Spark'd gallery needs way better moderation «12345...Next Go

Amuni50

Thank you for the clarification, @lsnishi and @gothbunie I loved @Elocine54 's entry too! I'm glad you liked mine as well

dearie_blossom

The sims all look the same

Sallinger79

> @lsnishi said:
> sorry @Amuni50, it must be an entry of @Elocine54 then! I remember both of your having extraordinary entries.
>
> Here's the correct household with link:
> https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/951E2681EEFC11EA8056C2DBEBA66C98

Aww, that's lovely. Thanks for finding the link!

This is my biggest complaint about the lack of moderation. I fully expected my own entry to get buried (I'd created parents and siblings for Salim Benali about a week before the challenge, so decided to submit just his parents with a little bit of a story), so I wasn't disappointed when it did. But the Spark'd challenges should be a great opportunity to find something other than the same-old-same-old gallery Sims... and they're just not. This particular entry got noticed, which is great, but I'm sure there are loads of other amazing ones that slipped away before anyone had a chance to even see them.

gothbunie

Sallinger79 wrote: »

But the Spark'd challenges should be a great opportunity to find something other than the same-old-same-old gallery Sims... and they're just not. This particular entry got noticed, which is great, but I'm sure there are loads of other amazing ones that slipped away before anyone had a chance to even see them.

I had never even seen some of the final Top Creators last time.

Finvola

It's getting worse by the day too. I'll often look through the entries when I first launch and go way down the list and try to boost some good entries that have been buried into oblivion. I too entered a sim I knew would be buried but I was ok with that, I just wanted to try it out. I was gone from the game for several months and Spark'd wasn't around before that. I came back during the middle of the last one, so I thought I'd try something for this one. Now, I'm just focusing on supporting other entries. The Spark'd gallery really is a mess.

Camkat

Considering that it was like this for the last challenge and they did literally zero to fix it or even address that it's an issue, I have absolute confidence that they will do nothing to fix this. They had time between to fix the issue. They've had since it started to make some kind of statement. It would really be nothing to have a mod in there just deleting bad entries and yes, they should ban people that abuse the system. Maybe delete the one, but if it keeps happening on the same account, block them from uploading for 24 hrs. Then 48, then 72... you get the idea.

At the beginning I was trying to up vote some legit entries so they didn't get lost but I've quit that now. It's too much and too spammed and my gallery doesn't load after a certain number of times scrolling down so there's people not at the beginning but not at the top either that will just be lost forever in the middle oblivion that no one can see.

ImSands

Its a shame you can't even find the entries that won the first challenge. At the very least, I would have hoped they would have been added as Maxis curated content. There should be some way that the winners are highlighted.

Simburian

ImSands wrote: »

Its a shame you can't even find the entries that won the first challenge. At the very least, I would have hoped they would have been added as Maxis curated content. There should be some way that the winners are highlighted.

Some of them were shown on Twitter last week.

mrsr99tso

I too am fed up with all of these people posting not to win the challenge but because they want the exposure. EA needs to hire some moderators to go through and remove them from the challenge. I thought last time was bad this is absolutely 8 times as bad. Also the houses. They are supposed to have a room dealing with a hobby but people are just uploading houses. Yes they are very nice but they are not following the rules. I really don't know how EA will figure that one out. I bet the winners in the building category won't fit the rules.

Simburian

I entered a tentative granny as I haven't entered anything before. It got 5 downloads and 4 favs before it vanished from sight in about 5 minutes. I'm not trying again.

Molpe_Marta

I see nothing has changed since the last time, maybe no one cares (you know, when in the 100 best submissions are only 3 legit submissions they have winners).

I would really like to go through the real submissions, favourite, vote, download... It is super annoying how everyone uses the challenge for the follower boost (and unfortunately it's working). I just do not vote for anything which doesn't have written story. I think I do not have a chance, because I didn't build a big community of followers before the challenge (didn't think I'd need it one day :( ).

The only think I can think of - how about we make our own hashtag how to find the real creations? I used #Molpe at first, now I also use #fairplay and #mycreation, any other ideas? Is it worth it?

Finvola

The Spark'd gallery is a lost cause. Builds that have nothing to do with elders or their hobbies, sims that are mostly pregnant YA or teens. I'm still favoriting legit entries every day but they are getting buried deeper and deeper by the waste of time entries.

BuildingTheSims

Are there any prizes for winning? Trying to see if participating in Spark'd is worth my efforts.

Simyim

Molpe_Marta wrote: »

I see nothing has changed since the last time, maybe no one cares (you know, when in the 100 best submissions are only 3 legit submissions they have winners).

I would really like to go through the real submissions, favourite, vote, download... It is super annoying how everyone uses the challenge for the follower boost (and unfortunately it's working). I just do not vote for anything which doesn't have written story. I think I do not have a chance, because I didn't build a big community of followers before the challenge (didn't think I'd need it one day ).

The only think I can think of - how about we make our own hashtag how to find the real creations? I used #Molpe at first, now I also use #fairplay and #mycreation, any other ideas? Is it worth it?

That’s an amazing idea! What about #realchallenge?

litchick1984

Not sure if someone else already voiced this opinion, but submitting should be anonymous too, to give everyone a fair chance. A lot of Sim Instagrammers and Sim Influencers bring their fanbase with them on the Gallery even when their builds for the Spark'd challenges don't follow the rules or just aren't that great. And then they get thousands of likes and shoot to the top. Some are also built while streaming so they're basically crowdfunded ideas which is just not fair. I also wish i had hundred of other people in a chat to help me come up with my ideas...

Simburian

litchick1984 wrote: »

Not sure if someone else already voiced this opinion, but submitting should be anonymous too, to give everyone a fair chance. A lot of Sim Instagrammers and Sim Influencers bring their fanbase with them on the Gallery even when their builds for the Spark'd challenges don't follow the rules or just aren't that great. And then they get thousands of likes and shoot to the top. Some are also built while streaming so they're basically crowdfunded ideas which is just not fair. I also wish i had hundred of other people in a chat to help me come up with my ideas...

I agree. Lots of them are posted on Twitter and Reddit too. When submitting as well maybe Simmers should answer some questions which will filter the inappropriate ones out like (in this latest instance, Age of Sim wiping out anyone who doesn't answer Elder)!

Golleonsky

Ok, So i wanted to talk about the Sims Spark'd challenge "Golden Age" and i have some thoughts i wanted to speak out. Firstly, I looked at the popular page and nearly all the stylist creations aren't elders or have elders included in them. Most of them are named "Hot *blank*" and are either young adults or teens. Secondly, the builds on the popular page aren't all themed around elders, some of them are party houses or restaurants. So what i'm saying is, that i feel some people are misusing the page to their advantage to gain likes and downloads which is unfair to the other creators who are participating in the challenge, now i know that it is a bit late to say this now, but i was hoping to get it out there so that the next challenge isn't flooded with creations that aren't part of the theme of the challenge.

Molpe_Marta

> @Simyim said:
> (Quote)
>
> That’s an amazing idea! What about #realchallenge? :)

I will use that from now on! ♥ Too bad you can't change the description (or I don't know how O:) ).

gothbunie

I like this idea of using #realchallenge but how do we get people to know about it?

Simyim

Hi again everyone!

From what I have seen about similar iniciatives, people do challenges in the gallery with a special tag to spread the word (anybody saw gallery sims with the “Ea Protect Us Challenge” initiative, to make EA aware of auto downloads in the gallery to trick popularity?). I was thinking of something similar if you wish, @gothbunie and @Molpe_Marta!

1. Create sims/houses for the gallery with the title “Spark’d #realchallenge” (or the hashtag that is finally decided here! ).
2. They have to be about the two latest challenges (elders, wedding couples or a mix of both!)
3. We can use the description you wish, something like “If you love Spark’d challenges but don’t want real entries to disappear in a sea of pandas and cute pregnant teens, use #realchallenge in your next submission for Spark’d. That way actual entries will be easier to find. Help us spread the voice!”. Whatever text you wish!

How does it sound?

Simyim

@Molpe_Marta, about adding the #realchallenge hashtag, it should be enough writing it in your description before submitting the entry. It will be added before the official challenge hashtags!

Simburian

I put two entries in the Golden Age challenge and was looking through all the entries and cannot find either of mine there. They are still marked as entered on my Gallery page and I can't delete them now. Most of the entries are for young Sims and some have cc and it is a bit annoying when you have followed all the rules to find yours aren't in there at all.

Camkat

Simburian wrote: »

I put two entries in the Golden Age challenge and was looking through all the entries and cannot find either of mine there. They are still marked as entered on my Gallery page and I can't delete them now. Most of the entries are for young Sims and some have cc and it is a bit annoying when you have followed all the rules to find yours aren't in there at all.

There's a dead zone that the gallery seems to have. It stops loading after a number of pages so you managed to get enough "likes" to get into the dead zone, however, without giving people a direct link to your build to "like" you out of this dead zone, your plum. Basically you need a following on youtube or twitter or something to help you out and it really sucks. This isn't really a contest on your ability IMO, as long as they leave this gallery the way that it is, it's a popularity contest.

LiELF

Camkat wrote: »

Simburian wrote: »

I put two entries in the Golden Age challenge and was looking through all the entries and cannot find either of mine there. They are still marked as entered on my Gallery page and I can't delete them now. Most of the entries are for young Sims and some have cc and it is a bit annoying when you have followed all the rules to find yours aren't in there at all.

There's a dead zone that the gallery seems to have. It stops loading after a number of pages so you managed to get enough "likes" to get into the dead zone, however, without giving people a direct link to your build to "like" you out of this dead zone, your plum. Basically you need a following on youtube or twitter or something to help you out and it really sucks. This isn't really a contest on your ability IMO, as long as they leave this gallery the way that it is, it's a popularity contest.

Yes, this! This is the problem with the voting process. With all of the clutter, you can't even see all of the entries to actually "vote" properly.

And it's so obviously weighed in favor of those who already have a following or know how to "cheat" votes because those entries that don't even qualify get a bazillion votes anyway.

Maybe they should use the top voted qualifying entries and use their own judges to choose a few additional ones.

Camkat

LiELF wrote: »

Camkat wrote: »

Simburian wrote: »

I put two entries in the Golden Age challenge and was looking through all the entries and cannot find either of mine there. They are still marked as entered on my Gallery page and I can't delete them now. Most of the entries are for young Sims and some have cc and it is a bit annoying when you have followed all the rules to find yours aren't in there at all.

There's a dead zone that the gallery seems to have. It stops loading after a number of pages so you managed to get enough "likes" to get into the dead zone, however, without giving people a direct link to your build to "like" you out of this dead zone, your plum. Basically you need a following on youtube or twitter or something to help you out and it really sucks. This isn't really a contest on your ability IMO, as long as they leave this gallery the way that it is, it's a popularity contest.

Yes, this! This is the problem with the voting process. With all of the clutter, you can't even see all of the entries to actually "vote" properly.

And it's so obviously weighed in favor of those who already have a following or know how to "cheat" votes because those entries that don't even qualify get a bazillion votes anyway.

Maybe they should use the top voted qualifying entries and use their own judges to choose a few additional ones.

If getting the gallery to just load everything truely is that big of a challenge and simply not a doable thing, this is a reasonable solution. Even if fixing the gallery is possible, this is still a great idea though. Looking to simmers to point them in some directions, but they should be really looking at all of the entries themselves anyways.

I wonder too why there's no moderation this far in either. Is a staff member to remove and ban repeat offenders really that hard of a thing? It would really help us when we're voting too! (by ban I mean prevent them from uploading to the contest, they can still upload to the rest, just take that spark button away from them). I'm not a programmer and I certainly don't know how it all works, but I would think some sort of moderation would be possible since we can report things and those get dealt with.