The Chalenge

I think this is a good idea, but I think shorter challenges would be better. If a whole challenge is run in a week or so, and the designs are more in the range of 2-10 pages, more people could find the time to enter the contest.

What kind of constraints are we talking about here btw? Forbidden/required gameplay elements (must include cows), control requirements (one button only), target audience (teenage girls), tecnical reqirements (small bandwidth online) etc...

I remember we did a small game design project where each group got a number of random restrictions from a list and had to design a game fulfilling those. That list was further divided into categories like the ones above, so each group got a tecnical restriction, a target audience and some other restiction. Since then I've often wished I had that list for my own purposes, so as a parallel effort we might want to gather a list of (generic) restrictions for further reference.

I think it's a bit too far off with the first monday of the month. The sooner this is started the better, assuming I'm not the only one who likes the idea.

I'm in it too, if it happens, but if THIS is going to happen as a team project, I'd like to know, because, I'm not ready to learn how to code or manage bandwidth before I apply to the contest...

As a side note, I'd like to know the name of that board for boardgames designers...

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I'm not ready to learn how to code or manage bandwidth before I apply to the contest...

This would not be a contest with codeing involved, it is just coming up with design ideas. SO having technical requierments like bandwith will not be included.

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As a side note, I'd like to know the name of that board for boardgames designers...

www.bgdf.com

I think this is a good idea, but I think shorter challenges would be better. If a whole challenge is run in a week or so, and the designs are more in the range of 2-10 pages, more people could find the time to enter the contest.

1 week for the designers to come up with the design should be long enough. 10 pages would be far too long, 2 to 4 pages should be the size range (although 300 words would be less than a page).

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What kind of constraints are we talking about here btw? Forbidden/required gameplay elements (must include cows), control requirements (one button only), target audience (teenage girls), tecnical reqirements (small bandwidth online) etc...

The constraints would be along those lines, but I would recomend leaving out technical requierments like bandwidth. Controls, target audience, gameplay elements, etc would be the way to go. This is a design chalenge ment to stimulate people for ideas and be fun.

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I think it's a bit too far off with the first monday of the month. The sooner this is started the better, assuming I'm not the only one who likes the idea.

I'll let this sit for a week here on the forums and I might be able to get time to come up with the basic rules and first chalenge by then. If enough people are interested by then I'll run the first chalenge next week.

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Original post by Edtharan Quote: Original post by WombahI think this is a good idea, but I think shorter challenges would be better. If a whole challenge is run in a week or so, and the designs are more in the range of 2-10 pages, more people could find the time to enter the contest. 1 week for the designers to come up with the design should be long enough. 10 pages would be far too long, 2 to 4 pages should be the size range (although 300 words would be less than a page).

Hehe... I actually managed to misread your OP and thought you were looking for 30 page submissions, which I think we can all agree is a bit hefty... 300 words seems just right. :)

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Original post by Edtharan Quote: Original post by WombahWhat kind of constraints are we talking about here btw? Forbidden/required gameplay elements (must include cows), control requirements (one button only), target audience (teenage girls), tecnical reqirements (small bandwidth online) etc... The constraints would be along those lines, but I would recomend leaving out technical requierments like bandwidth. Controls, target audience, gameplay elements, etc would be the way to go. This is a design chalenge ment to stimulate people for ideas and be fun.

I can see why you want to leave out the technical restrictions, even if I'd still vote for having them and keeping them very general. Unpredictable online capabilities in a game would e.g. make it impossible to make a game which requires very regular and speedy updates from a server á la an FPS, and wewouldn't have to get more technical than that. Or requring the game to be playable on a handheld device such as a PDA or phone, thus restricting the amount of storage etc... But I'll certainly concede my pointif people in general feel we shouldn't include those restrictions.

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I can see why you want to leave out the technical restrictions, even if I'd still vote for having them and keeping them very general.

I agree, but not all people that would be interested in this kind of chalenge might be knowledgeable on technical issues. Maybe the occasional technical restriction (ie: slow internet speeds, on a handheald or mobile phone, etc) might be appropreate as they would also restrict the gameplay functionallity that would be posable.

I would like to hear from any others who would be interested inthis on what they think of this category (technical restrictions) being included as part of the chalenge.

I like it. Though, we'd need some kind of poll creation system on these forums (like other message boards have - either create a post or a poll) to be able to vote for who's design is best.

If this is to be done her eon these forums (which would be a good thing), then a moderator would need to allow the stickyfication of the thread with all the design submissions on it. And then someone would need to create a poll system so the voting could take place.

Really nice idea.

It would be nice if we could create some template for the submissions as well, or at least some clear submission guidelines. The easier it is to get a submission in, the more likely people will give it a shot.

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Also, I still think one month per challenge is a bit too much. It is very possible that for some restrictions I can't come up with a viable design, and then I'd have to wait a whole month for the next... OTOH that might be desirable to force people to make an effort even when the restrictions are tough. Hmm.
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[Edited by - Wombah on May 15, 2006 11:31:09 AM]

Ok, a week and more has passed. Is this going somewhere? Not too many positive replies so far... :/ But maybe running a first installment will be a better approach to see if people are interested.

yes, it would. So now, please just show us what you want, and we'll give you!!

I like the idea... could be fun.

I'm happy to stickify any threads, or sort something out so the entries are anonymous until results time (to stop any favouritism with voting, of course)

Sory I haven't done much about this in the last week, but I havee bruised the bone in my wrist (I am seeing doc this week).

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It would be nice if we could create some template for the submissions as well, or at least some clear submission guidelines. The easier it is to get a submission in, the more likely people will give it a shot.

I agree clear subission guidelines would help. So her is a first pass at the guidelines:
1) Entries must be 300 words or less.
2) Entries are a game concept, not a detailed design.
3) Entries need to be judged on their creativity and not spelling or grammer. Although good spelling and grammer will help people understand your ideas. This is because there may be people for whom english is not their first language.
4) An entry must address each of the restrictions (usually 2 to 3).
5) Graphics are not part of the entry but they can be included if nessesary (I don't know about hosting graphics, so it probably would be best if the entrants host their own and provide links)
6) For the first run (at least) entries will need to be posted in the apropreate thread (I'll create an entry thread that will also list the restrictions, etc).
7) Entries will only be accepted up to 7 days from the start date (the day and time of the initial entry thread that will be posted which will include the restrictions that need to addressed).

Let me know if you have any ideas or comments on these. If these are acceptable then I'll run the first Chalenge.

Sory I haven't done much about this in the last week, but I havee bruised the bone in my wrist (I am seeing doc this week).

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It would be nice if we could create some template for the submissions as well, or at least some clear submission guidelines. The easier it is to get a submission in, the more likely people will give it a shot.

I agree clear subission guidelines would help. So her is a first pass at the guidelines:
1) Entries must be 300 words or less.
2) Entries are a game concept, not a detailed design.
3) Entries need to be judged on their creativity and not spelling or grammer. Although good spelling and grammer will help people understand your ideas. This is because there may be people for whom english is not their first language.
4) An entry must address each of the restrictions (usually 2 to 3).
5) Graphics are not part of the entry but they can be included if nessesary (I don't know about hosting graphics, so it probably would be best if the entrants host their own and provide links)
6) For the first run (at least) entries will need to be posted in the apropreate thread (I'll create an entry thread that will also list the restrictions, etc).
7) Entries will only be accepted up to 7 days from the start date (the day and time of the initial entry thread that will be posted which will include the restrictions that need to addressed).

Let me know if you have any ideas or comments on these. If these are acceptable then I'll run the first Chalenge.

This sounds like a really good idea. It'll get everyone thinking and perhaps some really cool game could come out of it; even if it doesn't, I'm sure it'll help those of us who have games in mind to see lots of ideas and just to get into creative mode.

Ok. So one thread for announcing the challenges and winners, and for each challenge a new thread started with the restrictions and to wich we post our submissions? How will we handle voting?

restricted to just board games? or are card games also included?

I thought this was for videogames of any type, not boardgames. But I see no reason not to include boardgames and cardgames, since they can be made into videogames in most cases (with varying degrees of success).

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I thought this was for videogames of any type, not boardgames.

I would say this challenge should be restricted to gomputer games. I think that trapdoor might have been refering to the initial site that I got the idea off. That site is a boardgame design forum (and yes they do do card games there too, not just boardgames).

the site (if anyone is interested in checking it out is www.bgdf.com

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Original post by Edtharan [...]I would like to hear from any others who would be interested inthis on what they think of this category (technical restrictions) being included as part of the chalenge.

If you want to keep it accessible for people that are not programmers, you could simply include a paragraph with the technical requirements that says something like:

"Low bandwidth means that little data could be sent to other players and what can be sent will take literally seconds to arrive, so realtime gameplay along the lines of traditional first person shooters, real-time strategy games, and online role playing games is not possible. The game either needs to be turn based or otherwise allow for players being up to 5 seconds behind on updates (meaning what they're seeing on their screen is the position/status/etc of other players from 5 seconds ago)"

Of course, people that would need such explanations probably aren't going to be including them in their own requirements, but there is nothing wrong with only occasionally having technical requirements (or seeing the same ones repeatedly).

I'm not in favor of technical limitations because most existing game design contests are about technical limitations. This is a theoretical forum, so I think it would be most appropriate to judge designs on originality, coherence, and good use of player psychology.