[ANNOUNCE] IntroComp
Neil deMause
dim at first, grows brighter until it is a blaze in your eyes, and you can
barely make out the words.....
THE FIRST ANNUAL[1] I-F INTROCOMP
The requirements of IntroComp are deceptively simple: All entrants must
submit the *beginning* of a work of I-F. This can be as short or as long
as the author likes, so long as it's 1) a working, playable game and 2)
interactive fiction. Deadline is March 20, 2002, at 12 noon Eastern
Standard Time.
The other important rules for IntroComp involve the JUDGING and the
PRIZES:
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 on one criteria, and one alone: "How much do you want to play
more of this entry?"
PRIZE RULES: Yes, there will be prizes, to be announced at a later date.
They will be awarded as in the regular I-F Comp: 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 20, 2003) to do
so; if they fail to do this, the prize in question will be donated to the
following year's IntroComp (or another comp, if IntroComp doesn't make it
past year one), and they go home empty-handed.
DEADLINE for entry is March 20, 2002, the first day of spring (in the
Northern Hemisphere, anyway). Intent to enter should be submitted by March
1, 2002, but I may accept late entries at my own discretion. (I.e., 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:
ne...@demause.net.
IntroComp is moderated by Neil deMause (that's me), and sponsored by
XyzzyNews. Further updates will be posted to r.*.i-f, as well as at the
XyzzyNews website: <http://www.xyzzynews.com/introcomp>.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS[2]:
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 at how cheaply one can buy rotten eggs these
days.
CAN I SUBMIT A SECTION FROM THE MIDDLE OF MY GAME INSTEAD OF THE
BEGINNING?
No, that would be ExcerptComp. Duh.
WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?
We're working on it. Expect some cash, some I-F-related goodies, and some
random stuff, just like ifComp.
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM PROLOGUECOMP?
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 they'll be competing with
stuff people can actually play.
WHEN I FINISH WRITING MY GAME, CAN I SUBMIT IT TO IFCOMP?
Nope. Stephen Granade and I discussed this, and agreed it would run afoul
of the spirit of the "no prior release" rule. You may be allowed to enter
it in other minicomps, though - ask your local minicomp dealer.
[1] if all goes well
[2] for very small values of "frequently"
Darma
scratch etc.) are accepted?
Thx
D
"Neil deMause" <ne...@drizzle.com> wrote in message
news:10071283...@yabetcha.sttl.drizzle.com...
Neil deMause
> Are there limitations on what platform (Inform/Tads/ALAN/written from
> scratch etc.) are accepted?
None whatsoever.
Neil
Neil deMause
said it: *new* games only. Intros to previously released games (where
released means "publicly available," by whatever means) are not eligible.
Neil
Darma
"Neil deMause" <ne...@drizzle.com> wrote in message
news:10071383...@yabetcha.sttl.drizzle.com...
Joe Mason
Neil deMause <ne...@drizzle.com> wrote:
>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.
I have an intro written to a game whose premise has ballooned to involve
a plot which I don't think is appropriate for I-F, so I decided to convert it
to a piece of static fiction.
If I submit this, and then release the novel by next year, would that allow me
to claim my prize?
If not, that's fine - how would people feel about my submitting the intro to
a game I've decided *not* to complete, and then (assuming it gets a prize)
just waving it away?
Finally, maybe I just missed this, but is there a "must not have been released
before" rule? I "released" this to a limited audience (a writing class) a few
years ago, which I think wouldn't count even if there is such a rule. But
could Gunther submit 'And the Waves Choke the Wind' again, for instnace?
Joe
I.R.
> It begins as a speck in the night sky, falling gently to earth. The light,
> dim at first, grows brighter until it is a blaze in your eyes, and you can
> barely make out the words.....
>
> THE FIRST ANNUAL[1] I-F INTROCOMP
>
What a swell idea!
Question, though. Would it be permissible to include information about
what the final release would be like? E.g., "1000+ locations,
graphics+sound,etc."?
-I.R.
Neil deMause
> I have an intro written to a game whose premise has ballooned to involve
> a plot which I don't think is appropriate for I-F, so I decided to convert it
> to a piece of static fiction.
> If I submit this, and then release the novel by next year, would that allow me
> to claim my prize?
To clarify: Both the submitted intro and the completed game have to be
I-F. So, no dice.
> If not, that's fine - how would people feel about my submitting the intro to
> a game I've decided *not* to complete, and then (assuming it gets a prize)
> just waving it away?
It's fine by the rules, but I'm not sure how voters will respond. Unless
you don't tell them. Which you just did.
> Finally, maybe I just missed this, but is there a "must not have been released
> before" rule? I "released" this to a limited audience (a writing class) a few
> years ago, which I think wouldn't count even if there is such a rule. But
> could Gunther submit 'And the Waves Choke the Wind' again, for instnace?
Yes, there is, and no, he couldn't. See my earlier followup.
Neil
Neil deMause
> Question, though. Would it be permissible to include information about
> what the final release would be like? E.g., "1000+ locations,
> graphics+sound,etc."?
Whatever floats your boat.
Neil
Mikko P Vuorinen
>> THE FIRST ANNUAL[1] I-F INTROCOMP
>>
>> [snip]
>What a swell idea!
Indeed. Two years ago I started writing a game I never finished. Now I can
release the whole thing as an intro.
Actually, I have two games I could enter the competition with.
In fact, I will.
--
)))) (((( + Mikko Vuorinen + mvuo...@cc.helsinki.fi
)) OO `oo'((( + Dilbon@IRC&ifMUD + http://www.helsinki.fi/~mvuorine/
6 (_) ( ((( + GSM 050-5859733 +
`____c 8__/((( + + Tähän tilaan ei mahdu mitään.