Contest January-February 2026 Contest (Entries closed)

[NIGHTBRINGER]

how does "90k posts" compare to writing a masterpiece that is then voted as amazing?

I'm glad you "asked". Let's break it down!!

~Rarity~

17 people have entered a winning short story in the contest's history. Only 1 has ever achieved 90k posts. With rarity comes value.

Winner: 90k posts


~Visibility & Grandeur~

Both achievements have dedicated threads, so let's compare them:

We're looking at 56 replies versus 3,964 replies and 21,607 views versus 530,832 views. That is already definitive, but that's not all:

The forum features a special area highlighting the top posters: https://lustria-online.com/members/ . The short story contest carries no such distinction.

Additionally, for each and every post one makes, the forum proudly (and automatically) displays their post count.

Winner: 90k posts



~Longevity and durability~

Another short story contest winner will eventually come along. Within only a single contest they can (potentially) make it on to the winners list. On the other hand, the mark of 90k posts will either never be recreated or at the very least it will be a very, very, very, very, very long time before it is matched. It is by far the more enduring achievement.

Winner: 90k posts


~Quantitative versus Qualitative measure~

The short story contest is a subjective achievement. A relatively small group of voters (in the ballpark of 5 to 10) decide the contest. If another group of voters replaced them, then you might end up with an entirely different set of winners. So you've got both a subjective measure and an extremely small sample size of voters. Those two concurrent factors are problematic from a statistical point of view. If you know anything about statistical analysis, then I don't have to remind you that it is extremely hard to achieve statistical significance under those conditions.

On the flip side, post count is a quantitative record. Objective > Subjective. There are no if's, and's or but's about it. Pure mathematical precision. The difference between my 90k and the next most prevalent poster is so vast that it leaves no room for doubt or statistical fuzziness.

But if you miss the subjective flavour, I've got 277,680 (and counting ) little reasons to justify my 90k mark.


Winner: 90k posts



So to bring it all together and to answer your question, the mark of 90k posts is rarer and a more acclaimed distinction that is both more enduring and carries greater statistical significance.

 

[Scalenex]

Yeah, but what if you had 90,000 posts and a short story contest win?

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Yeah, but what if you had 90,000 posts and a short story contest win?

It'd liken it to the example of having $1,000,000,000 versus $1,000,000,001. The value of $1,000,000,001 is technically greater, but infinitesimally so... to the point where does it even really matter?

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Haven't you missed my antics @Scalenex ?

 

[Scalenex]

It'd liken it to the example of having $1,000,000,000 versus $1,000,000,001. The value of $1,000,000,001 is technically greater, but infinitesimally so... to the point where does it even really matter?

I disagree with your simile.

It's not like have two different quantities of money, it's like having two good things that are not fungible.

It's like being handsome and smart.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I disagree with your simile.

The intention was not intended to correlate them in kind, but rather as a tool to illustrate the relative discrepancy in value between the two.

It's not like have two different quantities of money, it's like having two good things that are not fungible.

It's like being handsome and smart.

Let me refine my point. It's like leading your team to win the FIFA World Cup, versus leading your team to win the FIFA World Cup AND winning a municipal rec center poetry contest. The double win is technically the greater feat, but the poetry contest is so miniscule in comparison to the World Cup win that it is essentially irrelevant. The person would be celebrated for their World Cup win by billions of people versus an old retired couple in terms of their poetry victory.

Besides, have I not in some sense already won the SS contest? Chaos Dwarf stories have been continually penned (and haven risen to crush their competition), we've seen multiple stories featuring the Nightbringer and now an entire contest theme in honour of the Dawi-Zharr. I have already captured victory, just in a much more Tzeentchian way! That seems more like the style of the forum's trickster than a traditional SS victory. There is no escape from Chaos, it marks us all.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

He'll likely just give off that pretentious waffling that is his effort to hide the fact that all those titles he likes to tout are nothing compared to "winner of a Lustria Online Short Story Contest".

Because really... how does "90k posts" compare to writing a masterpiece that is then voted as amazing?

Spoiler: Subtle Whispering that isn't subtle

This is totally my attempt to shame him into entering an entry. Do you think it will work?

I'm glad you "asked". Let's break it down!!

~Rarity~

17 people have entered a winning short story in the contest's history. Only 1 has ever achieved 90k posts. With rarity comes value.

Winner: 90k posts


~Visibility & Grandeur~

Both achievements have dedicated threads, so let's compare them:

View attachment 172302

View attachment 172303

We're looking at 56 replies versus 3,964 replies and 21,607 views versus 530,832 views. That is already definitive, but that's not all:

The forum features a special area highlighting the top posters: https://lustria-online.com/members/ . The short story contest carries no such distinction.

Additionally, for each and every post one makes, the forum proudly (and automatically) displays their post count.
View attachment 172304


Winner: 90k posts



~Longevity and durability~

Another short story contest winner will eventually come along. Within only a single contest they can (potentially) make it on to the winners list. On the other hand, the mark of 90k posts will either never be recreated or at the very least it will be a very, very, very, very, very long time before it is matched. It is by far the more enduring achievement.

Winner: 90k posts


~Quantitative versus Qualitative measure~

The short story contest is a subjective achievement. A relatively small group of voters (in the ballpark of 5 to 10) decide the contest. If another group of voters replaced them, then you might end up with an entirely different set of winners. So you've got both a subjective measure and an extremely small sample size of voters. Those two concurrent factors are problematic from a statistical point of view. If you know anything about statistical analysis, then I don't have to remind you that it is extremely hard to achieve statistical significance under those conditions.

On the flip side, post count is a quantitative record. Objective > Subjective. There are no if's, and's or but's about it. Pure mathematical precision. The difference between my 90k and the next most prevalent poster is so vast that it leaves no room for doubt or statistical fuzziness.

But if you miss the subjective flavour, I've got 277,680 (and counting ) little reasons to justify my 90k mark.


Winner: 90k posts



So to bring it all together and to answer your question, the mark of 90k posts is rarer and a more acclaimed distinction that is both more enduring and carries greater statistical significance.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I guess that is enough trolling on my part. I think my (undisputed) point has been made.

 

[Scolenex]

I think my (undisputed) point has been made.

That you dislike losing so much you are afraid to try something new and risky?

If people only stuck to what they were good at, Scalenex wouldn't do anything ever.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

That you dislike losing so much you are afraid to try something new and risky?

It's hardly risky. I stand to lose nothing but the bit of time needed to write the actual short story. I entered the Featured Serpent painting competition knowing full well that superior painters regularly entered, and I lost. No big deal. I actually had to invest resources (money, materials and a lot of time) in the Golden Serpent Conversion Contest , and actually happened to win that one. You win some and you lose some.

When it comes to the hobby, my personal interests have always been: gaming/strategy >>>>> painting >>>>>>>>>>>>>> lore. That said, I did actually upload the sole background story I wrote (about a custom Lizardmen character no less) on the forum many years back. But when it comes to Warhammer writing, I much prefer creating custom rules. I do devise background lore for my characters, but I seldom put pen to paper. Finally, I have other hobbies outside of Warhammer. I'd much rather work on a woodworking project or play a video game than write a lore story.

Finally, there is the voting paradox. Authors can't vote for their own pieces, but I will always vote for the most dedicated Chaos Dwarf story. Odds are that my story would have the largest proportion of Chaos Dwarf content and if that scenario were to occur, I'll openly admit that I'd break the @Scalenex voting rules and self-vote (and @Mrs. NIGHTBRINGER too!). @Scalenex < Hashut (sorry @Scalenex , but loyalties are loyalties).

Besides, when is our noble Panda going to put forth an entry! Where is the Panda representation in the Short Story contest?