GameFAQs Contests

Ready for launch!

~*creativename's contest site (all things contest!)*~
http://www.gamefaqscontests.com/drupal/

~*The Board 8 Wiki (lots of useful contest and board information, including all past Post-Contest Analysis from Ulti, transience, Ed Bellis, and others)*~
http://board8.wikia.com/

~*List of All Polls (a search bar is at the bottom)*~
http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html

~*NGamer64's Archive Sites (good stuff!) and (LOL) X-Stats Sim*~
http://www.thengamer.com/
http://thengamer.com/xstats

~*GameFAQs Contests Hall of Fame*~
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/GameFAQs_Contests_Hall_of_Fame
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/GameFAQs_Contests_Match_Hall_of_Fame

~*Character Contest Histories*~
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Contest_Histories

~*Simple Explanation of Extrapolated Standings*~
A = Strongest Character
B = Character Weaker than A
C = Character Weaker than B
To figure out a character's Xsts Percentage ---> [(CvB)(BvA)]/50 = CvA
To compare how C would do against B ---> [(CvA)/(BvA)]*50 = CvB
To figure out how B would do against A ---> [(CvA)/(CvB)]*50 = BvA

~*All the Match Pics*~
http://www.gamefaqscontests.com/gallery/index.php

~*Leonhart4's Trend Charts*~
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?hl=en&key=tOGmynfNIiNy5VukpEF-PdA&hl=en#gid=0

~*Daily Vote Trends - An Explanation for Dummies*~
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/Daily_Vote_Trends

~*Acronyms and Percentages for Dummies*~
http://board8.wikia.com/wiki/Acronyms_and_Percentages

~*Say What? Common Stats Topic Lingo Defined*~

SFF (Same Fanbase Factor) - Same Fanbase Factor is the theory that, if two contestants share a common fanbase, the weaker of the two options will underperform in a direct matchup. For instance, Link was expected to defeat Ganon with 65% of the vote in 2004, based on their 2003 values. Instead, Link collected near 88% of the vote. This is the best example of SFF we've ever seen. However take some SFF labels with a grain of salt, as many people will slap it onto any match that doesn't make perfect sense.

Extrapolated Standings (X-Stats) - The mathematical "strength" of a contestant that's determined based on their performance relative to the rest of the field. This number is typically based on the contest entrant's loss, but adjustments are sometimes made. See above for a watered down explanation for how the stats are calculated.

LPF - Last Place Factor, which a term used in matches that have three or four entrants. Usually when there is an obvious choice for last place, that entrant performs weaker than usual since voters are smart enough these dates to put their votes on something that matters. A good example is Link/Shepard/Draven.

ASV - After school vote, which is usually the biggest trend in a poll other than the first hour and the morning vote.

https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/images/byg/r1/1979.jpg
https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/images/byg/r1/2009.jpg

https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/images/byg/r1/1983.jpg
https://gamefaqs.akamaized.net/images/byg/r1/1989.jpg

1989 might be in trouble if people confuse Mario Bros for Super Mario Bros

Those are the four most notable games of 1989?

BlAcK TuRtLe posted...

1989 might be in trouble if people confuse Mario Bros for Super Mario Bros

Mario Bros. was in the pic in the vote-in and 1983 still got crushed.

pjbasis posted...

Those are the four most notable games of 1989?

Probably should've put Castlevania 3 or Golden Axe in there

LeonhartFour posted...

BlAcK TuRtLe posted...

1989 might be in trouble if people confuse Mario Bros for Super Mario Bros

Mario Bros. was in the pic in the vote-in and 1983 still got crushed.

Ah, didn't even know there were vote-ins, just came back last week

I thought Mega Man 2 was listed on the bracket for 1989? Can't check on my phone now.

Is there a quick link to the vote in polls?

There's no way people will confuse that picture for Super Mario Bros.. The playrate for the game is over 93%. Even that aside, the game is as iconic as they come. People know what the game looks like.

Yeah, MM2 is a pretty big snub.

Jesse_Custer posted...

I thought Mega Man 2 was listed on the bracket for 1989? Can't check on my phone now.

It is. Bomberman wasn't listed at all and got in the match pic.

LeonhartFour posted...

Mario Bros. was in the pic in the vote-in and 1983 still got crushed.

But it got crushed by 1981, a year with a more iconic Nintendo game.

1989 got the ass end of these pics. There's no Mega Man, and everything underneath Tetris looks horrible. 1983 has better Mario representation than I was anticipating, Dragon's Lair looks better than any of 1989's pics, and STAR WARS.

More "iconic," sure, but the original Donkey Kong is still fodder. Tetris obliterated DK twice in 2009.

Tetris also beat MM2 easily. Tetris being omitted would give me pause, but I still think 1989 wins.

The pic might make it closer than it should be, but I still can't see a pre-NES year beating something post-NES.

Tetris looks good in the 1989 picture and that's probably all 1989 really needed.

I wish Mega Man 2 was in the pic, but in the end, we would be trading one hideous box art for another.

Brackets have been locked down.

The bracket entry page went offline at 8:00:07 PM EST.

Barely got my last second 2000 > 1996 switch in.

One concern the match pictures put to rest is the possibility of impersonation. The prominent logos means we won't see things like voters mistaking a picture of young Link from MM as being from OoT.

LusterSoldier posted...

Brackets have been locked down.

The bracket entry page went offline at 8:00:07 PM EST.

Thanks luster lol

JavaScript code for the voting form and live countdown clock:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/js/byg_2.js

The code at the bottom of that file is very interesting. Sounds like the large match pictures will be animated.

1989 becomes the first year to be screwed by the picture, no Mega Man 2 (which was listed on the bracket page) or Super Mario Land. Hopefully the Gameboy is listed somewhere.

It should still win...

So I was curious what this 'Guardian Legend' game was, and did a quick google... this game came out in 1988, not 1989

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian_Legend

wikipedia's wrong there (shock and awe). it's april 1989.

LusterSoldier posted...

JavaScript code for the voting form and live countdown clock:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/js/byg_2.js

The code at the bottom of that file is very interesting. Sounds like the large match pictures will be animated.

Thanks luster lol

LusterSoldier posted...

The code at the bottom of that file is very interesting. Sounds like the large match pictures will be animated.

That's what I figured. It looks like it rotates between the 5 pictures every 0.25s.

https://www.gamefaqs.com/features/byg_vote
https://www.gamefaqs.com/features/byg_mybracket
https://www.gamefaqs.com/features/byg_stats

Those pages were just uploaded earlier. If you need to view your bracket (for the Guru contest), use the second link.

oh, crap, it's cycling pictures? that might change things

one-game years might be worse off than I thought

transience posted...

oh, crap, it's cycling pictures? that might change things

one-game years might be worse off than I thought

just give 1985 four different pictures of Mario 1 please

I'm hyped for all the new and exciting ways my bracket will crash and burn.

Cycling or animated?

Wait, I misread the code. Rotating will start 6.25s after the page loads. The picture will change every 5 seconds after that. A year's anchor making the match picture is not enough. If Mario 3 is the fourth game on the picture, most voters will never see it. There's also the problem of voters missing a game the first time around. It won't come back for another 20s which is too long.

So most people are going to see Dragon's Lair vs. Tetris when they go to the front page, huh?

Yeah, I feel a little better about 1989...!

I wonder how that will go with mobile. hmm.

So, it always starts with the first pic, right? Or is it random?

Well, they see the year number first and then the first game. Also, I don't think the pictures rotate around. It seems like they actually just scroll through once.

Team Rocket Elite posted...

Well, they see the year number first and then the first game. Also, I don't think the pictures rotate around. It seems like they actually just scroll through once.

wait so it's Mario vs. Slime?

time to panic

yeah, I need to stop letting my mind do anything and just wait three hours

I really wish this contest used the original worldwide release dates for games. Just looking at 1989:

- Dragon Quest came out 3 years earlier in 1986.

- Bomberman, meanwhile, came out 4 years earlier in 1985 (that's just the Famicom version - the MSX version was from 1983, 6 years prior).

- Guardian Legend came out in 1988.

- Tetris was originally released in 1984. Not the iconic version, sure, but that's 5 years.

We don't need to use Japanese release dates for an American website.

yuck to that. I don't want a world where Mario 3 is in the same year as Mario 2. there are countless other examples.

LeonhartFour posted...

Team Rocket Elite posted...

Well, they see the year number first and then the first game. Also, I don't think the pictures rotate around. It seems like they actually just scroll through once.

wait so it's Mario vs. Slime?

time to panic

I think so. 1989 just needs to hold out for 6.25s for Tetris to bail it out.

I assume a list of games will appear when you hover over the picture.

Now that lockdown is in effect, why the f*** did everyone pick 2001 > 1995? Chrono Trigger destroyed FFX and was going to equally destroy Melee before rallies got involved.

Now add in "the 90s rule this site" with the #1 overall seed boost. I don't see how 2001 is the favorite there at all. Everything in this contest that starts with "199x" is going to roll.

Also, 1997 > 1996 makes zero sense when Final Fantasy 7 is going to be in all of 1997's match pictures. You guys have seen how far that game has fallen, right?

there are no seeds

UltimaterializerX posted...

Also, 1997 > 1996 makes zero sense when Final Fantasy 7 is going to be in all of 1997's match pictures. You guys have seen how far that game has fallen, right?

yeah it's fallen from #1 or #2 to a game that's still top 5 and can beat anything other than OoT

how the mighty have fallen

Rotating pictures? I guess Allen needed to do something to make this contest less predictable and more interesting.

It's too bad this style of pictures will sink my official pre-contest stance that systems matter more than games. If the systems aren't even featured in the picture then my bracket is already burnt toast. Unless Allen decides to make the icon for 1985 a little NES instead of Mario - then I have a chance!

UltimaterializerX posted...

Now that lockdown is in effect, why the f*** did everyone pick 2001 > 1995? Chrono Trigger destroyed FFX and was going to equally destroy Melee before rallies got involved.

Now add in "the 90s rule this site" with the #1 overall seed boost. I don't see how 2001 is the favorite there at all. Everything in this contest that starts with "199x" is going to roll.

The real question is: Which year will someone randomly pick to successfully rally?