release of TWEWY. Nobody did a Gamescom update either.

You realize that now nobody can use any of those ideas?

Thanks for screwing my competition over, Jiro ^^

How about how there is a FFII in ENGLISH being sold on Ebay for $50,000! Or how there might be info about FFXIV for the PS3 at TGS. What about how you can now play PSone games on your vita without having to do anything fancy, this includes the FFs. There is a lot of FF news out all the time. I just pick and choose what's worthy since we don't have an active enough frontsite to support all the spammy news.

This is not a hard task contrary to popular belief. Let's do a crash course in journalism, Dak!

There are three types of articles you can do (well there are more but whatever 3 for this). Editorial, News, and Review. Editorial is your opinion. You can lace it with all your opinion all you want. A modern equivalent to the old editorial column in a paper is a blog. News is well news. You present the news with the facts. When it comes to this place I like to at the end present a question in hopes for comments but mostly just the facts, no opinion. You're not here to tell people what they should think, just what info they need. It's not a practice followed anymore by the bias news orgs but I try to stay with it. Review is when you're reviewing a topic. You assess something and present it. This could be of a game, music, art or anything else. This could be Reviewing the best black mages of the series.

If you just take, say, half an hour you can crank one of these three out.

If you get any information from a source, check their source. It looks tacky to say "According to Kotaku who heard from IGN who talked to SE...." Always go to the root source. By going to someone else first you're going by their information and their opinion. Even if you don't get info straight from the source originally, no one has to actually know that. Only reference something unless that's where it came from "In an interview with SE today, IGN reported...." Remember to back it up with facts. Don't just say "They will be releasing a KH3 this month!" say "Square-Enix released a statement saying they we're going to release KH3 this month." If you have the source link, then link it. It's shows your credibility.

Much like any form of writing, Show, don't tell. You don't need to tell anyone what to think or how to think. You need to show them what is going on. Be it with pictures or with facts.


Urmmm i'm sure i'll think of more. This will go to monday because these rounds have been dragging on a bit. I understand you're busy but we have deadlines people! DEADLINES!

That sounds like you were expecting us, as nonjournalists, to have a working knowledge of journalism. This is not a reasonable expectation.

If I'm misreading that, w00t, great, good info to have.

I thought it was pretty obvious what kind of articles you'd read as a newsreader. O.o But seeing as I'm getting a lot of whines and complaints about a fairly easy task, I though I'd explain. It's just something i'm so use to that I didn't think it'd be something hard to comprehend. "Write an article" didn't seem like it was "hit a keyboard until something legible appears on the screen in the form of a Shakespearean play." to me. I thought I might get some questions which is why I said in my first post that I would answer things when I could.

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Originally Posted by Citizen Bleys

You realize that now nobody can use any of those ideas?

Thanks for screwing my competition over, Jiro ^^

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I'd like to say "You're welcome!" but those ideas are still more than usable. It took me thirty seconds to find all of that, and do you know how I did it? I looked at the Square Enix Facebook page. It's not hard, and news is more important than your fancy creative articles. Did you know I already have a backlog of 4 feature pieces to post up on the forum? Those are ideas you can't use.

We're not expecting you to have a working knowledge of journalistic process. We're expecting everyone to have a good work ethic and an ability to learn as you go. People who are willing to contribute some effort to improve the best Final Fantasy site on the entire internet are what we're looking for. But you guys are trying too hard, and that's what leads to star players like that Jiro guy having a nervous breakdown about life being too hard! THINK SIMPLE. Strength through unity, too! Chip away at the block. More motivational speak!

Freya has given you all some good tips there, and if you are ever unsure or would like us to look at stuff, then ask! Freya is a journalistic whiz kid, and I'm about 7 weeks from having a degree in the smurfing thing, so just ask us some questions and you'll not only do better in your articles, but you'll end up getting some bonus points towards making the next round ;)

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Originally Posted by Freya

Or how there might be info about FFXIV for the PS3 at TGS.

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I got that this morning. :p I found it right I posted the article, and it was such a small piece of news that I just added it on. That part could be separated into a new article, if some Editor fancied.

I've got no problem with this task, but since we've complained about all the other rounds, I'm damn sure gonna complain about this one. Wah wah no time wah lives wah mod? wah wah.

I intend to get mine in tomorrow.

I would put forth that anyone who feels the need to complain about this challenge doesn't have what it takes to be a CK. Nope, not even given the low standards set by the current bunch of staff.

Suck it up buttercups.

I am pretty much done in this round. Considering the topic of my article, I should say it wasn't hard. Anyway, I'm gonna be away for the weekend, so glad to get this taken care of early. :)

You know what? You guys are right. No excuses. I will turn in mine to Freya sometime today or tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

I would put forth that anyone who feels the need to complain about this challenge doesn't have what it takes to be a CK. Nope, not even given the low standards set by the current bunch of staff.

Suck it up buttercups.

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:lol: Are you surprised? Saying you are responsible and actually being so are beasts of a different animal.

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Originally Posted by Iceglow

That being said I'm thinking of doing something of an opinion piece on the coolest FMV's in FF history.

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Generally speaking and primarily from a personal perspective, I find the coolest FMVs to be battle sequences across the FF board. Otherwise those that introduce new characters, monsters, summons, vehicles, or some cool new item tend to be well done also.

Has anyone here ever tried playing the online card game Knights of the Crystals? I tried it months ago. It was okay. I don't much approve games run though social networks like Facebook because they require interaction from other gamers which it seems you never get. Sure, if they know you play, they'll friend you, but then they don't ever actually do anything to help you. Useless.

Already got my first draft sent in. The rest of you better get cracking if you want to keep up!

Turned in my article, as well.

Shall we mock the laggards?

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Originally Posted by Citizen Bleys

Shall we mock the laggards?

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Yes, let's.

You bums! You guys are slower than Tellah trying to rap on this solo album!

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s.../tellahrap.jpg

Sorry, I just happened to make this post while on my old computer and found this in one of the folders. I don't know.

did article on pax

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Originally Posted by Sephex

Turned in my article, as well.

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I turned my draft in at 3. Now, I just need to insert fireworks as Freya put it.

I won't be putting feature articles up until appropriate times since they aren't time sensitive. News pieces are a different story.

Makes sense to me.

Oh man even I forgot about the FFXIII announcement today. Look at Psychotic, got the jump on all of us. Bastard! :jess:

I've changed my mind. I'm still doing my FFXIV news stuff, but I think I covered a lot of the recent changes in those and I don't want to be repetitive. So instead I am doing an article on sexism in Final Fantasy.

Doing more oh Raistlin you over achiever. Why don't you just go and sit the bar in all 50 states too :love:

I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic or honest here. smurf.

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Why don't you just go and sit the bar in all 50 states too :love:

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I-I take it back, I'm not doing anymore work. And if I have nightmares about that tonight, I am coming after you.

I'll be waiting.

Staying up late to write my article that is due the next day. This feels incredibly like high school.

Does it take you back? :jess:

It does, my friend. It does.

Unfortunately Im going to have to drop out this round. I have thesis work to do I am way behind on.

Unless I can think of something brilliant and easy to write in the next few hours...

Articles in. Subject is FFXIII/FFXIII-2 and Type-0. It's totally informative and witty and well written. :shifty:

I'm going to be blunt here. I haven't had a chance to write my article since family stuff came up over the weekend and today I've been mostly on the phone and email sorting out job stuff. I've had 2 phone interviews, arranged 2 actual interviews (one is more of an assessment day) and had like 10 phone calls made to me about important job stuff.

If there isn't an extension on the time limit available then I'm going to have to be dropped because I simply have had way too much to do lately.

Freya's been working 30 hour days, plus farm chores, and she still manages to run this shindig. Step up, Steve!

You lost all ability to command someone to step up the minute you stopped being British and moved to France Quin.

Sorry, all I heard then was "wah wah wah wah wah :crying:". Could you repeat it for me, please? Or was that what you said?

Submitted my piece. It's going to anger a few people, I was going to have Jiro read it but I felt I was short on time.

Laddy, who'd you submit.it too? I haven't gotten anything.

My post was sufficient right Kace?

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Originally Posted by Freya

Laddy, who'd you submit.it too? I haven't gotten anything.

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Looks like he submitted it straight into the Site Contribution forum.

All right, I edited the thread and sent the PM because I got things confused. Do I lose? xD

Nah, only losers read instructions.

Anyway, finally submitted my own article's draft. Hopefully it's at least thought provoking, and I definitely plan to polish it up after the competition.

I wanted to smurfing read it Laddy you got my hopes up :( :( :(

Sorry, you'll hafta wait.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Round 3 is closed! Thanks for all those who participated! Staff is going over your submissions and hopefully I'll have results by tomorrow ^_^ Some of you showed true editorial qualities with this round and it makes mama KC proud :)

Goodbye, cruel world! Know now that I have always scorned thee with a bitterness and bile. :crying2:

Don't kill your chickens before they hatch, Mercen-X!

I can imagine Freya being Flutterbitch in that one scene where she goes "Good boy, Cid's Squires! Mama's so proud."

Well real life got in the way of this competitor and so now I'm done with the competition.

Well we should see more eliminations sometime today, good luck to everyone, I plan on seeing some of you in the next round ;)

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Originally Posted by Goldenboko

Well we should see more eliminations sometime today, good luck to everyone, I plan on seeing some of you in the next round ;)

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Please. There's not even going to be a next round. My article was so undeniably awesome that they'll just declare me the winner. Then we'll learn that I won't actually get to be a CK because this was all a big practical joke and then we'll have cake and ice cream.

The rest of us will have cake and ice cream. You'll be locked in an eternal monkey dance while staff points a tommy gun at your feet.

Proto, did you just call me a bitch o.o

DISQUALIFIED!!!

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

Then we'll learn that I won't actually get to be a CK because this was all a big practical joke and then we'll have cake and ice cream.

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http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...X/35084e0e.gif

How many times do you plan on posting that same image? :p

When it stops being funny... to ME!

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Originally Posted by Freya

Proto, did you just call me a bitch o.o

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Flutterbitch = Discord'd Fluttershy.