Lady Popular Pageantry
Lady Popular Fashion Arena or LP as we fondly refer to it, is one of the best fashion games out there so far today. Not only are we each able to create our doll or lady in an image that befits our vision of beauty, and then dress her in an array of eclectic fashion styles that reflects our tastes and creativity, but we also have some other very interesting things to do in the game.
Each of our ladies have their own apartment to decorate, pets to train and a line-up of interesting male companions looking to sweep us off our feet. And if you are up to an even greater challenge, you may opt to have your lady rise to fame and glory. Of course, I am referring to the Lady Podium, FTV Catwalk, and Apartment Contests.
It only makes sense that since LP is a fashion game we would have the ability to participate in such things as “fashion contests”, which are take-offs of famous Beauty Pageants that have been held around the world since 1951.
Many people get very excited over the glamour and pageantry that is associated with Miss World, or Miss Universe Pageants, and many little girls have long aspired to someday become beauty queens. However, did you know that among all the glitter and glamour there is also a dark side? Behind all the beautiful smiles, graceful poise, and friendly exterior, there is actually a lot of bickering, backstabbing and nasty dispositions that casts a shadow of gloom on these otherwise dazzling events.
Sad to say, just as it is in real life … so it is here on LP. Much of what goes on behind the scenes here is what I refer to as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Many players aspire to having their ladies stand and shine on at least one of the Lady Podiums or FTV Catwalks but as many may have already discovered, getting there is an uphill battle all the way. Not only is getting there a difficult proposition to say the least, but once your lady makes it into the spotlight, there is a whole different set of challenges to ride out while she is there. However, rest assured it can be done.
So all that being said, I have put together this Contest Etiquette to help all aspiring “contestants” not only get there, but get there with all the poise and grace that befits a Lady.
A Few Words of Wisdom
What makes me qualified to write this article? Well, because I have been there through the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it is to reach for the stars, or in this case the podiums.
All the advice-giving within this etiquette is based on my personal experience and the knowledge I have gained while playing LP thus far. My hope is that the information presented here may serve as both a guide as well as a cautionary warning for those who are fairly new to this game and especially its competitions.
So, before getting into the nitty-gritty of the how-tos and wherefores of your lady’s rise to the top, I would like to start off with something that may seem a bit out of place, but is very important if you wish to avoid a lot of frustration and heartache especially when dealing with clubs.
The Truth About Clubs
It may come as shock to many players but while the Good, the Bad and the Ugly starts with individual players, it has quickly become commonplace for clubs to jump on the bandwagon in trying to influence the rise and fall of many players, both in their own clubs and those not in their clubs. How so?
If you are already in a club, hopefully you have found the one that is right for you and where your club sisters will offer the support you need to help you get to where you want to be.
However, if you are not already in a club you will very likely receive a lot of invitations from various presidents to join their club.
It would be very wise at this point to exercise caution when accepting an invitation from someone who makes promises that their club can get you onto the podium, because accepting such an invitation can cause you more grief than it is worth.
Here is a real case scenario of what can happen based on what I have seen many times in this game.
A Not So Uncommon Story
At one point my sister, who also plays on LP, became interested in the contests when she was in a club where it seemed that only the VP members were winning the podium, apartment, and catwalk contests. She wanted to prove to herself that a lowly club member could play the game as well as the ‘big girls” could. She made it known to her club she was interested in joining them onto these podiums. However, she found that she was getting very little support in her endeavor.
In the meantime, I helped her find a new club where she could supposedly get better support. The president made all kinds of promises that her club could get my sister onto the podium so she joined them. However, it was not long before she discovered that it was nothing more than just a lot of hype and empty promises.
In time, my sister did actually make it onto the podium but she did so through her own very hard work and not because she actually got that much help from the club itself although they were quick to take the credit for it. When she left the club due to personality clashes, they were equally as quick to run her through the mud as deep as they could sink her with a lot of negative votes and a name-smearing campaign that caused her a lot of embarrassment and grief.
You Can Do It!
When I first started playing LP, I had very little concept of what the game entailed other than creating a model and dressing her up just like in several other fashion games I had played before. I had no idea of all the other wonderful things this game had to offer until I had been playing for a while. It takes time to learn all the different aspects of the game, especially all the dos and don’ts. There are quite a number of them, but in this write-up we will focus on those that specifically pertain to the various contests.
Running for the podium was quite the learning experience, especially for someone like me who is not a competitive person by nature. Initially, I had absolutely no interest in getting involved with any of the contests.
However, after seeing what happened to my sister I decided to try for the podium myself. It was not because I had any interest in any of the crowns, which I never wear, trophies, which I do not display in my apartment, or even the emeralds, which I can earn from parties. I simply wanted to see if it could be done honestly.
I was not in any club when I first started working towards the various contests so I did not think I stood much of a chance, but I was determined to prove a point. My sole interest was to show that if someone really wants to make it onto the podium they can. Not only that, but they can do it by playing fairly and honestly WITHOUT the actual help of a specific club or by stepping on anyone else’s toes in the process.
My presence on the podium as well as the catwalk for the better part of two months proves that it can be done graciously.
The Do's and Don'ts of Your Rise to Fame and Fortune
If you are serious about making it to the top, the following sections may prove useful to you in your endeavour, but keep in mind that the don’ts are just as important as the do’s as you will soon realize why.
The information I have included here is not meant to discourage you but only to prepare you for what lies ahead. I have encountered firsthand the ugliness that can happen when players become overly competitive. Looking back I wish someone had been there to prepare me for not only what the climb was going to entail, but also what to expect once there. I am telling you all this now so that when you encounter the nastiness of some, you WILL be prepared to shrug it off and keep going. Always keep in mind that nothing worthwhile ever comes easy BUT, if you want it bad enough, you CAN DO IT.
The reason why I am relating this story is because there is a lesson to be learned here when someone makes promises of glory. These promises are oftentimes false and should always sound-off warning bells. My sister’s experience is far from being an isolated case and some cases are much worse. Many club presidents are not only guilty of making a lot of empty promises, but are also guilty of treating their members very badly.
There are those of us who have already learned the hard way how nasty some clubs can be when they don't want someone to win. Some clubs have even gone so far as trying to have players "black-listed' from other clubs out of sheer spite. Needless to say, many players have suffered greatly because of it. If relating this story can save some players some hard lessons, then it was worth the time it took to write it.
Consider this fact: clubs are made up of as many as 50 members. Not only is it unrealistic to believe that all the members of a specific club will vote for you, but it is also very assuming and dishonest of a club president to imply that the members of her club absolutely will support you. The truth is that many club members neither have the time nor even want to be bothered visiting profiles, not even to support their own club members.
This is not to say that a club will not help or support you at all. It is most likely that at least some of the club members will. All I am saying is if you do not depend on any particular club’s support you will not be disappointed if some of its members do not.
Okay enough about the BAD. Let’s talk about the GOOD.
The Do Column
Once you have decided to join the many contestants aiming for the top, you must keep your mind fixed on the prize by remaining commited to it.
Getting to the top takes a lot of determination, an enormous amount of hard work, a tremendous amount of patience, and a great deal of cash for return visits.
What you must keep in mind at all times is that to get to the top you are going to need other players to vote for you but, you will never get enough votes if you do not vote for them first.
This is paramount because that is how these contests work.
Do's
The Don't Column
The most important thing to remember when you are trying to reach the top is to play fair and be honest. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS POINT ENOUGH.
The old saying ‘what goes around comes around’ works BOTH ways. Personally, I prefer to say ‘you reap what you sow’. Both basically mean the same thing but I think the latter saying gives a better visual representation of the Don’t List.
SO, again that being said, there are almost as many things you should NOT do as there are to do if you wish to succeed.
Dont's
*You Need Charisma*
The first thing you will want to do is make sure you have a Talent called Charisma. This talent can be found in the VIP Shop under Talents.
Talents cost 10 diamonds and are good for one week. However, you can purchase talents for several weeks at a time. This way you can have the Charisma talent active during your whole campaign. If you run short you can always extend this talent by adding extra time on it.
This talent is important to have because it changes your Lady Podium, FTV Catwalk and Apartment Contest Rating capability from (-2 to +3) to (-1 to +4). This not only allows players who will support you to give you a maximum rating of +4 instead of +3, but it also keeps players who would give you a negative rating down to only a -1 instead of a -2. There may only be a 1 point difference in both cases but trust me, that 1 point difference will add up big time.
While it is not impossible to win contests without this talent, it will definitely make your task far more difficult. From my personal experience as well as that of other players, I can confidently say that this is a talent worth investing in.
*Never Break The Rules*
The first rule is DO NOT under any circumstance in any way, shape or form ever ask someone to vote for you.
I have seen many players ask for votes outright or even ask for votes in their profile description.
I have also seen many players leave coercive messages in their profile with phrases like “please leave me a message that you have voted for me and I will vote for you in return!” This is called 'Vote-Sharing'.
Still others will leave posts with comments like “max stars", "max votes" or "max support" when they visit a profile.
BE AWARE that it is strictly prohibited to ask anyone to vote for you, to ask anyone else to solicit votes for you, or for you to solicit votes for a friend, nor can you hint on anyone’s profile that you have voted for them.
This is the company’s biggest Cardinal rule so unless you want to get silenced, punished or simply kicked out of the game it would be very wise to play the game by their rules. The company's policy is that votes are to be kept a secret. This means no vote-sharing or hinting directly or indirectly that you have voted for someone.
Besides, I have found that most players who leave a message on your profile saying they have voted for you most likely have not. This is a very shameful practice but all too common.
*Always Support Others*
Once you have your talent, you will need to start visiting other players to give them support so you may receive their support in return.
If you are in a club you can start by visiting your club mates and then wait to see how many reply back. Also, if you already have some posts on your profile you can click on their names to return their visits. This is very important.
Eventually, you will develop a list of regular supporters but you will need to keep building your "return visit pool" daily because not all of your regulars will visit you everyday. The best way to do this is by going through the comments left on the profiles of those whose visits you have returned. This is referred to as 'Profile-Hopping'. Each player will have a different list of supporters you can tap into. Do not worry. This is perfectly fine to do. Other contenders will be cross-referencing your visitors as well. There is nothing wrong with sharing supporters.
Another easy way to gain new supporters is by browsing through the contest lists at the top of the LP page and clicking on the names listed in these contests. Each of the three contest categories will show the top 50 contestants. Most times you will see the names repeated in each of the three categories but these lists can change almost daily. See images below.
Clicking on any of these names will take you to their profile. Once there, you should always vote positively across the board, meaning that you should give maximum support in each of the three categories.
It will cost you $50 per vote, but it is well worth it. Voting for other players actually serves two purposes. Not only does it bring you votes in return, but it also increases your "Generosity" stat, which is very important for things such as dueling in the fashion arena and for club fights. Each vote will grant you one fashion point towards your Generosity Stat.
You can also pay to "Practice" your skills but in the end voting for others is the far cheaper way to go as Practicing your skills will eventually become horribly expensive.
*Never Be Underhanded*
The second rule is: if you are visiting other players with the hope that they will return your visit and give you a positive rating, then you must NEVER leave them any negative votes. If you do, not only are you not playing fair, you are in fact being very underhanded.
Remember, "you reap what you sow."
If players begin to realize you are not leaving them positive votes not only will they stop returning your visits, but you may also find yourself on their ignore list. I am quite certain you would not want to be ignored as this could affect your ability to attend engagement parties.
It is a terrible shame that a nice game like LP has become so cut-throat and nasty. Far too many players use and abuse this negative voting capability as a weapon for either revenge on other players or to get ahead of them.
Either way, No one likes a mean and nasty person.
We should always be working hard to encourage each other, not tear each down.
*Leave Comments*
The next thing you need to do after supporting a fellow player is leave a comment on their profile, or sent them a PM if you have run out of profile messages.
You cannot expect that many players will come to visit and support you if they do not know you exist. The best way to make yourself known is by visiting others, supporting them and then leaving a nice message or post.
Each player gets 100 profile posts and 100 PM’s daily. In order to get as much support as possible you will need to use up all of them each and every day. (Well, I did say it was going to be a great deal of hard work).
The more players you reach, the more returns you will get within one to three days.
***Some club presidents allow their Podium contenders (usually those in the top 20) to post one message per day through club’s mail letting their fellow club members know that they have been visited that day. If your club president allows it, this can be a big boon to you as it will save you up to 50 of your profile posts and/or PM’s each day allowing you to return more visits. However, please make sure to clear it with your president first.
Below is an image of what a profile comment box looks like. These can be found in the lower half of your profile under your Doll's image.
You can do many creative things within these boxes to embellish your posts, but this subject is already covered on our website under Gameplay Help.
*Never Fake Your Support*
Going hand in hand with the previous don’t is: when visiting another player, DO NOT EVER leave a message on their profile or as a PM WITHOUT leaving them any votes. This bad behavior has very sadly become a growing trend. In fact, this was extremely rampant in one of the clubs I was in before joining .
Why should you NEVER do this? Remember I said to succeed you must not only play fair but also be honest, yes? Well, this trend is very dishonest. Why is this dishonest you might ask? It is dishonest because you have misrepresented your visit. When you leave a post on someone’s profile, it is automatically assumed by most players that since you left them a message, you also left them a positive rating.
If they are good players themselves, they will most likely return in kind by leaving you positive votes. If you left them a post but no votes, what you have in fact done is extorted a positive rating from them.
Truly, only cheaters resort to this kinds of tactic and no one likes a cheater either. Remember, in the end cheaters NEVER prosper.
Again, just as with negative votes, if players suspect you are leaving them messages but no votes, you will most likely lose their support and end up on their IGNORE list as well.
*Always Be Genuine*
Something I think helped me a great deal while I was working to reach the top is that I always prepared a post that was not only positive and uplifting, but also allowed me to add a personal comment as well. I still do this actually.
I think this is very important because anyone can post a picture that says “have a nice day” on it. But, I found that most players are far more willing to support you if you are doing more than just paying them lip service. Simply put, most players will take greater notice if you interact with them personally rather than just saying something very generic.
Whenever I leave a post on someone’s profile my first priority is to bring a little sunshine to their day. Everyone has a life to live and problems to contend with each day of their life.
If you let them know that you care about how they feel and leave something positive to brighten their day, they generally will respond in kind.
Paying someone a compliment goes a long way too, BUT … be sincere. People are not dumb and they will recognize a snow job when they read one.
*** There is a fair amount more to be said about returning visits. However, to save space here, I have included this information under the category ~ A Few Secrets for Success ~ further down below.
*Never Be Rude To Others*
The particular don’t applies more to once you are on the podium rather than during your climb. However, I felt that it is just as important to mention.
On many occasions I have seen players do what this player is doing in the image below: What is wrong with this picture?
Of course when you are in the spotlight you want to make a good impression and even show off a little… OK maybe even a lot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, this is the moment you have worked so hard for… to shine in the spotlight. BUT, remember you are not alone on those podiums. Two other ladies are up there with you and they want to shine too.
They have worked just as hard as you have to get there so if you deliberately wear something that will cover up the lady behind you then you are NOT playing fair. This is not only horribly mean and inconsiderate of you, but it also constitutes as harassment of the other player. Harassing other players is also against game rules.
This particular screenshot of three ladies on the FTV Catwalk was taken a few months back. The player in the front had dressed her lady in this purple costume the very first day the FTV Catwalk rolled over and remained dressed like that for six days. Numerous players lodged several very vocal complaints to LP about this very rude behaviour, but it was not until this player started receiving nasty messages along with a lot of negative votes that she finally changed her lady’s outfit.
Not only did she receive a lot of negative votes but I am certain she made it onto many players’ ignore list. She definitely made it on mine so please be mindful of how you dress your Lady when you are in the spotlight.
Play fair. This is only a game after all.
*Show Your Creative Side*
One last thing I found very helpful while I was contending for the podium was that my apartment was always up to snuff.
This means you should make sure each room you have open in your apartment is nicely decorated, not just thrown together or ignored.
It is unwise to assume no one will bother looking at your apartment. Believe me they do. In fact, having a nicely decorated apartment is often a stepping stone to getting votes for the other two categories. How so? As an example, when I was contending for the podium, my first win was actually for my apartment.
If it helps, you are more than welcome to visit my apartment for ideas. There are, in fact, several apartments that can be viewed on our site under “Creative Dolls” Apartment Tours.
*Avoid Quoting Posts*
This last don't is not exactly a don't, but I still strongly recommend that while you are vying for the podium you do NOT "quote" someone else's post.
It is not because there is something wrong with quoting a post that I am saying this. There isn't. If it was, the ability to do so would not be available. However, if you quote someone else's post, there is a good possibility that the player viewing that message may mistake it for someone's post who's visit they have already returned that day.
Quit frequently a player's post will get accidentally spammed, especially during system lags. Most players have gotten these from time to time, and will generally delete the duplicated posts. No big deal.
However, If it happens that a player is not paying absolute attention to the name on the post, which can happen if they are in a hurry, they could just assume that your message is also a duplicate and delete it without returning your visit. In a case like this, you have missed out on very valuable support. I have been guilty of this myself on occasion without meaning to.
If you keep your posts unique, they are less likely to be deleted without a return visit.
A Few 'Secrets For Success In Returning Visits'
After a few days of serious posting, you may start feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of returning visitors. I was getting at least 25 pages of supporters per day and some players get even much more than that. If you do not work at getting a handle on the volume of your visitors regularly it will get out of hand. By regularly I mean EVERY DAY. You must avoid missing even a single day's worth of returning visits while you are campaigning because if you do, not only will it get out of hand, but you will also stand to lose whatever headway you have made. Remember that other contest runners are also working hard to reach the top, and I am certain you would not want to lose any progress you have gained up to that point.
Depending on how many of both profile and PM messages you have, the whole process of returning visits could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours daily and could cost anywhere from $30,000-$50,000+.
As I mentioned earlier, there are a few 'tricks of the trade' so-to-speak I learned along the way in regards to returning visits that you may find helpful.
*Secret #1*
To help with some of the cost, I would put my Lady to work for 8 hours before I went to bed and did my return visits in the morning. I always tried to time it so that I could start with the money I had already accumulated from my apartment during the night. Usually by the time this ran out, my Lady would come out of work and I used that money until it was all used up. I also made sure that my daily task list was ready to turn in and I then uses that money until it was all gone as well.
By this time, I had finished off all of my PM messages, which I always tackled first, and had made a really good dent in my profile posts as well. To finish off what I had left of my return visits, I would simply go duel in the Fashion Arena for the rest of the money.
Many players who work during the day simply reversed the order by sending their Doll to work before they leave for their jobs in the morning, and do their return visits in the evening.
If you are going to be returning your visits after you get home later in the day, I strongly recommend that you wait until after the day's change-over to begin. If you don't, and the day rolls over to the next day, everything is reset including return visits. Once that happens you will get confused as to whose visits you have already returned. Been there... done that... trust me that is no fun!
*Secret #2*
The most important part of returning visits is keeping track of them. If you do not, you will find yourself getting confused and frustrated as this will become an overwhelming endeavour.
The next two 'Secrets' are only suggestions that I am offering because they worked for me. However, different players will handle their return visits in whatever fashion suits them, and you will have to find what works best for you as well.
One of the things I did was create an Excel file which I used to keep track of who visited me and whose visits I returned daily. Excel is a Microsoft Office spreadsheet which worked well for this application. However, if you do not have this program I am sure there is something else that can be used instead.
Below is a screenshot of my visiting list. At the bottom I have a key explaining how I worked the chart.
***If you choose to create a chart like this one you may find that it works for you as is. Or you may choose to change it in whatever manner works for you. Then again you may find another system that works even better for you.
I created this system so that I could keep track of who was visiting me regularly and who was not so I could prioritize my return visits. Some players may visit once and never come back, some may visit only occasionally and some others may visit everyday.
This particular tracking is NOT necessary, but it may help if you find that you are running out of both you daily post comments AND your daily PM comments before you have returned all your visits in a day. If you are finding that you still have a lot of return visits to do but cannot get to them because you have run out of comments allowed, it will help you to focus on the more regular visitors because you will know who they are.
IF, unlike me you have a very good memory, you may just choose to keep a mental note of who your regulars are instead of keeping a chart. Whatever works for you.
*** Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee the names on this list are still viable. Aside from being an incomplete list, these players may either no longer be playing, may have changed clubs or may no longer be returning visits, so for best results I would recommend that you build your own list of supporters. Just a suggestion.
*Secret #3*
One of the best ways to keep track of all your return visits is by deleting them as soon as you have returned the visit.
Some players start at the top of the first page and work their way down.
This process may work for some, but I found doing it that way was more difficult for a few different reasons:
1) I had a constant influx of players posting on my profile so I found it was confusing because no sooner would I return one visit then another took its place. It became a constant battle to get to the next one down.
2) Each post is dated with the newer ones at the top and the older ones at the bottom. I found it better to start with the older posts first since those players would naturally be the ones waiting longer for a return visit. They would also be the first ones to disappear off your list as part of the LP clearing processes which they do regularly.
3) Just as you may use another player's profile to find new supporters, others will need to do the same too. It is simply common courtesy to allow new posts to stay on your profile as long as possible before deleting them so other players can cross-traffic them as well.
*First Come ... First Served*
As I have already mentioned, since posts on the bottom of the last page are the oldest, those are the ones I always started with first. This is what I call a "First Come... First Serve' basis.
1) To begin with, make a mental note of the very first post at the top of the page. This will be your cut-off marker post for that day's return visits.
2) Go to the last page of posts and scroll down until you find the very last post. Click on the player's name and it will take you to their profile. As we have discussed before, leave positive support across all three categories and then leave an uplifting post so they know you have visited them.
3) Go back to the last post on your profile and delete it. You are done with that one so move up to the one above it. 'Rinse and Repeat' until you have tackled all the posts that were there when you first started your return visits that day. If you keep using this pattern you will be less likely to get lost or confused. At least I found it very helpful.
As I have also mentioned, while you are working on your return visits others are too, so you will see new posts at the top above your marker post. Leave those until the next day because chances are you have already visited them and there is no sense in going back to their profile until the next day. There may also be new posts whose profiles you have not yet visited but those are okay to leave as well because it will still give you a fresh starting point for the next day.
***I always found that this was a perfect time to participate in either searching for a super model or participating in photo sessions for emeralds to break up the monotony. This also helps to build your emerald pool at the same time. So there you have it. After two or three days you will get into a routine that will help sustain you during your climb.
*Secret #4*
With anywhere from 15 to 25+ pages of return visits to do, it will not take you long to run out of profile posts since you only get 100 of those daily. At that point you will need to switch over to your PM's. There are unfortunately some players who do not bother paying attention to these posts and just delete them.
One thing you can do to help other players notice your post is by adding a message at the bottom of your post that reads something like: "I am sorry I have run out of daily comments, but I just wanted to let you know that I stopped by for a visit'. I usually 'BOLD' mine to make it more noticeable. You can make it shorter if you wish and just say that you have run out of comments. Either way it lets the player you are visiting know you are contending for the Podium.
*** Do NOT leave any club ads in these messages though, as some people consider this rude and may not return your visit. Stay focused on one thing at a time. There will be time for you to help your club find new candidates later.
*The Ugly*
So far I have discussed the Good and the Bad. Now, I need to prepare you for the Ugly.
I am going to assume at this point that you have now reached your goal and your Lady is standing proudly on the Podium, or you have her apartment nicely displayed as one of the top three winners, or both. Congratulations!
For the next week at least, or longer depending on how many trophies you win, your Lady is very much in the public's eye. Many players will congratulate you on your success and applaud your talent. This of course is a very nice thing.
HOWEVER, you must also steel yourself for the HATERS, and trust me they are out there. Everyone who reaches the top gets them. They are there for the sole purpose of raining on your parade, the one you have worked so hard for.
Keep in mind that these players are just a nasty bunch of people who are miserable in life, and are not happy unless they can make others feel miserable as well. They are jealous of your success and they will let you know this in no uncertain terms.
They will insult your taste or talent, tell you they hate you, criticize the appearance of your Lady no matter how well you dress her or change her appearance. They will leave nasty posts on your profile for others to see, or they may send you even worse personal messages. Some will even go so far as threatening you. NEVER LET THEM GET TO YOU!
There is only one way to deal with these kinds of 'UGLY' players. First, report their posts or personal messages. At the bottom right hand corner of each post there is a 'Report Abuse' button. Just hover over the post and you will see it. Use it to report the post. Then go to that players profile and place them on 'Ignore'. At the bottom of your PM's there is already an 'Ignore user' button as well as one for reporting abuse. Click on both.
Placing these kinds of players on ignore prevents them from sending you any further messages. The most important thing though is not just to place them on your ignore list, but also to ignore them in your mind. There is an old saying, 'Do not cast your pearls before swine.' This simply means that they are not worth your time or the effort it takes to think of them or what they may have said.
You worked hard to get where you are. You deserve to shine like a shooting star while you are there.
*Where Do They All Come From
One more point worth mentioning is that once you are on the Podium and/or you apartment is featured, you will no doubt suddenly get an incredible influx of level 8 players visiting your profile. Where do they all come from is a very good question, but not necessarily an easy one to answer.
Like with all my other posts, I was of course returning these visits along with all the rest, but after a few days I started to get suspicious of them.
I found out from other podium winners that many of these level 8 players are nothing but dummy accounts. These dummy accounts are set up by some very nasty players with the intent of not only casting extra negative votes on all those getting close to the top or who are already on there, but also to make them waste their precious limited return visits.
The problem here is that it is difficult to tell which of these level 8 visitors are fake accounts and which are legitimate, so I started paying close attention to these visitors' profiles. While it is not a hard-fast rule, I found that many of these fake accounts did not: 1) have any information on their profile whatsoever, 2) nor did they have a personal avatar picture.
3) The most tell-tale sign however, is that the Ladies from these dummy accounts do not level.
The way I dealt with all these level 8 visitors is I would return the visit the first time they visited me. I would leave them a message welcoming them to LP, however I would not necessarily keep returning their visits. If after a few days they were still visiting me, I would check their profile to see if anything had changed. IE: they had added an Avatar picture, a bit about themselves, or if their Doll had leveled. If nothing had changed, I would simply delete their posts without returning the visit again.
This one is a tough call though because on one hand you do not want to lose potential support, but on the other hand neither do you want to waste your limited amount of comments. You basically have to use your good judgement here and hope for the best.
*One Last Tidbit*
So far, what I have discussed pertains mostly to reaching the Lady Podium and winning Apartment trophies. These two types of contests rotate weekly.
The Apartment contest rolls over every Monday around 1300 hr LP time, while the Lady Podium contest rolls over every Wednesday at about the same time.
The one contest that is different is the FTV Catwalk which rolls over monthly on the first of every month.
THIS is the hardest contest to win. In fact, some players never make it onto the Catwalk at all even though they may have won all the trophies from the other two contests. Even those of us who are fortunate enough to have made it onto the Catwalk, only ever make it onto one of them.
You will come across some players who have all three trophies, but they are extremely rare.
The ladies who have earned all three trophies are generally referred to as 'Veteran' players. They have been playing the game for the better part of three years or more, and earned their trophies when the game was young, and the rules were different than they are today. This is not to say that they did not work hard to earn them because of course they did. But things were just different then.
​
Today, whether or not anyone gets onto the Catwalk is mostly a matter of timing. It is not only based on how long a player's Lady stays on the Podium, or how many Apartment contests are won, but also what part of the month they got their first win.
​
To give you an example, I had won my first Apartment trophy at the very beginning of the month, a week before I made it onto my first Lady Podium. This occurred during the second week of the month.
This meant that during that month I had actually remained in the public eye for the entire month instead of only three weeks which is more common. I came off my last Podium two days before the FTV Catwalk rolled over for the next month. By this time I had accumulated enough support to make it into first place on the Catwalk.
Unfortunately, many players who do not make it onto the Lady Podium until the latter half of the month will generally not make it onto the Catwalk at all because they have not received enough support from the other contests to reach a high enough rating required for this particular contest.
Have you ever wondered how ladies on the Catwalk manage to get such high ratings? Sometimes just looking at these ratings is daunting.
The most frustrating truth is that trying to win any of these contests is very hard to do. Ask any previous winner. However, once you make it to at least 3rd place on the Podium, it is easier to get to 1st place from there.
​
​
Why is that you may wonder? The reason is because, as I explained earlier, most players either do not have the time or the willingness to visit other players to vote for them.
HOWEVER, almost everyone takes the time to complete their daily tasks. One of the requirements for completing this task list is to give three votes to other ladies. So, what generally happens is that most players will go to the Podium listing and click on one of the top 3 ladies. Once on that lady’s profile, they just go click, click, click across the three categories and they are done.
THIS, is why you see ladies on the Catwalk with ratings of 60,000+ provided that they were in the public eye long enough, and did not get too many negative votes from nasty players or clubs trying to keep them from winning.
Now, the reason why no one, or almost no one on the Catwalk ever stays on there for a second month is because after winning all three podium trophies and apartment contests, no one can vote for them anymore so they disappear from the lists. Meanwhile, new podium winners are now in the spotlight so they are the ones getting all the votes from "Task List' voters.
Well, as they say... a 'shooting star shines brightly but only briefly.' It is now someone's else turn to shine.
​
​
I hope anyone reading this guide will keep in mind that my goal here is not to sound negative or to discourage anyone from reaching their goals. To the contrary. I am simply stating facts. This is simply how these contests work.
However, if you are determined to make it, I believe you can, and you will. You just have to work hard, be thoughtful, and believe in yourself, and you will reach those stars. Good Luck in all your endeavours.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Written by Morgan Greycloud. All Rights Reserved.
Always Give Positive Support
Ask for
Votes
You Can Do It!
Go
for
the
Gold
Swimsuit
Contest
Silver
Queen
The
Before
After
Never
