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Games and Gaming: Little Game Chef: Theme and ingredients

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    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009
     # 1
    By my watch, it's just past midnight on Friday 20th March, so here we go.

    THEME
    The theme is immersion.

    INGREDIENTS
    Write a immersive game incorporating three of the following ingredients:

    • Burn.

    • Horse.

    • Midnight.

    • Sea.


    OPTIONAL: THE HARPER AWARD
    As an added constraint you may, if you wish, incorporate the following layout restriction:

    • Your game must fit entirely on one piece of A4 or US letter paper. That's one piece of paper, printed on both sides. Your design may refer to common objects (dice, index cards, and so forth), but not graphic or text elements outside the document. So if you require a map, diagram or character sheet more complex than a sticky note, fit it on your paper.


    If you choose the added constraint, your submission will be judged on layout, as well as the game itself, and eligible for special mention. If you don't, it won't.

    LENGTH
    Please keep it short, as the judges will stop reading when they get bored.

    SUBMISSION RULES
    All entries will be anonymous, so please strip any identifying data, including your name or contact information, from your game. If you submit a game that identifies you, it won't be read. That doesn't mean you should disguise your writing style: just take your name out and anything else obvious.

    Please only submit one game. No, we've got no way of knowing, because it's anonymous, but seriously, just one. And one file only per game, please: if it's not in your main file, it won't be judged.

    When you're finished, upload the finished game, in a PDF of less than 2Mb, at:

    www.grahamwalmsley.net/littlegamechef

    ...before Sunday 29th March, 23:59 GMT. If you submit a game after that, by the timestamp on the uploaded file, it won't be read.

    CLARIFICATIONS

    • Work alone.

    • There won't be a forum for Little Game Chef. Don't design publicly: just upload your game when you're finished.

    • You're encouraged to look at the other games, and give people feedback, but there's no obligation.

    • As you long as you upload your game by the deadline, you're welcome to participate. You can enter at any time during the week. You don't need to register or anything.

    • If you're doubtful when the submission date is, check the timer on the submissions page. Confusingly, Britain switches over to British Summer Time on Sunday 29th March. Don't worry about this. British Summer Time is an hour ahead of GMT, so if you did submit at 23:59 BST, you'd have submitted an hour early. Just go by the timer on the submissions page and you'll be fine.

    • The judges will read each entry (subject to boredom, see above) but don't necessarily expect constructive feedback or thoughtful commentary from them.

    • If Eero, Graham and Jason can agree on an overall winner, there'll be an overall winner. Otherwise, there'll be some announcement of winners, but not an overall one. We're deliberately not making too many promises, here, in case we have to change things later.


    OTHER STUFF

    • The term "immersion" has, historically, proved difficult to define. That's fine. None of the judges have a fixed idea about what immersion is: we want you to write a game that shows your take on immersion. We won't point you to theory definitions: if you want them, search for them, but you may find your personal definition serves you just as well. We're quite interested in what you can show us with your game.

    • Please do test the uploading in advance. Full instructions are on the uploading web page.

    • After winners have been judged, the uploaded games will be deleted. If you'd like your game hosted, you'll need to do it yourself.

    • If you lack the ability to create a .pdf file, we suggest either using Google Documents, which will create them for you, or creating a text file and converting here: http://rst2a.com/

    • Do talk about this on your blog or similar, but please don't post advertisements on other forums (we've posted on all the forums we want to post on). Let's keep it small.

    • Treat Little Game Chef as a challenge to design a game within a week, rather than a full competition. Although the competitive aspect is fun, it's really about kicking around the concept of immersion and putting together a game under constraints.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009
     # 2
    JUDGES' STATEMENTS

    GRAHAM

    I'm fascinated by immersion. It's been discussed at length, in theoretical terms, but defining it has proved difficult. That's why I wanted a Game Chef-style competition to explore immersion: rather than discussing it, I wanted to design for it, and see how far we get.

    Personally, two games reliably make me feel immersed: Call of Cthulhu and Polaris. With Call of Cthulhu, it's a sense of being in the character. With Polaris, it's being immersed in the rituals of the game. In both games, there's a sense of being present in the imaginary world: I can still remember, in vivid images, an ice cave in Polaris and a belltower in Cthulhu. Ritual, for me, seems to be a part of immersion: both in Polaris, with its Key Phrases and candle, and Cthulhu, when Keepers create an "atmosphere" around the table.

    In judging, I will be arbitrary and subjective, looking for a game that I like and that does something interesting with immersion. I'll try to play some of the games: if I do, your first hurdle is writing a game I want to play. Rather than second-guessing my tastes, though, I encourage you to write a game you'd want to play - this sounds trivial, but many people write games they wouldn't actually play - and to follow your own take on immersion, rather than mine.

    EERO

    My interest in immersion is mostly an anti-interest. Immersion is a huge sacred cow in my native land, a flag to rally roleplayers with. "Immersionism" as a rpg theory notion was apparently born here.

    The problem is that I'm not interested in what is being sold as immersion: I don't personally care about imagining being another person or any of that emotional amateur theater stuff - I want a good game, which means solid support structures that interact with play in interesting ways. Invariably it seems that when somebody offers immersion, he is also offering a non-game that contextualizes play as a mode of self-expression rather than as a game. It is even taken for granted by most here in Finland that game mechanics and immersion are fundamentally opposed to each other. My interest in immersion is thus morbid curiosity with roleplaying gone wrong, but also an interest in seeing whether folks might use the word to describe something other than introvert freeform theater. Who knows, somebody might open the tradition for me in some manner, you never know.

    I'll judge the games based on their flair with the ingredients, the impact of the approach to the central concept of "immersion" and how promising they seem as game products to be developed. I don't plan on being biased against traditional freeform immersionism despite my dislike of the form, but just a nice scenario idea and some setting writing won't cut it either - we want game design, not just authorship.

    JASON

    For me immersion is a state that exists in a satisfying liminal space between player and character, and is most often identified in retrospect, as a side effect of deep engagement. Like pornography, I know it when I see it. I do not know how to design for it, or even if designing for it is a good idea. I have not followed any of the Forge discussions related to immersion and am not guided by theory in this regard, calling back to my performance background more than my gaming. I view it as a net positive in game play, but neither necessary or hazard-free. If this were a figure skating competition, I would be the Soviet judge at the 1976 Olympics - mean, opinionated, and clueless.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009
     # 3
    So there you go.

    Questions and general enthusiasm are welcome (provided that, after being enthusiastic, you shut up and design). Please don't discuss immersion on this thread, though! If we get started on that, we'll never stop.

    Also, please keep discussion of Little Game Chef to this thread, otherwise it might swamp the forum, and that would annoy Andy.

    Graham
    •  
      CommentAuthorJosh Roby
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009 edited
     # 4
    So if I'm aiming at the judges, I want to write a game about amateur theater that involves belltowers, ice caves, and pornography.
    • CommentAuthorwhiteknife
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009
     # 5
    So, would a game about horses immersed in the sea at midnight count? (Or is that not the kind of immersion you're looking for?)

    Seriously though, I think I might give this a shot.
    • CommentAuthormadunkieg
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2009 edited
     # 6
    Any concerns regarding font sizes, borders, and what have you?

    If no guidelines are forthcoming, I will assume that "readable when printed" is a good guideline. For me that means 10 pt font, as well as a minimum of 2/3 of an inch on the borders. That's something of a minimum, too. I would actually increase line spacing a bit to make it more readable.

    EDIT (almost forgot to ask) Would you prefer it set up for printing or screen reading? I might rotate the page for screen (landscape instead of portrait orientation) and use a bigger font size due to the lower resolution.
  7.  # 7
    Posted By: GrahamCLARIFICATIONS

    • Work alone.

    Can we playtest?
  8.  # 8
    As far as I know, Graham has the last word on this stuff. I'm just corresponding to show commitment.

    Pornography: yes, sounds good to me. 12 points from Finland on that one.

    Layout: As far as I know, we're not judging appearances. So scribble however you want as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to be reading exclusively on screen myself, but I also know how to use zoom features, selective printing, screen captures, text captures and whatnot, so you'll really have to try if you want to make an illegible file. Unlikely for anybody to stumble on that one.

    Playtesting: would be a pretty weird culture project if we specifically discouraged recommended practices, wouldn't it? Don't take it too seriously, the worst that can happen is that you get disqualified, which is pretty minor if you end up creating a successful game anyway.
  9.  # 9
    Heh, to note, the theme says "Immersion", but then in the ingredients you change what it is, "Write an immersive game", an immersive game may not have immersion as its theme, and, well, I guess what I wanted to do will have to be outside the competition: When I've heard the theme was "Immersion" I thought of writing a game that does not allow you to immerse, and where most of the rules are written in such a way to impede and break up the possibility of immersion.

    I might design it anyway, could be interesting. And hopefully people won't say it's "Universalis"-esque, I could always say I haven't read Universalis, heh.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 10
    Playtesting: Yes, do playtest, if you'd like to. By "Work alone" we mean "Don't design your game in a team or a pair". (With apologies to Mike, who asked about working in pairs: we decided it was too complicated.)

    Font sizes and borders: There are no strict guidelines, but we will stop reading if we get bored, and we'll get rapidly tired of reading small fonts. So, yes, readable fonts.

    Formatted for screen vs formatted for printing: do it whichever way you prefer. Eero will read on screen, I will read on paper, so there's no advantage in doing one or the other.

    Graham
  11.  # 11
    Posted By: Thunder_GodWhen I've heard the theme was "Immersion" I thought of writing a game that does not allow you to immerse, and where most of the rules are written in such a way to impede and break up the possibility of immersion.

    But that could actually be it's own immersion as ther group fights the game to achieve immersion or is overly aware of potential immersion and struggling to avoid it - immersed in the game but not the world/fiction. I think you should submit it!
    •  
      CommentAuthorRy
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 12
    Well, I can't work with Mike, but I already have an idea. :)
    •  
      CommentAuthorveritascitor
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 13
    Posted By: GrahamPlaytesting: Yes, do playtest, if you'd like to. By "Work alone" we mean "Don't design your game in a team or a pair". (With apologies to Mike, who asked about working in pairs: we decided it was too complicated.)

    No need to apologize; it's a perfectly reasonable decision. I guess it was good that I asked. :)

    Posted By: Ryan StoughtonWell, I can't work with Mike, but I already have an idea. :)

    I guess that means we'll have to fight this one out to the death, instead. :P Time to start pondering.
  14.  # 14
    *rubs hands* Thanks, Graham. I think I have an idea--I'll see if it survives pondering over lunch.
    • CommentAuthorDestriarch
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 15
    Well I have a solid idea too, I only hope that not too many people jump on the same bandwagon without knowing it. That's the problem with good ideas, many people tend to have the same ones.

    Has there been a clarification on the Immersion issue yet? In that, does it have to be a deliberately immersive game, or is immersion simply a theme to be used as imagination dictates? This has got a big impact on how my game works so I could use knowing.

    -Ash
  16.  # 16
    For Pete's sake:

    "The term "immersion" has, historically, proved difficult to define. That's fine. None of the judges have a fixed idea about what immersion is: we want you to write a game that shows your take on immersion. We won't point you to theory definitions: if you want them, search for them, but you may find your personal definition serves you just as well. We're quite interested in what you can show us with your game."
  17.  # 17
    Read the judge's statements for more information on the immersion issue. As far as I'm concerned, I'll be judging the immersion thing based on whether the concept of immersion was useful for the game in question, central to its execution and advantageous to its design goals. I probably won't score a word-play about immersing horses very highly, though, simply because it doesn't go very deeply into the cultural heritage of immersion as a technical concept in roleplaying. Other than that, whatever your understanding of immersion is or whatever understanding you choose as fruitful, I'm fine with that.

    Still, if I were you, I'd value making a good game over trying to garner favour from judges. A good game is the only reward in this sort of competition, after all.
  18.  # 18
    But Eero... I.... I want you to respect and admire me!

    (P.S. I secretly love you.)
  19.  # 19
    Hey, I don't have the resources to make a PDF. Is there another file format that's ok?
    • CommentAuthorJarrod
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 20
    Marshall, there are websites that'll do the work for you, I'm pretty sure.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 21
    Marshall: PDFs only, I'm afraid. They're not hard to create. Everything does PDFs: you can convert a Word document to a PDF, using various things you'll find online (e.g PDF995), or Google Docs will create a PDF for you.

    Ash and others asking about immersion: It's completely your call what you do with immersion, although we've given you some hints on how we'll judge.

    Jonathan has made us an icon.



    Graham
  22.  # 22
    The only ones I've found require money. I'm not really interested in spending money on a design contest.

    (crossposted with Graham)
    •  
      CommentAuthorBen Lehman
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 23
    Can we follow in the grand Game Chef tradition* of submitting games that we're already working on?

    yrs--
    --Ben

    * Jared did it once.
    •  
      CommentAuthorRafu
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 24
    Damn, now my sea-horse idea is spoiled! Forever! I hate you so much, oh cute hippocampus logo! Cruel, cruel logo! (but still, cute!)
  25.  # 25
    Ben: won't influence my judgment.

    Marshall: as an independent service unrelated to my role in the competition, if you really can't create a pdf file otherwise, send the text to me and I'll take care of it. I seem to remember that Open Office creates pdf files, though, so you might just download that.

    Brand: yeah, I know.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 26
    Oh, that's a reasonable question, Ben. For me, that goes against the spirit of the thing. Also, if we allow previously developed games, everyone will just shove a "Sea of Burning Horses" into a game they've got already and submit it. New games are more fun.

    So...no. Nothing you're working on already, please.

    Graham
  27.  # 27
    I use PDF Creator, which allows me to "print" from Word, I just choose "PDFCreator" as the printer.
  28.  # 28
    Marshall: If you're using Windows, you can use PDFCreator. You install it and it shows up as a printer on your computer. When you want to turn your document into a PDF, you just click print in whatever program you're using (Word, etc), and choose the PDF creator. Easy, and free.
  29.  # 29
    Marshall - Yes, Open office will do it, as will PrimoPDF:
    http://www.primopdf.com/

    Or Google "free PDF convert" and take your pick. Being able to PDF is pretty much mandatory for any serious self-publisher.
    [/ high sea horse]
    •  
      CommentAuthorDavid Artman
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 30
    Oh, and I'm done. Just want to re-read/re-proof some on another day, to catch typos or glaring omissions.

    Yeah, I'm bad-ass.
  31.  # 31
    Please don't out yourselves. The whole point of anonymity is ... anonymity. To clarify - go talk amongst yourselves and so forth, but don't use this thread to say "My game BARON SEAHORSE AND THE FLAMING SEA" has been submitted! Anonymously!"
    •  
      CommentAuthorDavid Artman
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009 edited
     # 32
    Ah, whoops--good point. Don't play favsises! Even though, you know, I did that thing for you that time. At band camp.
    [Edit to remove potential identifying information, in case other two judges hadn't read my above post yet. Or is merely being done in a day a dead giveaway?]
    • CommentAuthorLogos7
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 33
    the judges may not look at the submission folder until the contest is over, so it may not be that big a giveaway
    • CommentAuthorTim Gray
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 34
    I hereby dub this competition "Little Zen Game Chef". Due to the whole, "We want you to demonstrate a thing but we can't tell you what it is." ;)

    Corollary: If you meet Graham Walmsley on the road, kill him!
  35.  # 35
    Ah, see, but I haven't submitted it to the FTP site. It's merely the mention of... something I edited out of the posts... that could have been a giveaway. I won't submit until--oh, wait, can't say.

    In general, Jason's right: don't come a-crowin' here, because it provides correlating information. Just bask in the warmth of accomplishment and await the inevitable disappointment--THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
    • CommentAuthorDestriarch
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 36
    Posted By: Tim GrayCorollary: If you meet Graham Walmsley on the road, kill him!

    *marks next UK Games Expo's date in his diary and starts sharpening the ol' hatchet*
    Heh only kidding Graham.
    (Hatchets are for wimps who can't use barbecue skewers)

    -Ash
    • CommentAuthormadunkieg
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 37
    Posted By: GrahamRather than second-guessing my tastes, though, I encourage you to write a game you'd want to play

    Best advice ever.

    Despite having many, many ideas, I almost despaired for lack of one that allowed me to follow this advice. Rest assured that has now changed. Getting it to work shall be a much more monumental task.
    • CommentAuthorJ. Walton
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2009
     # 38
    First page done! 1 page to go. Then, playtesting!
    •  
      CommentAuthorBen Lehman
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 39
    I made a thread to talk about design here Judges keep out! Everyone else, post about what you're working on if you like!
  40.  # 40
    Yay! I have a complete first draft! This will be the first Game Chef challenge I actually finish!

    Thanks for running this Graham!
    • CommentAuthorlachlan
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 41
    I'm done, as well! Yay us!
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009 edited
     # 42
    Eero, get over it, man. Sheesh. The vitriol in your statement is putting me off this whole contest.

    [EDIT] I read the rest of your posts in this thread, which seem a bit more mellow. So yeah. Still, weird vibes. [/EDIT]
  43.  # 43
    Not intended to be vitriolic, though. Graham just asked me what immersion meant for me and how I was planning to judge, and that's pretty much the truth of it. I have never seen a game associated with self-aware immersionism that would have been any good by my count. There simply aren't any results in that tradition that I'm interested in. That's just how it is, and it doesn't need to influence this contest in some overbearing manner - you can design around it if you want, or face my dislike head on, or just design the game you yourself consider the best - which I think you should anyway, as there's little profit in trying to dodge my dislikes.

    If you'd like, you can consider my agreeing to judge this contest as an effort to get over it by engaging in active dialogue about immersion. Who knows, perhaps the many games that participate in this will show me how the concept of immersion can be turned into a positive tool of game design, or they can show me how I've misunderstood the games I've seen so far. I can't believe in ill results from this sort of exercise that encourages us all to look carefully into our assumptions. I think you definitely should participate if you think that you might have something interesting to say about immersion, something that will enrich the tableau of the contest.
    • CommentAuthorJ. Walton
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 44
    Graham, not to kick a gift horse in the face, but the anonymity honestly seems more trouble than it's worth. I mean, once I finish my game (which may be, like, tonight) it'll be hard not to talk about it, not just until the design part of the contest is over, but until judging is finished. Also, I'm not just restricted from talking about it on SG, but also on my own blog, which I know (some/all?) the judges read. That kills a lot of the buzz that comes from having finished a new game, being really excited about it, and wanting to talk about it. Honestly, I may just end up outing myself because I want to talk about my game and winning Game Chef is, as you've said, far less important than actually finishing a cool game. In past, anonymity was occasionally recommended largely to keep people who were micro-famous from hogging all the attention from unknowns, but I'm not sure I've ever seen evidence that micro-fame actually affected judging, just the attention you got during the design process (which was not always beneficial, but sometimes distracted folks from finishing). So I guess I'm not sure what problem you're trying to solve.
    • CommentAuthorLogos7
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 45
    well, as the judges have already said that they won't be reading boring games, I think your safe...

    Logos :D
    •  
      CommentAuthorBen Lehman
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 46
    Jonathan: So talk about it. What's the absolute worst thing that could happen?
    • CommentAuthortadk
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 47
    Got 6 pages done, about the 95% mark complete. Finish up character sheet and then the run it notes and ideas and posting it. This one is pretty good I think.
    • CommentAuthorwhiteknife
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 48
    Sweet! I finished my game! Now all I have to do is overcome the nigh insurmountable challenge of converting my meager word file into a mighty PDF.
    I suppose I'll have to try out one of the methods recommended above.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 21st 2009
     # 49
    Eero, thanks for your reply. If I have the opportunity to participate, I will, probably in an exploratory fashion.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009 edited
     # 50
    Yay finished games.

    [Edited: Talk about your game on your blog if you'd like to.]

    Graham
    • CommentAuthormadunkieg
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009
     # 51
    I'm sure some of those people who are trying to stick to 2 pages are happy they don't have to waste a line on their name.

    The lack of forum discussion has undermined the experience a bit, though. Anonymity is a great for being competitive, but the main purposes of these game design contests is to have fun, become better game designers and actually put some writing on the page. Sharing ideas and the development process in a forum helps with becoming a better designer. For me that's more fun than being competitive.

    I've stuck to the anonymity rules and will continue to do so as it's a new experience, but I thought that this was worth bringing up for future contest consideration.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009 edited
     # 52
    Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but one of the most tiring things about these competitions is that everyone thinks it should have been done differently.

    Please, play with the rules as they're written, and be happy with them, and we can criticize when the contest's done.

    Hey, do keeping posting occasional updates on how the games are progressing, though. Those are making me happy.

    Graham
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009
     # 53
    I'm thinking out a concept vaguely based on some fiction none of you have read. And considering meditating for half an hour on the different ingredients - maybe that'll feed some deeper-level associations. In other words, hoping that I'll wake up with a ready-dreamed concept.
    • CommentAuthormadunkieg
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009 edited
     # 54
    Posted By: GrahamHey, do keeping posting occasional updates on how the games are progressing, though. Those are making me happy.

    ...except that reveals who made which game by way of submission timing. I'm sorry for my posts thus far (including my previous post. It could have waited until after).

    That said, after judging is over, I'd get a real laugh if the judges were to look at the games and guess who wrote them. My bet is that you'll have instantly recognized the work of a good few people while judging without any extra clues.
    •  
      CommentAuthorlachek
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009
     # 55
    In case anyone missed it, if you (as I) enjoy the peer critique process, read this thread. Just remember to post the links after the judging has taken place, and if you want to retain anonymity, contact me privately using email or whispers instead.
    •  
      CommentAuthorAndy
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009
     # 56
    Posted By: madunkieg
    That said, after judging is over, I'd get a real laugh if the judges were to look at the games and guess who wrote them. My bet is that you'll have instantly recognized the work of a good few people while judging without any extra clues.


    Back int he Historical Game Game-Chef, I was reading a submission. I was like, "What the fuck, is this guy like totally copying Paul Czege's writing style and mechanical quirks? Parts of this scream "rip off of My Life With Master"," and in my head I think I deducted a few points to the score (the "how cool is it?" score box thing).

    The game was Bacchanal, a game written by Paul Czege using a pseudonym.

    -Andy
    • CommentAuthorwhiteknife
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009 edited
     # 57
    Well, that was fun! I don't want to reveal which game was mine, so I'll just give hints:

    My game uses three of the following elements:
    Burn
    Horse
    Midnight
    Sea

    It also focuses on the concept of immersion.

    Hope I didn't give anything too important away!
    •  
      CommentAuthorBen Lehman
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009
     # 58
    About talking about your games:
    All entries will be anonymous, so please strip any identifying data, including your name or contact information, from your game. If you submit a game that identifies you, it won't be read. That doesn't mean you should disguise your writing style: just take your name out and anything else obvious.

    I plan to do this, when I submit. Is there anything in here about not posting about the game on your blog, or on other forums? Presumably a simple "Judges, do not read this" tag is sufficient. If the judges can't help but read it anyway, that's really their responsibility, not yours. It doesn't seem to be grounds for a disqualification.
  59.  # 59
    I'm good with a warning tag, Ben. Talk away, as far as I'm concerned - really, the point wasn't to stifle conversation.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 22nd 2009 edited
     # 60
    Yes, what Jason said. I'm unlikely to look at blogs or other forums this week anyway. Do talk on your blog, or on other forums, if you'd like to.

    Graham
  61.  # 61
    Graham informs me that we've already got half a dozen entries. That's fantastic! I can't wait to read them.
  62.  # 62
    Is it sad that I only just now thought of a neat setting in which I would actually want to play and in which I can use the ingredients? Here's hoping I can think of a way to tie-in the immersion theme and write something up before Sunday.
  63.  # 63
    It's not sad, it's fabulous! Go, Mike, go!
  64.  # 64
    Haha, we'll see. I might actually have some free time over the course of the next week. So maybe, just maybe, I'll actually get something out there. :D
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 24th 2009
     # 65
    Yes, do it! Apart from anything else, a decent setting can be fairly immersive by itself. Look at Call of Cthulhu.

    Graham
    • CommentAuthorJ. Walton
    • CommentTimeMar 24th 2009
     # 66
    Just spend an hour or two playtesting my game with Dev. It's going to be much better for it.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 24th 2009
     # 67
    I can't, Jonathan. I live nowhere near Dev. You'll have to do it yourself.

    Graham
    • CommentAuthorDestriarch
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 68
    Posted By: veritascitorIs it sad that I only just now thought of a neat setting in which I would actually want to play and in which I can use the ingredients? Here's hoping I can think of a way to tie-in the immersion theme and write something up before Sunday.

    To be honest I'm still not happy about the way I've used some of the ingredients, but I kinda had an idea that I loved and had to run with it, whether it fits the contest or not. In all honesty I'm not bothered if I win or not because I have a game that I like. So no, it's not sad taking your time over coming up with a setting that fits. It's not easy.

    -Ash
    •  
      CommentAuthorDVUS
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 69
    This is my first competition, as well as my first try at designing a game. So, we'll see how it goes. I'm excited!

    D
  70.  # 70
    Posted By: veritascitorjust now thought of a neat setting

    So much for not outing oneself. (HINT: The entry that's only a setting is Mike's.)

    Oh, well... *shrug* The anonymity thing was a bit pointless anyway, I thought. With only a week to design, it's not like some cult of personality can really swarm up over the "big shots" and help their game to be better. And, on the flip side, being able to post on a blog means that such alleged cults ALREADY are reading the works in progress of those designers whose blogs they actually, you know, read. And if they are commenting/questioning, the main "advantage" of anonymity is gone anyway. Leaving only the possibility that the judges would favor one of the big shots, if they knew who it was.

    I kinda doubt they'd do that: Graham wouldn't let himself be swayed by mere popularity, Jason would feel guilty about it, and Eero is way above such petty favoritism. ;)
  71.  # 71
    Posted By: David Artman(HINT: The entry that's only a setting is Mike's.)


    Hah, my setting idea isn't that fleshed out, and I do have some mechanical ideas that I want to put in as well. Though, come to think of it, a fully realized setting might not be a bad entry. Don't have time for that, though. :P
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 72
    Curses! This is really hard! The immersion thing I want to write will take weeks, and doesn't fit this competition. The game concept I can think of that fits this competition, isn't immersion as I define it. And the concepts I know work in my gaming culture aren't in fashion around here.

    I will drink lots of coca-cola and finish a game.
    •  
      CommentAuthorRafu
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 73
    Matthijs, I suggest you to still go for a concept which works "in your gaming culture" and to give not a damn about what's "in fashion around here".

    ALMOST-AN-EDIT: Thinking again, I may be telling you this just because my own design for the contest is totally un-fashionable, but hey...!
  74.  # 74
    Matthijs--you designing to complete a game to release, or to win Little Game Chef? If the former, what market is likely to most-embrace you? If the latter, what makes you think fashion is of interest to the judges (in particular Eero)?

    Just an odd statement to make, all 'round, seems to me.
    David Artman
    - Author of the UTTERLY unfashionable--even scary--For Mature Audiences in GC2008
    - Author of a game for LCG2009 that's in a milieu in which very few SGers play (only one judge plays in it, that I know of)
    - Designer with big balls
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 75
    Oh, don't pay too much attention to my frustrated comments. They're an expression of the joy of challenge. Imagine me climbing a mountaintop, sweating and wearing an insane grin while cursing every lump of rock in my way.
    •  
      CommentAuthorGraham
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 76
    Oh, here's a thing.

    If you're working on a game, consider uploading a draft. This means that you get to test the uploading ahead of time; you're covered, sort of, in case there's a last minute problem; and it gives us an idea of how many games will be entered.

    Graham
    • CommentAuthorJ. Walton
    • CommentTimeMar 25th 2009
     # 77
    Second draft finished. Working on first supplement (stuff that wouldn't fit on two pages). Hope to playtest again later this week.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 26th 2009
     # 78
    Oh, now the concepts are coming together. Wow, this is pretty good. For me, at least. I've stolen somebody else's idea, of course, and made it my own.
    • CommentAuthorvulpinoid
    • CommentTimeMar 26th 2009
     # 79
    So that's the key. I've been trying to come up something unique and interesting on my own...when obviously it would have been a whole lot easier if I just stole someone else's ideas.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMatthijs
    • CommentTimeMar 26th 2009
     # 80
    Yes! I don't see how things could be any differently. I didn't invent role-playing, nor immersion. Even the d6 wasn't my idea.

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