ENTRY GUESS 244
I've been tracking this contest on and off for a while and I'll say that this new twist you've put on it has certainly made it more interesting. Typically (and unfortunately) when I see a contest "evolve" by asking for more effort out of its participants, people run away unless that particular contest is already one of the most well-established and popular ones on Steemit. Looks like in this case, at least for this week, you've bucked the trend... nicely done.
You are absolutely correct in your observations. Initially I did require more effort out of the contestants, but at the time the minimum prize was 5 SBD. When my money ran out, I had to lower the requirements to keep people here. Now that I have a sponsor to boost the prize pool, I'm able to once again raise the bar. As my own and my sponsor's VP increase, the prizes will get larger and the contest will evolve slightly again. I have a long-range plan in place; I'm just not able to fully implement it just yet. Those who stick with me will see the benefit in the long run.