Rules & Guidelines

Entries

Entries are open to all servers!

You may submit multiple entries, however you may only win one prize. If it so happens more than one of your entries are rated high enough to place in more than one category, the entry with the highest place will be awarded the prize. Your other placeable entry(ies) will be given honorable mention. We do this to have winners spread out among the most contestants.

Last day to enter is Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Categories

1023 Category

Maximum length: 1023 characters (counting letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces within the text)

If the bio you are submitting is 1023 characters or less, the amount allowed by the in-game character description area, enter it into the 1023 characters category.

The 1023 category includes all alignments.

Hero Category and Villain Category

Length parameters: Minimum 1024 characters / Maximum 5000 characters (characters include letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces within the text)

If the bio you are submitting is between 1024 and 5000 characters, enter it into either the hero or villain category. If your character plays as a rogue or vigilante, choose which of the two, hero or villain, your character most closely identifies with. Bios over 5000 characters will be ineligible to place for a prize, but may be given honorable mention.

Character Count

A word processor (e.g., Microsoft Word) will be counting characters in the entries. This allows for a little bit of wiggle room when comparing the counts in a word document to the counts of the in-game character description of the same text. The reason for this is because the game counts certain singular characters, such as an apostrophe or a quotation mark, as two or three special characters. Here's an example of how text is counted by the game: "You'll be sorry." is counted like “You’ll be sorry.â€

This is probably a lot more information than you were expecting. Let's move on, shall we?

Content Guidelines

Content must be submitted in English.

Content must be in accordance with the City of Heroes: Homecoming Code of Conduct, as follows:

The following is considered prohibited content:

• Anything illegal in the real world[*]:

This includes anything related to gambling, child pornography, terrorism, illegal controlled substances, and any real world criminal activity (yes, we know City of Villains exists)

• Hate speech:

Hate speech is defined as anything threatening or abusive towards a specific group based on their race, religious beliefs, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity

• Controversial and adult content, including:

Sexual, provocative, pornographic, or adult content

Violent content

Controversial religious content

Controversial political content

Anything involving controversial real-world individuals or organizations

Anything involving sensitive events, both current and historical

* For the purpose of this bio writing contest, illegal real-world activities may be included in your entry. We realize people become heroes when they rise up to right unjust wrongs, even if they have to break the law to do it. We realize people may become villains because that was the only way to survive. Please be tasteful when choosing how graphic and detailed your descriptions of illegal activities will be. Thank you.

Judging

Who are we to judge people's writing?

The judges are mix of people who play and love the game. So far, the panel consists of the following seven judges: One of us is a professional librarian who grew up with her nose in a book. One of us is a published author whose mind is so sharp it glows. One of us is a licensed therapist who can out empath any defender in the game. One of us is a military veteran whose leadership skills are only surpassed by his good nature. One of us is an accountant with a flair for the dramatic. One of us is so eclectic there are no words. And one of us is Zack.

How will entries will be judged?

Entries will be rated by the following criteria:

• Story: Bio is a short and memorable piece about the character; communicates why it is meaningful to the character.

• Language: Narrative uses vivid details and imagery to make the bio come alive for the reader. The writing avoids clichés.

• Creativity: Narrative demonstrates a unique voice, style, and point of view. The bio is fresh and original.

• Cohesion: The writing is cohesive and leads readers through the bio in a logical manner.

• Guidelines: Entry follows all contest rules and guidelines.

View the Rubric

Prizes

(Prizes may increase and/or come with additional goodies.)

Hero Category:

1st place: 500 million influence

2nd Place: 250 million influence

3rd Place: 100 150 million influence

Villain Category:

1st place: 500 million influence

2nd Place: 250 million influence

3rd Place: 100 150 million influence

1023 Category:

Best overall: 150 300 million influence

1st Place: 300 million influence

2nd Place: 150 million influence

3rd Place: 75 million influence

Prize Distribution

Prize influence will be distributed in game to your global name via the mail system. Contest participants who did not place also will be notified through the mail system.

If you haven't been notified by Friday, April 8, 2022 you placed in the contest, then, unfortunately your entry did not win any prizes. We did enjoy reading all the entries, and we very much appreciate how brave it is to share one's writing with others. Thank you for trusting us with your work. Keep writing!

There may be a recognition ceremony on the Excelsior server in Echo Plaza (TBD).

Legalities

This contest is not affiliated with the City of Heroes: Homecoming team in any way. It is being sponsored and hosted by the independent super group 214 and NFTG (Excelsior). Do not contact the City of Heroes: Homecoming GMs with questions about this contest.

All work submitted remains the contestants' property. We will not claim rights to any writing or images entered into the contest. We will not share contestants' work with any other parties. We will not publish contestant's work. We will not use any of the contestant's work for financial gain.

Any personal contact information collected for contest purposes will never be shared with other parties. Contest contact information will strictly be used to contact participants to let them know their contest outcome and/or to communicate other information about the contest or their entries.

Contact

Questions? Comments? Contact us.

In-game Contact: @GIobal Name (not the best method - response may be slow and spotty).

Rudeness and/or harassment will not be tolerated. Offensive behavior will be determined by the contest hosts on a case-by-case basis. Offenders who have entered the contest will be notified they have been disqualified from the contest. Offenders will also be ignored in-game.