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Subject: The Quiz and Crossword Contracts

Posted by: WesleyCrusher
Date: May 01 19

Sometimes a throwaway joke can inspire an idea. When explaining to a newer author how to best deal with challenge requirements in the edit process I mentioned, jokingly, that they had only become an issue since we had tasks like "Write a Fill the Blank quiz in a subcategory of Sci/Tech that you have exactly one quiz ranked worse than 50,000 in, featuring the name of a deceased actor from Bhutan in the title, using all 26 letters in the alphabet in each question and writing the info in limerick form". Then, about 20 minutes later, I was struck by the realization that, if this task were posted in the Lounge, someone would probably actually do it, sooner or later.

And that means we can make a game out of it, right?

So let's get creative - both in setting tasks and in solving them. Here are the current ten tasks:

Contract #312 - 22 points: Write a classic style quiz or photo quiz in the History category on the history of any one country that does not already have a history quiz on FT. (by BigTriviaDawg)
Contract #318 - 16 points: Write a quiz for the Sub-Sets Challenge. (by Kyleisalive)
Contract #320 - 14 points: Write a photo quiz about coronations. At least one question must be FITB, and one question 50/50. (by Reedy)
Contract #325 - 9 points: Write a quiz about Adrien Brody. (by VBookWorm)
Contract #328 - 6 points: Write a quiz about a Russian television series of your choice. (by VBookWorm)
Contract #329 - 5 points: Write a classification quiz where the categories are all related to ducks but are not in the animal or science categories. (by Ilona_Ritter)
Contract #330 - 4 points: Write a 15-question quiz with exactly six words in the title, without using the letter 'e' in the title. At least three questions must be FITB, and two T/F-Y/N questions. (by Reedy)
Contract #331 - 3 points: Create a crossword on the history of any country with no more than 20% fillers. (by Sam388)
Contract #332 - 2 points: Write a quiz containing the word 'Pizza' in its title that is exactly 15 questions long and is neither in Food (Hobbies), Sci/Tech, nor World. The quiz can be either a Photo Quiz or a Photo-Match Quiz. (by Ilona_Ritter)
Contract #333 - 1 point: Using COVID-19 as an example, write a quiz about epidemics that changed the course of history. (by 1nn1)


Once you have picked a task and written, please submit it with the entire contract stipulation (including the number) in the note to the editor.

Wait for the quiz to go online, then report it here to claim the contract. If it's good, you'll receive the task's point value for the leaderboard AND you get to set up a new contract, entirely of your choosing. Come up with an evilly convoluted challenge, set up an easy one in the hopes of it being snatched quickly or just use the opportunity to make someone write a quiz about THAT ONE topic you always wanted to play but never got the chance as all nineteen online entries about it are yours... anything goes as long as it is possible. ("Write a match quiz in which every answer is a pangram" would not work - answers that long would not be accepted in the format). You must provide a new contract stipulation in the same post as your claim or the claim is invalid.

Every time a new contract goes up, all others increase in value by one point. Thus, there will always be ten options and after the starting phase in which scores are a bit on the low side, there will be always be a task (the oldest one) worth at least 10, and possibly considerably more if no one has taken it for a while. Thus, the longer a contract sits there (and thus the harder it presumably is to fill), the more lucrative it will become. And at some point, even writing that Sci/Tech quiz named after a dead Bhutanese actor will sound like a really enticing proposition...

You can finish any unfinished quizzes/crosswords to fill a contract, no need to make a new template, as long as the template was never submitted by the time the contract went up. You can't claim your own contracts of course, although authors whose contracts go all too high in value are encouraged to prove that it CAN be done.

There is no reserving in this game - you need to be the first to claim a contract, by actually fulfilling it with a quiz that meets the requirement. There's also no double-dipping - if you submit a quiz, you fill one and only one contract with it (if it qualifies for more than one, you must indicate which one you want - it'll probably be the higher score).

Yes this counts for Pangalactic and while it is probably not the best idea to advertise what you are working on (someone else might feel encouraged to steal it from under your nose), bluffing and other tactics are perfectly legit in this game. The only thing we don't want to see is collusion - so don't post a contract specifically tailored to your best buddy.

As some authors may wish to request clarifications for a contract by personal message (to not immediately alert anyone to the fact they're working on), we ask that anyone who answers such a clarification request post the answer to the thread as well while preserving anonymity, so that everyone is on the same page regarding a specific task.

Also, importantly, please remember the editors are under no obligation to check your entry for compliance with the task. You will find that most are willing to send it back for fixes if they find an obvious, easily fixed, mismatch, but there are no guarantees. If your entry only almost qualifies and goes online, well, you have a good quiz online and a second opportunity to work on the contract, possibly even for a higher score.

And now have fun!

LEADERBOARD

bernie73 - 683 points
1nn1 - 411 points
RedHook13 - 257 points
leith90 - 236 points
Kankurette - 205 points
psnz - 183 points
reedy - 151 points
ramonesrule - 140 points
LadyNym - 107 points
zorba_scank - 78 points
Kyleisalive - 77 points
windrush - 68 points
Ilona_Ritter - 51 points
rossian - 48 points
Pollucci19 - 44 points
Lpez - 43 points
AcrylicInk - 38 points
fifiona81 - 35 points
Gracious1 - 34 points
VegemiteKid - 34 points
spanishliz - 33 points
WesleyCrusher - 26 points
CmdrK - 25 points
Saleo - 23 point
moonraker2 - 22 points
Rowena8482 - 21 points
Apathy100 - 20 points
BigTriviaDawg - 20 points
VBookWorm - 16 points
Sam388 - 9 points
Angikar - 4 points
Godwit - 4 points
Ceetee - 1 point

COMPLETED CONTRACTS
(For earlier contracts, please click here.)

Contract #301 - 1 point: Write a TRIC quiz (X, Y or Z, it doesn't matter) in a category you don't usually write in. - Bernie73
Contract #302 - 5 points: Write a quiz of any size or format in any category you like other than Celebrities. - Lpez
Contract #303 - 1 point: Create a symmetrical medium or large literature crossword focussing on a group or genre of authors, such as science fiction or the Lakes poets, or the Bloomsbury Group. The choice is up to you. No 2 letter words or IATA codes. - Psnz
Contract #304 - 5 points: Identify two words or phrases which meet these criteria: (a) 15-17 characters in length; (b) the same length; (c) connected in some significant way. Insert these words or phrases as the first and last lines of a puzzle and construct a symmetric crossword between them. No two-letter words or IATA codes, please. - Windrush
Contract #305 - 6 points: Write a 10 question, all multiple choice quiz on either Australian flora or fauna, then create a medium symmetric crossword on Australian flora and fauna. No two letter answers in the CW. Both Quiz and CW should have the same title. - Bernie73
Contract #306 - 8 points: Write a quiz with a title that contains the name of a country that starts and ends with the same letter. The quiz cannot go in the Geography category. - Ilona_Ritter
Contract #307 - 23 points: Write a classification quiz in the Entertainment category where all answer choices end with a vowel. - Reedy
Contract #308 - 21 points: Write a quiz with "Tom Hanks" in the title in any category except for Celebrities, Movies, People, or Television. - Ilona_Ritter
Contract #309 - 10 points: Write a large Religion crossword with at least 6 clues being 10 letters or longer, and at least 4 words relating to religious festivals (words can fit either or both criteria). No 2 letter words or IATA codes please. - Psnz
Contract #310 - 22 points: Construct a crossword with a least fifteen colors and then write a quiz using fifteen of the colors as names (first, last, or middle) for people (real or fictional) as the answers to the corresponding questions. - Ilona_Ritter
Contract #311 - 14 points: Write a quiz or crossword puzzle that is inspired by the work of another author on FunTrivia. - VBookWorm
Contract #313 - 13 points: Write a quiz from the "Old is New" list, using any of the 'new' quiz formats (order/label/classify), AND use an Author Challenge Title. - Bernie73
Contract #314 - 1 points: Write a quiz or crossword puzzle with a four word title where all four words begin with the same letter for either History or Humanities. Quiz must be a format other than MC. - Psnz
Contract #315 - 1 point: Construct a symmetric medium crossword puzzle whose answers do not contain any of the letters in "SKIN". No two-letter words or IATA codes, please. - Ceetee
Contract #316 - 5 points: Construct a symmetric medium crossword puzzle all of whose answers contain any of the letters in "SKIN". No two-letter words or IATA codes, please. - Windrush
Contract #317 - 1 point: Write a quiz or symmetrical crossword with a theme surrounding April Fools Day. - Kyleisalive
Contract #319 - 3 points: Create a symmetric medium or large crossword puzzle in which at least 60% of the clues or answers relate to loanwords commonly used in English. A minimum of six loanwords must be of Hungarian origin. No two-letter answers or IATA codes, please. - Windrush
Contract #321 - 2 points: Create a symmetrical crossword relating to important landmarks in Europe. These can be natural formations or man-made. - Psnz
Contract #322 - 9 points: Create a symmetric medium or large crossword puzzle in which at least 60% of the clues or answers relate to loanwords commonly used in English. A minimum of six loanwords must be of Italian origin. No two-letter answers or IATA codes, please. - Sam388
Contract #323 - 1 point: Construct a large symmetric crossword containing at least one word with consecutive double letters for 20 different letters (or more) of the English alphabet. The crossword title must include "double" or a variant of the word, such as "doubling." Please, no two-letter words, Roman numerals or IATA codes. - Leith90
Contract #324 (1) (2) - 3 points: Construct TWO crosswords, one large and one medium, to submit to the Brain Teasers category. Both puzzles should be in different sub-cats (eg, drop or add a letter, anagrams, cryptic etc) and the titles should reflect that they are a pair. Grids must be symmetrical with no two-letter words, IATA codes or Roman numerals please. - Psnz
Contract #326 - 2 points: Write a quiz that is meant to satisfy the Author's Gallery monthly challenge for at least one requirement. - VBookWorm
Contract #327 (1) (2) (3) - 6 points: Create a set of THREE linked crosswords (one small, one medium and one large) for either the Celebrities, History, Religion or Video Games categories. Titles should reflect that they are a set. Each puzzle grid must be symmetric, with no two-letter words, IATA codes or Roman numerals. - 1nn1

807 replies. On page 18 of 41 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
bernie73 star


player avatar
Since this has not been an issue before, what happens if a contract becomes uncompletable because it is not completed before a deadline? Does it then get altered? Does it get sent to the completed list with a note that no one completed it? Does it get put on another list?

Reply #341. Dec 22 19, 5:48 PM
kyleisalive


player avatar
If it becomes an issue I would expect it to go defunct. Not sure what the ruling is on that. I would avoid suggesting challenges that have a chance of not getting picked up.

This might be one of those 'we'll check in with Wes if he has a fall-back plan' things.

Reply #342. Dec 22 19, 7:08 PM
CmdrK star


player avatar
I think the original idea was that if no one took up the challenge after a lengthy time the challenger was put on the hot seat to complete it.

Reply #343. Dec 23 19, 1:09 PM
bernie73 star


player avatar
This may be the last claimed contract of 2019, but...

I would like to claim

Contract #119 - 10 points: Write a Regency Period themed quiz and crossword. Both must be in different categories. (by Zorba_Scank)

for my Crossword Puzzle "People of the Regency"

https://www.funtrivia.com/crossword/play.cfm?gid=6931

submitted in People and my Quiz "The Years of the Regency"

https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/History/The-Years-of-the-Regency-399843.html

submitted in History. For my next contract, I propose:

Submit a quiz or crossword puzzle that could be used to claim two different contracts that are active on the day the quiz or crossword puzzle is first submitted to the editors. This contract can not be used as one of the two contracts.

Reply #344. Dec 30 19, 2:07 PM
bernie73 star


player avatar
A question has been asked about Contract #125. The 15 cities can include settlements that were established by 1019 even if the formal "founding ceremony" was after 1019. Also, "city" is a generic term. I won't quibble if dome of the placed were originally or are still called "towns" or some other term.

Reply #345. Jan 18 20, 5:36 AM
leith90 star


player avatar
I would like to claim contract 125 please: Create a crossword puzzle with either at least 15 cities from one nation or one city each from 15 different nations. In either case, all of the 15 cities should have been founded 1019 CE or earlier. (by Bernie73)

https://www.funtrivia.com/crossword/play.cfm?gid=7013

New contract: create a fully symmetrical, 80% filled CW of any size, that focuses on all things Australian.

Reply #346. Jan 21 20, 10:08 PM
leith90 star


player avatar
I wish to claim contract 126: Create a quiz or crossword puzzle about the planet Pluto and its satellites. (by Bernie73)

https://www.funtrivia.com/crossword/play.cfm?gid=7063

New contract- create a CW of any size about things found on the beach.

Note: These things must be, on or can be done on, the beach itself, not the boardwalk or nearby streets. eg sand, kids, shells running etc are acceptable, rollerblading, skateboarding, cafes are not.

Reply #347. Feb 28 20, 2:43 PM
spanishliz


player avatar
If I may wear my crossword editor's hat to comment on the most recent contract, it seems a bit restrictive, given that even for themed crosswords we don't require that every word be "on theme". You seem to be making that requirement.

As an author/player I'd like to note that I lived for nearly two decades in a place where beach bars and cafes were a very real thing, including getting sand in your food if you weren't careful :)

Reply #348. Feb 28 20, 4:40 PM
bernie73 star


player avatar
While it is true that the theme "on the beach" (presumably for each clue/answer combo) is restrictive, there are plenty of other areas where the crossword has looseness/flexibility:
* it can be small, medium, or large,
* it doesn't need to be symmetrical (that's a big one),
* it only has to meet the FunTrovia requirement for filling a % of the grill,
* and it could be placed in more than one category.
If the Contracts are still a popular challenge several years down the line, I imagine some of the most popular ones may resemble this one: strict in one way, but flexible in others.

Reply #349. Feb 28 20, 5:37 PM
spanishliz


player avatar
Fine, then, as long as the contract setter is the one to say whether a word is OK for the "on the beach" theme, and not the editors. As you can see from my other comment, I'd accept anything to do with a beach bar or cafe, from my own experience, without even questioning it.

Reply #350. Feb 28 20, 5:53 PM
spanishliz


player avatar
"* it only has to meet the FunTrovia requirement for filling a % of the grill,"

It also has to meet other structural requirements regarding crossing words and so forth, in order to be placed online. It is in doing this that it sometimes is difficult to stay totally on theme.

Reply #351. Feb 28 20, 5:57 PM
bernie73 star


player avatar
That's true. I meant that the puzzle had to fill at least 60% of the grid and not 70 or 80% like some other contracts have specified. The puzzle will still need to meet the FunTrivia requirements such as number of letters in an answer which cross other answers.

I also agree that the CW creator should get to judge what's "at the beach". Just like you've seen cafes on the beach, I've seen enough people playing horseshoes there for that to qualify.

Reply #352. Feb 28 20, 8:06 PM
leith90 star


player avatar
Sorry, to clarify what I meant, any themed answer in the CW should be 'on the beach' Not every single answer.

Reply #353. Feb 28 20, 9:24 PM
Godwit star


player avatar
https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Celebrities/Girl-Interrupted-At-Her-Music-399705.html

Some helpful person let me know I've fulfilled contract #128. I hope I'm correct I should submit it here.

Reply #354. Mar 09 20, 10:17 PM
Godwit star


player avatar
Now I need to submit a contract?

Reply #355. Mar 10 20, 12:39 AM
Godwit star


player avatar
Using the TV show "Trapped" (or any book, play, poem or piece of art set in the country) create a TRIC-qualifying quiz about Iceland.

Reply #356. Mar 10 20, 12:44 AM
Godwit star


player avatar
Did this work out?

Reply #357. Mar 12 20, 5:08 PM
kyleisalive


player avatar
Sorry, I've been MIA for a few days. Updating.

Reply #358. Mar 15 20, 3:07 PM
bernie73 star


player avatar
I would like to claim Contract #123 with my crossword puzzle "Double Pangram Plus".

For the next contract I propose:

Write a quiz or crossword puzzle to answer a publicly-issued challenge by a FunTrivia editor. The challenge must have been issued between April 01, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

(Note. By public challenge, I mean one any eligible author could have done. So, a quiz in the "Not Quite Works of Art" challenge would have qualified if it was issued in the date range. A leg in Sprint IV would also qualify since anyone could have signed up.)

Reply #359. Mar 21 20, 4:43 AM
VegemiteKid star


player avatar
Claiming contract #122 if I may - gold object in each photo. https://www.funtrivia.com/editquiz.cfm?qid=401369

Reply #360. May 01 20, 9:19 PM


807 replies. On page 18 of 41 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
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