Greetings all!
Now is your chance to get your hands on your very own set of Ascension Armour! In addition you can also get an Ascension Strider and Ascension Skyripper for meeting extra requirements as found below.
As I’m sure you all know now, we will be restarting the Community Recognition Program that we trialled last year. Even if you took part last year, please read below as a number of rules have changed.
We have decided to run the program in cohorts, with one 7 month cohort per year. This year the cohort will run from April 1st to October (end of).
We will have a new thread for Reward Redemption found here. Lore Submissions will remain in the existing thread.
Please read through the new rules to see any changes that may apply to you, and importantly we now have specified a set date per month as a deadline for submission posting.
If you have any questions at all, please post them below so I can get it added to the FAQ.
Enjoy,
Socrates 
FAQ
Q: If I have already completed a set before, can I participate again?
A: Yes, join in!
Q: Do you have any NI themed images/banners/media to use for streams and videos?
A: I am currently working on building a full Media Kit for any players to use that will include a variety of high quality banners, floating video banners, logos and more. Watch this space 
Q: If I have an incomplete set from last time, can I get the missing pieces first this time?
A: Yes, we still have all the relevant data so if you were midway through a set before you can continue your existing set. If you have bought pieces outside of this, that will not count.
Q: What happens if I am unable to make a submission post in time one month?
A: We have have a strict cut off deadline each month, to ensure minimal delays to processing results. If you anticipate you might not be able to get it done, please reach out to me beforehand to discuss.
Q: What happens if I am not able to complete a full set this cohort?
A: You will be able to carry it on in next year’s one
Rules by Category
Streamers
Streamers are those streaming on Twitch under the Entropia Universe category. Rules:
- Streams must have an average view rate above 10 people (We validate this through third-party tools which takes average viewers per channel overall).
- Streams do not have to be family friendly as such, though streams that we consider to be counterproductive to positive community development will not qualify
- Streams that do not feature active gameplay (AFK streaming) will not qualify
- NI Gameplay must be the main focus of the stream, for example, playing another game or other activity with EU in a small window in stream does not qualify
- Streams must take place on NI/AG
- Streams must enable the “Save previous streams as videos for 30 days feature”. If you do not have access to this feature, please save your whole streams as video highlights on Twitch - which you can then post a link to on your submission.
Video Creators
Video Creators are those producing videos for YouTube about Next Island.
- Videos must have above 10 Likes and 100 Views
- Video must be Linked to our YT Channel in the description.
- Videos must take place on NI/AG
- Videos do not have to be family friendly as such, though videos that we consider to be counterproductive to positive community development will not qualify
- Videos should have a “topic” to explore, and discretion will be used when deciding if content is of quality
- To qualify, videos should be innovative, interesting, and entertaining, not just HoF clips.
- Unedited clips of streams do not qualify, NI staff will make a final determination if videos are deemed appropriate to qualify
- A single video may only be submitted once, but you may submit any video that has been published during the Community Recognition Program cohort. For example, you may publish a video in April, and by May it has enough likes to qualify, therefore you can submit it for May. This should give you more opportunity to gain organic views and qualify. We will also accept videos you have posted One Month both before and after the cohort too (thus, March and November)
Event Organizers
Event organizers are those organizing public events on NI/AG
- Events must be open to public entry. For example, limiting by society or specific players does not qualify (Events that form a shortlist such as “PFEU” still qualify). Events requiring certain items (such as for fashion events) are fine.
- A given event may only be submitted by one player. Exception: Larger events coordinated in advance
- Event organizers must show a significant effort in the coordination of their events and must post event details on the Next Island Forum
- Event Organisers must take appropriate screenshots of their event, and post them in the thread created for the event to act as evidence. These should include timestamps (by pressing the period key ingame) and showing the players in attendance.
- A minimum of 10 people must be in attendance excluding the organizer
Lore Creation
- Players can submit lore to be written into the forum Lore section, as long as it ties into the planet storyline(s)
- Minimum word count is 300
- Should be interesting and relevant
- Accepted submissions will qualify for points
- Stories must be of high effort/quality, interesting and relevant. We want to reward lore that ties well into the existing Next Island Story and lore, and provide some high quality reading for anyone interested. If you would like to message me about your writing before submission, you are welcome to do so, to avoid not qualifying for the above reason.
Point System
Points
- Streamers will earn 2 point per hour streamed
- Video Creators will earn 10 points per video
- Event Organizers will earn 15 points per event
- Lore Submission will earn 10 points per accepted submission
50 points are required for a reward (1 Piece of Ascension Armour). You can only redeem 1 reward per month.
Points do not rollover to the next month.
Players who redeem a reward 3 months in a row will be eligible for the Ascension Strider.
Players who redeem a reward 7 months in a row will be eligible for the Ascension Skyripper.
Process for Reward Redemption
Process for Reward Redemption
All players who believe they may have required the correct amount of points to qualify for a reward should respond to a specially designated forum thread. We will not chase you down to find out if you qualified for a reward. You must post in the designated thread.
All submissions to the thread must be made before the 5th of the following month. For example, if you are making a submission for April, you must post your submission before the 5th of May. Submissions after this time will not qualify. Each months’ submission should be a separate post on the thread.
This post must include any relevant information such as:
- Full Avatar Name
- Categories you believe you have earned points in
- Links to appropriate submissible content (ie. relevant Twitch stream, lore submission, YouTube video, Forum thread)
- The more relevant information you provide, the easier it is to process and validate, and save delays chasing individuals for information, delaying results being published.
After we have processed all the submissions, a forum post detailing who has qualified will be published, along with set collection dates and times for rewards. We will not chase you if you do not turn up at collection times - should you not be able to make them, you must contact Socrates to organise a time to trade, but be aware we have a busy schedule and may not be immediately able to trade.
Disclaimer
Any players attempting to exploit the reward system by doing things such as, but not limited to, paying for views, paying for people to vote for them, or paying people to attend events will not qualify and at our discretion may be banned from participating in the Recognition Program further.
In general, be a good person who is dedicated to supporting the Next Island community and contributing in a positive manner. All reward determinations will be at the full discretion of the Next Island team, and will take into account (but not limited to) your interactions in the community with other players. Additional points may be awarded for going above and beyond with the time and effort put into larger coordinated streams, videos, events or creative writing submissions. We have seen many of you create content, and support your fellow colonists directly in game over the years. With this program we aim to show our appreciation for your continued contributions. We look forward to awarding many of you, and enjoying what you create along with our growing community!