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Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 9:12 am
by tepples
Image
Teal Deer Crossing


I'm detecting tl;dr, so let me summarize this topic, as well as things we've learned from past compos, polls, and the like. I'll edit a link to this post into the first post on page 1.
  1. We need to set a date, but 3 months isn't long enough for preparing a quality entry in spare time. A December 31 deadline isn't helpful because holidays are hectic. We're thinking June 1, 2016, through January 31, 2017.
  2. Anything substantially finished and widely available to the general public before the compo is disqualified. According to NESHomebrew, this rule is "intended to exclude entries that had already been 100% completed, available to the mass public for distribution, or released on cartridge (not including one-off prototypes or small runs for friends etc)." We may still need to fine-tune the wording for this.
  3. To attract a greater volume of entries, use participation prizes, such as a physically distinctive copy of the resulting multicart or a T-shirt or some (inexpensive) developer hardware. We're still offering cash for entries that win (#1), place (#2), or show (#3), on the order of $250, $150, $80, or $256, $128, $64. If you win a category, you cannot place or show in the same category, and if you place, you cannot show.
  4. A way to share progress with the public without disqualifying one's entry is desirable. It helps to identify entries that cannot be included for a legal or other serious reason. This could be rewarded with bonus points at judging time or a hardware prize at halfway time.
  5. A category with a mandatory "theme", such as a harsh size limit or playing as a bee, would probably not be popular enough to draw entries. Stick with a 64K discrete category (N/CN/UN/AN/BNROM) and anything goes, but possibly add bonus points for meeting an optional theme.
  6. The 2011 and 2014 compos didn't produce the expected 512K of material for a cart, and carts were delayed until out-of-compo homebrew releases could be found to fill them. We may want to run compos more often to produce one cart from two compos' entries. This may encourage more polished work, as a work can be delayed until a later compo, but may also complicate funding the prizes.
  7. B00daW wants an original 2A03-only music compo, encouraging engine innovation rather than just exporting NSF from FamiTracker like 232 out of 275 Famicompo Pico entries did.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 12:42 pm
by infiniteneslives
Thanks for the summation Tepples.

I think part of the confusion is this is more of a 2016 nesdev compo "survey" or "brainstorming" thread than an announcement thread. The announcement thread will come soon enough as a conclusion of this thread. I think my proposal to iron out details and announce official compo rules by the end of this month still is a good goal. Major decisions are similar enough to past compos that people are welcome to start development now if they don't want to wait until final announcement.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 1:23 pm
by provably
cash prize quantities $100, $80, $40, ... (in decimal) would be fun

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 1:57 pm
by dougeff
Cash prizes of $1000 would be MORE fun ;)
(Not a real suggestion, just a playful one).

Edit...reminds me of "FUN sized" candy bars. Where somehow getting less than a regular bar is supposed to be more "fun". Because the offer was $256, and you then suggest $100 would be " fun". Confusing.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 8:07 pm
by pubby
Fun fact: (250+150+80) = (256+128+64+32) = 480

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 8:28 pm
by dougeff
This remindes me of tepple's post above...
https://youtu.be/ESFRqmitki8#t=7m40s

(Caution, language).
{It's a walkthrough/let's play of the impossible quiz 2, question 90.@ 7min 40sec}

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 1:57 am
by Bregalad
And who will finance the prices ?

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:59 pm
by NESHomebrew
Bregalad wrote:And who will finance the prices ?
We have a balance of funds available.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 10:42 pm
by NESHomebrew
I've been having some private talks with InfiniteNESLives and we were in agreement that it doesn't make sense to sit on a bunch of cash in the bank. I proposed cash prizes of: $512, $256, $128, $64, $...... for the main category and $128, $64, $32 for the anything goes category. We'd like some feedback on these suggestions.

We are also in agreement that a portion of the current balance should go towards the hosting of NA and NESDev for obvious reasons.

@Tepples/InfiniteNESLives, are the technical aspects of category 1 from 2014 still accurate, or do some changes need to be made?

I'm hoping to have everything officially confirmed by June 1st so I can update the website. If anyone still has suggestions or comments please speak up asap since the deadline for decision making is coming up quickly.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 10:50 pm
by Jedi QuestMaster
Can we post our finished projects to the public before the deadline? I'd really not like to wait until January of 2017 to post something that may have been finished by, say July 2016.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:28 am
by na_th_an
NESHomebrew wrote:I've been having some private talks with InfiniteNESLives and we were in agreement that it doesn't make sense to sit on a bunch of cash in the bank. I proposed cash prizes of: $512, $256, $128, $64, $...... for the main category and $128, $64, $32 for the anything goes category. We'd like some feedback on these suggestions.
While, as I said, I'll be entering the compo just for fun, to get exposure, and 'cause I'd like my games to be featured in the cartridge, I like the proposed cash prizes.

I mean, that's a whole lot of cash prizes. I'm sure that developers will be more enticed to participate in a compo with 7-8 prizes.

So yes, count on my vote.
Jedi QuestMaster wrote:Can we post our finished projects to the public before the deadline? I'd really not like to wait until January of 2017 to post something that may have been finished by, say July 2016.
I'm also interested on this issue.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 6:32 am
by NESHomebrew
Jedi QuestMaster wrote:Can we post our finished projects to the public before the deadline? I'd really not like to wait until January of 2017 to post something that may have been finished by, say July 2016.
Of course it can be posted. They aren't really meant to be a secret, although many people in the past have preferred it that way. I think for the first compo we were a little more strict with this. I'm sure having a project posted to the forums for 6+ months will give you a lot of feedback that will improve the quality of the submission. In the past there had been some frustration from people waiting on the judging process, and just wanted people to see their projects. Making a thread for your game(s) is a way to avoid this frustration.

Depending on how we deal with submissions this year, I'd also advise holding off until near the end of the competition to submit your entry. We allow revisions, but in previous years I had some people submit 10+ updated entries fixing bugs etc. That gets a bit messy on my end, and I have to make sure I have the most recent build.

We also haven't decided on the judging criteria yet, so you might want to make some tweaks based on that as well.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 8:01 am
by tepples
NESHomebrew wrote:are the technical aspects of category 1 from 2014 still accurate, or do some changes need to be made?
As far as I can tell, they should still work.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 9:07 am
by darryl.revok
NESHomebrew wrote:I proposed cash prizes of: $512, $256, $128, $64, $...... for the main category and $128, $64, $32 for the anything goes category. We'd like some feedback on these suggestions.
So am I understanding correctly that what is understood as the "main category" is NROM?

The prize being 4 times as high for a more simple project seems backwards to me.

Re: NesDev compo 2016

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 9:30 am
by tepples
Perhaps the rationale is that the category 1 entries are all but guaranteed a slot on the multicart, and the prize for such an entry would act as a royalty for inclusion.