Forum 7's Factbook Contest!

[Bloodshade]

And with that, we are starting off with the first and only bracket for leaders!

Zitravgrad – Kremlin's Dispatch #01 (Part 1/2) - Premier Kazimir I. Miroslavsky
Khoronzon – The Emperor
Socialist Communist States – Kokichi Oma: The Ultimate Supreme Leader

Remember, it's a 2-day voting period. Good luck! ♥

Oh my, definitely going to give the Emperor and Kokichi a review when I get the time. I already reviewed Miroslavsky but I'll edit in the reviews in this post later when I get to writing so all three can be compared to one another and given a fair shot. Definitely going to be a fun bunch to review, that's for sure.

[Valentine Z]

Yup, all three of them are equally as strong! :3 I really do like the three of them equally, but I might vote for one soon. I will not say which, because I don't want an OP's bias.

Once again, good luck to you, you absolute legends!

[Khoronzon]

Ladies and gentlemen... I'm back

With that out of the way, best of luck to my fellow contestants. I most certainly don't expect to win this one against these two, but considering my factbook is basically empty past age 13 I'm just glad I made it into this round at all, not to mention grateful to everyone who appreciated what I've got so far enough to get me up here. And of course, regardless of what the outcome is, I'm looking forward to resuming the eternal slog of updating his bio once voting ends.

[Kiu Ghesik]

Ladies and gentlemen... I'm back

the line might stutter
but it still goes up

[Valentine Z]

1 more day to go, keep at it!

[Bloodshade]

Fuck, forgot to post my review before voting ended but I'm still going to give my own reviews. Momma dinna raise no bitch.

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See this post for my review of Miroslavsky's character and formatting.

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Anyways, lets start with the formatting for the Emperor and Kokichi to get it over with. Both are masterfully crafted and very fitting to the personas and themes of both characters. On one hand, the Emperor's factbook formatting from start to finish exudes an aura of dread and fear, inducing in the reader a spine-chilling reaction. On the other side of the coin, we have Kokichi who's a more satirical and comical take on totalitarianism. Both are entertaining to read but in completely different ways which is perfectly fine. I do feel that Khoronzon's formatting is a bit more creative in their use of BBCode but I'm still of the opinion that all three factbooks are close to one another in terms of how their formatting adds onto the aura and feel of the factbook. They're all some of the best factbooks I've seen when it comes to their use of imagery and formatting. Nothing feels out of place in my opinion.

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Now onto the meat and bones of the characters, I'll start with Kokichi. I love Kokichi for what he represents. As I read, I can clearly feel the fun behind every word. It feels like one absolutely bizarre adventure and the ludicrous creativity behind each and every event written is something I can't help but adore. Kokichi doesn't come off as a serious character but that's what's so alluring about him as a character to me. He's a reflection of the most hysterical, crazed aspects of a totalitarian dictator and Socialist Communist States make such a character both hilarious and malicious. Socialist Communist States deftly wraps the hilariously imaginative scenarios that Kokichi finds himself in with a thin veneer of malice. What one would normally see as dire circumstances is instead disguised as a cheerful story of comical struggle, with Kokichi sold as the protagonist of the relevant world, going up against folks such as the vile Bill English. I have to say, Kokichi is probably one of my most favorite characters from the concept alone but the writing and storyline of Kokichi, coupled with the bright imagery within the factbook, and it's like I'm eating Peach Sorbet next to a war criminal in the halls of Garreg Mach Monastery. Hats off to the creator for writing such an enjoyable character who, under the surface, is what I deem to be a rather intelligent, if not serious, critique of the delusion of totalitarianism. Kokichi comes off as a compilation of the most ridiculous traits of crackpots across history and the world but at the same time, there's a menacing level of intelligence beneath the pomp and circus depicted within Kokichi's story. The moral of Kokichi's tale is that we should've voted for Al Gore when we had the chance ;-;

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Moving onto Khoronzon, I will have to mention that their factbook is at a disadvantage due to being incomplete but from the potential alone, chances are I would've voted for him if it was complete. There's plenty to pick apart about Evehxhas. The moment you begin to read, you clearly understand that Evehxhas is an exceptional being in an unforgiving world, full of perilous opportunity. Violence, ideology and spirituality seem to be at the forefront of the concepts that revolve around his character. There is no sugercoating his personality. Evehxhas walks and acts with the grace of an ever-consuming god. The world and his people are his canvas but unlike the peaceful, grandiose aura of Romantic art, one can say Evehxhas has no care in the world for the integrity of the canvas. If the canvas can't possibly support his otherworldly vision, he'll make it hold his vision, similar to how the Greek gods punished Atlas was holding up the heavens. Evehxhas will turn the world into a vessel for his egotistical vision. When one tells him that there are greater causes to fight for than himself, I'd imagine Evehxhas would laugh it off and murder the skeptic in question. The greater cause, is in fact, Evehxhas himself and nothing will stop his march to ascendency. It's an almost depressing read. One has to ask many questions when looking at Evehxhas and the world he grew up in. The society of Khoronzon is so creatively crafted to be as alien as possible for what should be a human society. Evehxhas shows how deep the rabbit hole can go but who am I to say Evehxhas is deluded? Perhaps he's reached the end of the rabbit hole in question and whatever he discovered from his leap into the pit of ravenous ambition pushed him to the greatest purpose: To serve himself. From what I've read in his childhood, Evehxhas's childhood is most certainly a depressing tale but at the same time, it was his most enlightening period because the development he underwent set the foundation for him to spring off of. Unfortunately, that's where I have to stop since that's where his story ends, for now. I'll be very interested to see what comes next.

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I still voted for Miroslavsky at the end of the day due to personal preference along with the justification I've mentioned in my previous review that I linked above. I think all three factbooks are almost equal in quality and are definitely in the same league as one another. However, it wouldn't be fair to put 'The Emperor' up in the same league as of now but it is very clear that with the potential of 'The Emperor', I will most certainly have a place for it on my personal pedestal upon its completion, whenever that may be. There's no rush at all for writing of this quality. You three are definitely talented, creative writers from my perspective <3

[Valentine Z]

And with an 8-3-3, Zitravgrad takes the win once again, congratulations! A very nicely done job to all those who has made it this far as well.

With that, we have the last bracket, first bracket:

Surrealist Patagonia – Death of the Patron - The Breakaway States of Patagonia (1976)
Zitravgrad – Zitravgradian Culture: Eastern Slavic, Pseudo-Vintage and Trans-Postmodernist

Good luck! ♥

[Valentine Z]

And with a 6-2, Patagonia takes the win! Congratulations! ^^

We then have the next one:

Kyoki Chudoku – Aozoratarianism
Synne Industries – [RSI] S.A.B.E.R.

Good luck, and all the best! ♥

[Voxija]

S.A.B.E.R. is still the better factbook.

[Valentine Z]

And with a very close call of 4-5, Synne takes the win yet again. Congratulations, and nice job to everyone for making it this far.

With that, we are nearing the end! The final Misc. Bracket, we have:

Surrealist Patagonia – Death of the Patron - The Breakaway States of Patagonia (1976)
Synne Industries – [RSI] S.A.B.E.R.

And remember, 2-day voting period! Good luck! ♥

[Valentine Z]

All right! With a 9-1, Patagonia takes the win! Congratulations on a job well done, and thank you to everyone for sticking around this far!

Of course, the relevant prizes and badges are being prepared, but before that, I have a nice little surprise, before the Honorable Mentions.

The Overall Category!

Overview Category - Zitravgrad – Bureau of the Premier & Office of the Prime Minister | Custom Overview - Policy - NS Stats
History Category - Synne Industries – Sun Never Sets [ACT 2]
Geography Category - Khoronzon – The World
Military Category - Synne Industries – Providence
Leaders Category - Zitravgrad – Kremlin's Dispatch #01 (Part 1/2) - Premier Kazimir I. Miroslavsky
Misc. Category - Surrealist Patagonia – Death of the Patron - The Breakaway States of Patagonia (1976)

With a voting period of 2 days, let's see who has the best overall factbook as voted! All the best! ♥

To clarify, losing in this bracket will not void you of your winnings - you will still get your categorical prizes. This is just an extra little piece you might get. ^^ Given the scope of it, you may select up to 2 choices per user.

[Valentine Z]

The following prizes have been given out to the respective winners! Congratulations, and overall, an amazing job! Utmost care has been given in order to ensure that the values and amount received are fair in accordance to current Market Values.

Overview Category - Zitravgrad – Bureau of the Premier & Office of the Prime Minister | Custom Overview - Policy - NS Stats
S2 Wilkshire - 15.50 MV
S2 Independent Planets - 15.00 MV
S2 Elejamie - 15.00 MV
Total - 45.50 MV

History Category - Synne Industries – Sun Never Sets [ACT 2]
S1 Nation of Quebec - 42.00 MV

Geography Category - Khoronzon – The World
S1 Charlotte Ryberg - 41.00 MV

Military Category - Synne Industries – Providence
S1 Northern Borland - 45.00 MV

Leaders Category - Zitravgrad – Kremlin's Dispatch #01 (Part 1/2) - Premier Kazimir I. Miroslavsky
S2 Chan Island - 19.50 MV
S2 Eta Carinae - 19.00 MV
S2 The Talisman - 11.00 MV
Total - 49.50 MV

Misc. Category - Surrealist Patagonia – Death of the Patron - The Breakaway States of Patagonia (1976)
S2 The Archregimancy - 45.00 MV

Transaction slip:

The Imgur Album here for you to take your prize banner and show it off. Hope you like it!

[Valentine Z]

~8 more hours to go. Best of luck!

[Baizou]

Goodness, this snuck up on me!

I may have missed the beginnings of this, but I want to say thank you, ValentineZ, for putting this together. It's been fun seeing this keep up a consistent presence in Forum 7.

Good luck to everyone!

[Valentine Z]

And with a very, very close shave, Patagonia wins the Grand Finale! I will keep the results up for the sake of preserving, but of course, I will write it down later.

With that, the contest has came to a conclusion. I will be making another banner and prize for Patagonia's Grand Finale win, but in the meantime, let's get down to the smaller bits of things.

Honorable Mentions!

Ohh yes. Do you have a factbook in the bracket (or outside of this contest) that you want to mention for something noteworthy on its own? Longest title, weirdest, shortest, most aesthetic? Well, submit them here!

Code: Select all

Factbook Name:
Factbook URL:
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention:

Just a couple of rules: Can't be from players that were no longer around and yes, unfortunately, cannot be from whom I have ejected. Also can't be the winners of each category. You as a player can nominate up to 4 factbooks. And YES, you CAN nominate factbooks that are NOT in the original contest submissions. After all, given the duration that this has ran for, it will only be fair to let you nominate those outside.

This is just for the fun of it, and yes, you might just get a neat little banner if I have the time.

Have fun! I will close the Honorable Mentions (and try to get this Archived) in 3-4 days.

The Dispatch version is now live. It's a 2-parter.

[Bloodshade]

I'd like to nominate the following factbooks for honorable mentions:

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First honorable mention:

Factbook Name: Civil Dictator Amaki Astela nar Suurewie
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=fal ... /id=985256
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: Well, quite obviously one of my favorite characters I've enjoyed reading about so Amaki definitely gets my honorable mention. See review for reasoning.

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Second honorable mention:

Factbook Name: Kokichi Oma: The Ultimate Supreme Leader
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1039315
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: An extremely fun and wacky character who I have had the pleasure to read about. Definitely up there for me. See review for reasoning.

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Third honorable mention:

Factbook Name: The Emperor
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=kho ... id=1268069
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: Another one of my most favorite characters. I can't exactly sum up my thoughts concisely on why I enjoy the Emperor as a character so I'll let the review do the talking

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Fourth honorable mention:

Factbook Name: Konrad "Maestro" Svoboda, The Patron of Surrealist Patagonia
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=sur ... id=1267843
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: A titan of character-building. He's a force of nature and I love reading about Konrad's journey. As always, the review explains what I think.

[Surrealist Patagonia]

Factbook Name: Coastline
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=pairidaezia/detail=factbook/id=1513010
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: Paradizea is a titan among NS worldbuilders. Perhaps one of the best I've ever seen as his factbooks are filled with such depths and nuance that great care was put into his factbook making. Nothing screams "Paradizean" worldbuilding than the Coastline factbook. It's really a marvel of NS worldbuilding and factbook making that only Paradizea could pull off. It's to the point yet so resonating. When it said "403 km", I really felt that. No wall of texts and useless information, just "403 km". There's emotional weight behind this factbook and it is why it's one of the best factbooks on NS so far.

[Voxija]

Factbook Name: Voxijan Stereotypes and Perceptions
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=vox ... id=1158233
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: This factbook was the only one of my factbooks to make it past Round One. It made it to Round Three! The stereotype factbook is a very interesting idea that I don't think has been done before by any another nation.

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Factbook Name: Youth Subcultures
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=vox ... id=1159672
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: This factbook wasn't in the contest, but everyone likes it for some reason. Maybe because my youth subcultures are "based".

[Valentine Z]

As much as I will have to help do this, please also be mindful and try to keep self-nominations to 1-2 instead of being all of it. This is in hopes that there are other works that you know you've read, for the NS community definitely has a lot of it if you look far and wide.

My bad for not enforcing this earlier.

Thank you, and cheers!

[Diarcesia]

As much as I will have to help do this, please also be mindful and try to keep self-nominations to 1-2 instead of being all of it. This is in hopes that there are other works that you know you've read, for the NS community definitely has a lot of it if you look far and wide.

My bad for not enforcing this earlier.

Thank you, and cheers!

I'd rather have no self-nominations at all. Been back since I dropped off when it was clear my entries won't go far.

Anyways, congratulations to the winners! They'll be enjoyable reads for sure.

[Valentine Z]

In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to present the title of Best Overall Factbook title to Surrealist Patagonia!

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ Congratulations! ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

A gift has been presented to you!

S1 Gigaverse - 52.00 MV
S2 Minoa - 0.60 MV
S2 Garden at 6th Mile Road - 0.65 MV
Total MV worth of 53.25!

And also, here's a little tacky GIF for you to show off!


I'm sorry the resolution is way lower; seems like NS - both forum and gameside, won't render GIFs above 700px. Bummer. Here's the bigger and much cleaner version on my YouTube channel, best viewed on a computer (or a device that lets you loop YT videos seamlessly). Alternatively, there's also a GIF version on GfyCat (just hit that gear button to toggle to HD).

[Voxija]

As much as I will have to help do this, please also be mindful and try to keep self-nominations to 1-2 instead of being all of it. This is in hopes that there are other works that you know you've read, for the NS community definitely has a lot of it if you look far and wide.

My bad for not enforcing this earlier.

Thank you, and cheers!

I'm sorry! Can I reduce my self-nominations to "Voxijan Stereotypes and Perceptions" and "Youth Subcultures"?

[Valentine Z]

As much as I will have to help do this, please also be mindful and try to keep self-nominations to 1-2 instead of being all of it. This is in hopes that there are other works that you know you've read, for the NS community definitely has a lot of it if you look far and wide.

My bad for not enforcing this earlier.

Thank you, and cheers!

Yeah, sure thing! Do feel free to use and see other 2 nominees. ^^

I'm sorry! Can I reduce my self-nominations to "Voxijan Stereotypes and Perceptions" and "Youth Subcultures"?

[Zitravgrad]

My nominations (not in any particular order). I might be laconic, though. Haven't slept well.

Nation: Socialist Communist States

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Factbook Name: Kokichi Oma: The Ultimate Supreme Leader
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1039315
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: The user provides one of the best graphic designing I have ever seen in factbooks, as well as no shortage of humor and sarcasm (?) and WAR AGAINST PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA. It remains to this day the best 'humor/satire' factbook to me.

Nation: Valentine Z

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Factbook Name: The Wikipedia-like Overview of De Geweldige Sierlijke Katachtige Utopia en Zijne Autonome Machten ov Valentine Z.
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=701792
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: You see that name and you just know it's Valentine Z even before you are met by colorful banners and GIF flag. The information inside is also brief and useful, giving you just enough introduction to the nation without dragging on too long or becoming word salad. The use of picture spoiler is also pretty w o k e and helps with dividing sections of information. You... you would hate to be colorblind in Valentine Z.

Nation: Bloodshade

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Factbook Name: Ambrosia von Carstein
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=bloodshade/detail=factbook/id=831341
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: If we ever have leader beauty contest, she will win. The character of Ambrosia is well-developed and well-written, as she also stands for the accumulation of the user's experiences writing on NationStates. Ambrosia has become for me more than a head of a state to a nation, but rather a 3-dimension person as well. The use of font and alignment is also fairly tasteful, as well as the abundance of pictures to aid one's imagination.

Nation: Kiu Ghesik

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Factbook Name: Ari, Daughter of Oloughin, Caller on the Council
Factbook URL: https://www.nationstates.net/nation=kiu_ghesik/detail=factbook/id=1424521
Reasons for being a Honorable Mention: New face, but rising fast. It is like I am witnessing the same growth of Ambrosia's factbook but zyooming. Ari has become quite a well-developed character compared to my first impression, and the formatting has also become quite orderly, with aesthetics fitting the nation. My brain needs more pictures, though.

[Valentine Z]

Oh yeah, also Honorable Mentions until this week, I guess. I don't have a fixed date, BUT I will need to get working on it soon, lest there are too many entries, or that this got lost by the F7 inactivity.