[ANNOUNCE] IntroComp 2003
Jacqueline A. Lott
The kernel of an idea has been forming in your mind - the start of
something magnificent. If only there was a way to implement just
this one piece, this foundation of something more, and then discover
its merit...
IntroComp: An Interactive Tease
(First time players should continue reading)
Release 2
Suddenly, you see it and recognize it for what it is: hope on the
horizon. You will write the beginning of a work of interactive
fiction, and others will as well. The masses will rally around the
cause, examine each intro in turn, and ultimately decide which
pieces should be nurtured into full-bodied works of IF!
What should you, the writer and programmer, do now?
> write marvelous intro
I thought so.
INTROCOMP IS BACK!
That's right, folks. It's time for the second annual IntroComp.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The requirements of IntroComp are deceptively simple: All entrants must
submit the *beginning* of a new, never before seen work of IF. This can
be as short or as long as the author likes, so long as it is 1) a working,
playable game and 2) interactive fiction. The deadline for completing
your intro is March 21, 2003, at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.
JUDGING RULES:
Anyone may vote on as many or as few entries as they like, on the usual
1-10 scale (10 being the best). However, they are asked to judge games with
one thought in mind, and one alone: "How much do I want to play more of
this entry?"
We also ask that judges please refrain from posting reviews of the
IntroComp games during the judging period, so as not to taint the voting
process.
PRIZE RULES:
Of course there will be prizes! What prizes, precisely, will be announced
at a later date. They will be awarded as in the regular IFComp:
first-place winner gets first pick, second-place winner gets second pick,
etc., with one important catch: Authors don't get their prizes until
they've finished a *completed* version of their entry. They have one year
(until March 21, 2004) to do so; if they fail to do this, the prize in
question will be donated to the following year's IntroComp, and they go
home empty-handed.
**ahem**
There may, unfortunately, be some prizes left over from last year's
IntroComp. If you're a winner from last year, snap to it! Finish!
If you're a benevolent fan and would like to donate a prize to this
year's IntroComp, please e-mail me at jacqu...@mountainmemoirs.com.
DEADLINE:
All introductions should be submitted on or before March 21, 2003, the
first day of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway). Intent to enter
should be submitted by March 1, 2003, but I may accept late entries at
my own discretion (that is to say, get it in by March 1 to be safe,
but if you miss the deadline ask anyway). All intents to enter and
submissions themselves should be sent to: jacqu...@mountainmemoirs.com.
Neil deMause has asked me, Jacqueline Lott, to moderate this year's
IntroComp, which is again being sponsored by XyzzyNews. Watch r.a.i-f,
as well as at the XyzzyNews website: <http://www.xyzzynews.com/introcomp>
for updates.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS[1]:
SO HOW LONG/SHORT SHOULD AN INTROCOMP ENTRY BE?
There are no strict length requirements. If you want to enter a complete
game, or merely an opening screen or just a title, there's nothing
technically stopping you - though given the voting rules, this may not be
the best strategy.
WHAT'S TO STOP ME FROM JUST ADDING "AND THEN THEY ALL DIED - THE END" TO
MY ENTRY AND THEN CLAIMING MY PRIZE? BWAHAHAHA!
Nothing ... except the ridicule and ostracization of your peers. Also,
keep in mind that you have to send me your address in order to get your
prize, and you'd be surprised how easily it is to acquire smelly, rotten
salmon here in Alaska.
WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?
We're working on it. Expect some cash, some I-F-related goodies, and some
random (good) stuff.
CAN I SUBMIT A SECTION FROM THE MIDDLE OF MY GAME INSTEAD OF THE
BEGINNING?
No, that would be ExcerptComp.
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM PROLOGUECOMP?
Well, it's an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING.
CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC?
PrologueComp was just for intro text that appears before the start of the
game. IntroComp is for the actual beginnings of games - think TextFire,
only serious. Not that mere prologues will be turned away, but you may
want to think twice about submitting one, since it'll be competing with
stuff people can actually play.
WHEN I FINISH WRITING MY GAME, CAN I SUBMIT IT TO IFCOMP?
No go, my friend. It would run afoul of the spirit of IFComp's "no prior
release" rule. You may be allowed to enter it in other minicomps, though -
ask your local minicomp dealer.
[1] For very small values of "frequently"