Community Awards Categories
The Fringes of Algo Community Awards cover many categories, reflecting the diversity of member contributions to the community each year. The categories for each year are selected to provide an opportunity to recognize all the areas in which members have participated during the previous months. A list of all categories used in previous years of the Muskies is provided below. Some categories may not return every year, while others may be added as the Muskies ceremonies and Fringes of Algo continue to grow.
Each year, a set of eligibility dates is provided at the beginning of the awards. Only content submitted to the community within those dates, typically the past year, is eligible for consideration in the awards for that year. When a new category is first introduced, the eligibility dates are often waived to allow all previous content for that category to be entered.
Nomination Categories
At the beginning of each year's awards, members of the community can nominate their favorite entries from these categories. A top few nominees are selected from the members' nominations to form voting ballots. Members are then allowed to vote for a single entry on each voting ballot.
- Best Single Chapter Fan Fiction
This award recognizes your top choice of any story posted in the Fan Fiction section that consists of only one chapter (or post). - Best Multiple Chapter Fan Fiction
This award recognizes your top choice of any story posted in the Fan Fiction section that consists of more than one chapter (or post). - Best Original Writing
Introduced in the second year, this award recognizes your top choice of any story posted in the Original Writings section. - Best Fan Artwork
This award recognizes your top choice for outstanding fan artwork. Please note this is for an individual piece of artwork, not an artist's body of work as a whole. The Muskies Eligible Fan Artwork Gallery will display all artworks eligible for this award. - Best Original Artwork
This award recognizes your top choice for outstanding original artwork. Please note this is for an individual piece of artwork, not an artist's body of work as a whole. The Muskies Eligible Original Artwork Gallery will display all artworks eligible for this award. This category was introduced in the second year of the Muskies. - Best Artist
This award recognizes your top choice for an artist that has displayed great skill in a visual medium. For this award, please do consider an artist's body of work as a whole. A list of eligible artists is provided at beginning of the nomination period. This category was introduced in the second year of the Muskies. - Best Writer
This award recognizes your top choice for a writer that has displayed great skill in the written mediums of Fan Fiction, Original Writing, or Roleplay. For this award, please consider a writer's body of work as a whole. A list of eligible writers is provided at beginning of the nomination period. This category was introduced in the third year of the Muskies. - Best Original Character
This award acknowledges a remarkable original, fan created character. Fan characters have appeared in fan fiction, artwork, games, roleplaying, and other works shared with the community. This category was introduced in the second year of the Muskies. - Best Quiz
Introduced in the third year of the Muskies, this award recognizes your top choice of an individual quiz posted in the Quizzes section. - Best Quiz Master
This award recognizes your top choice of a member who created the best overall quizzes posted in the Quizzes section. For this award, please consider a writer's body of work as a whole. A list of eligible writers is provided at beginning of the nomination period. This category was introduced in the third year of the Muskies. - Best Other Fan Work
This award recognizes fan creations in the areas of fan games, music remixes, and videos. Eligible items can be found in the Fan Games, Music, & Video forum (any project posted or updated within the eligibility dates in any currently unlocked topic). Initially introduced as "Best Fan Game" in the inaugural Muskies, it was expanded and retitled in the second year. - Best Download
This award recognizes the best work available in the Downloads section of the site. Fan Games and Emulation Patches are excluded from this award, as they fall under the Best Other Fan Work category. - Best Forum Game
This award recognizes your choice for the top game in the Forum Games and Roleplay sections. - Best Introduction Topic
This award recognizes your choice for the top topic created within the eligibility dates in the Introductions section. - Best Avatar
This award recognizes your choice for the member who had the most impressive avatar within the eligibility dates. - Best Signature
This award recognizes your choice for the member who had the most interesting signature within the eligibility dates. - Most Successful Discussion
This award recognizes your choice for the best discussion topic on the forums. Non-discussion topics or topics that fit into another award category (such as Forum Games or Fan Fiction topics) are not eligible for this award. - Most Enthusiastic Fringer
This award recognizes a member of the community who has shown a great enthusiasm for some activity during the last year. Whether it's obsessing about a certain game, posting news stories, entertaining with random skits, or some other activity, this is something the member does often and does well. Fringes of Algo staff members are not eligible for this award. - Fringer of Excellence
This award recognizes an outstanding member who you feel best illustrates the qualities that the community values. Kindness, sharing knowledge in a productive manner, things like that. You don't have to be a Phantasy Star expert to receive this award - just a great community member. Fringes of Algo staff members are not eligible for this award.
Performance Based Categories
These categories are awarded based on performance of members during the eligibility dates, rather than community voting. As these categories are intended to reflect activities that can be quantified with simple numerical values, winners are determined based on who achieved the highest performance in each category.
- Best Achievement Hunter
The individuals who obtained the most achievements receive this award. The site administrator is not eligible for this award. - Most Active Quiz Taker
This award is granted to those who attempted the highest number of quizzes. - Prominent Poster
Creating the most posts in discussion topics grants a member this award. Non-discussion areas, such as Forum Games, are not included in the post count. The site administrator is not eligible for this award. - Top Conversation Starter
Creating the most discussion topics grants a member this award. Non-discussion areas, such as Forum Games, are not included in the topic count. The site administrator is not eligible for this award.
Other Categories
- Staff Member of the Year
This award is intended to acknowledge the staff member who you feel is deserving of special honor due to their contributions to the community and its livelihood. Nominations are not excepted for this award. The voting ballot consists of members who were on staff during the eligibility dates. The site administrator is not eligible for this award.