JGO Comp 2009

Contests JGO Comp 2009
#1

The theme is BENDING, BEND, BENDY, BENDER, BENT … ! The contest is over! Congratulations all!
Please begin a thread tracking your progress on the game like a journal (optional) so that members of the community can learn from your fine work!

Sponsors
Please pay back our sponsors by having a look at their websites and maybe buying yourself a game or two.

http://www.minecraft.net/img/logo_small.gif


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http://www.otcsw.com/images/OTCLogoSmall.jpg

The Contest
JGO Comp is a timed and themed contest. It lasts for 60 hours (2.5 days), but it’s encouraged that you get some sleep and take it easy on this. I’m hoping people will do about the equivalent work of a 48 hour competition, and leave room for life in between. However, there are no requirements other than doing everything within those 60 hours (which will run from a Friday to a Monday). Every game will require a thread in this forum that is a poll with two options: thumbs up or thumbs down (I might change this to a scale of 1-10 or something, I’m unsure). Then it will be up to the good users of this forum to vote on each game, and the game with the highest percentage of up votes wins. The winner (potentially top 2 or 3, depending upon the number of entrants) will receive a special JGO ranking and image (replacing the stars). The winner or winners will also receive a small amount of prize money (detailed above).

The Rules

  • You must follow the contest theme that is presented. I will decide the theme beforehand, but it will be one word, like “Fish” or “Fireworks” or “Alaska.”
  • You may not start before the official start time, and you must have a topic posted for your entry by the end time.
  • No edits to the game may be made after the contest is over, at least not in the version posted in this topic (starting a separate topic in WIPs and having new iterations there is encouraged).
  • You may only vote on each entry ONCE. If I find anybody violating this, they will be disqualified from the contest, given a “JGO Lame Cheater” forum ranking for a while, and will be publicly ridiculed. I’m serious when I say that cheating the polls is a serious offense. Seriously. I trust all you guys, but there’s got to be ramifications for it, especially now that there is some prize money.
  • Just to distinguish this from Ludum Dare a little bit, it is highly encouraged that you use the character Duke in your game in at least one location. This can be very minor (a poster on a wall in the background) to major (the main playable character) - pick your flavor. Whoever has the “dukiest” game will get a special award.
  • You may use any libraries that you want, including your own personal libraries. That means, effectively, that you can bring as much already-written code to the game as you want. However, the game itself must be new and a standalone entity in your own game library.
  • The game must obviously be written in Java, although if you want to (and have the time) use other languages as add-ons (SQL for high scores, Scala for scripting, whatever) that’s okay, as long as Java is the main beast. JavaFX is okay, too.
  • If your game post thread does not have a poll in it with the correct options, your game can not be considered for entry. “Thumbs up” must be the first option, and “Thumbs down” must be the second option. If at any point your options are the wrong way round, you will be required to make a completely new poll (this is so people can’t make a crappy game and then reverse the poll options :stuck_out_tongue: ).
  • The assets in the game, as well art, sounds, music, etc. must be something that you have the rights to or is royalty free. Previous personal artwork is okay.
  • This is completely optional, but would be really cool if people would be willing to post a topic in this subforum that details the progress on their game. Screenshots, concepts, etc. will be a lot of fun to read and will be great help to newbies. In addition, if anyone is able and willing to record a timelapse of their work, that would be greatly appreciated.
  • All entrants receive a free copy of Ultratron.
  • The winner (if we only have a 1st place) will receive $250.00 USD in prize money. If we decide on 3 winners, then first place will get 50%, second will get 30%, and 3rd will get 20% of the prize money. The prize money will only be distributed if there are at least SIX entrants. Otherwise it will be returned to the donors. In addition, the winner will receive a copy of Droid Assault, Titan Attacks, and Minecraft. Extra donations are greatly appreciated!
  • You may work on a team, if you so desire.

Dates

  • The contest will start Friday, July 31st, at 8:00 PM GMT.
  • The contest will end Monday, August 3rd, at 8:00 AM GMT.
  • The theme will be announced at the exact moment the contest starts.
  • Voting will be kept open for two weeks after the contest has ended, until August 17th at 8:00 AM GMT.
  • The prizes will be given out a few days after voting closes.
#2

Some quick (lame) feedback:

Regarding banning: please don’t combine your mod-powers and your game contest. Banning is very serious, and if not to ban a spammer, should only be done by an admin.

About the Duke logo… it’s not exactly thrilling…? It also severly limits your theme. You can’t have “Sharks” or “Saturn” and the Duke in your game. It feels really restricting on creativity / annoying.

Using this forum for the game, is not exactly your ideal fit.
Can’t you code a few (php :persecutioncomplex:) pages that handle everything nicely?
Something like javaunlimited.com, but it could be much simpler.

You can still use the JGO forum accounts, by doing some HTTP I/O serverside to validate them against java-gaming.org HTML output.

#3

Banning serious! You must be joking. I got banned from TIGsource, am I bovvered? Not in the least - I just found it quite funny.

Cas :slight_smile:

#4

I meant banning on JGO…

Ok, thx bye :-*

#5

Well, I’m trying to come up with a good way for doing this, feedback is great. Banning for a day or two I figured would be a good enough reason not to try to cheat on the voting… and I decided to go with polls because of the fact that I want to try to keep it an actual JGO contest, hosted and done entirely from the forum. The one I made before had PHP pages and all that jazz, but nobody really noticed it as a result. I guess instead of banning I could give cheaters a different ranking called “cheater” or something, then they would have to wear the effective badge of shame on JGO. I dunno. I’m really not decided on any of it, I’m just trying to think of a good way to do it.

I thought that Duke would be cool to have in every game so we have something fun tying everything together. You really think it’s a huge constraint even if it’s an easter egg or something? I can think of a place in every game I’ve ever made where Duke could fit in without a problem. But if a lot of people have issue with Duke or have a better idea, go ahead and let me know, that’s the reason for not starting for a few weeks - I want to make sure we’ve got something going that everyone will have fun with.

Eli

#6

I like the idea of this contest and think the length is very nice (2.5 days).

Don’t like the idea of having to use the duke as it kinda limits you some ways (art style, creativity, etc) and think its a bit annoying. Best to leave this rule out as the theme already places some limits.

Also no mention if existing art and sound resources can be used or they must be created from scratch.

#7

I don’t think having duke in is a problem. The whole point of the contest is to use the constraints creatively.

I don’t think banning is too big a punishment, since it is only for a few days. Besides if your not gonna cheat, whats the difference.

#8

The Duke idea’s nice, but maybe a big ask for such a short contest? I’d be nice to have time to make it really subtle, as in: ‘See that tree over there? Remind you of anything?’

As for banning - in the unlikely event of cheating, simply post ‘BANNED FROM COMPETITION FOR CHEATING’ on their thread and watch them try to squirm out of it - much more entertaining!
I don’t think anyone should be banned from JGO (unless they break the usual site rules).

#9

Yes, public ridicule much more fun.

Cas :slight_smile:

#10

All right, everyone,

I’ve updated the post to include your suggestions. Most notably the banning was removed. Also, someone gave us some money that can be used as a prize! Hopefully that will interest more people in joining.

Once again, please post suggestions or comments here. Also, please tell anyone who you think may be interested, link this post in your blog, etc. The more people who join, the better.

#11

This sounds cool, I just made some awesome libraries that I can use for this competition. Depending on the theme I’ll be able to make the game I have in mind.

Only suggestion is to make the theme broad. And I like the 2.5 days, keeps it short and able to get back to our regular projects pretty quick.

#12

Having Duke is cool, I don’t see it as limiting things at all.

What is limiting for untalented dorks like me is “The assets in the game, as well art, sounds, music, etc. must have been your creation, and must be created during the contest.”

Does that mean I can’t even rip off a picture of Duke?
I’m not a musician… (tone deaf actually)
I can’t draw very well… at least not quickly enough to make game art and a game in 2.5 days

I think if we could use open source assets it would be great.

Of course I’m saying this and I know that there is no way in hell that I will have the time to make an entry… though I want to :frowning:

#13

All right, why not? You can use any royalty free images or sounds.

Also, I found some random money laying around in my Paypal account, so I decided to put that into the pot as well.

The winner gets $110.55 USD, or the top 3 get that total split up by 50%, 30%, and 20%, respectively. Note that Paypal will take a small fee from the transferred money.

If anyone else feels like donating to the cause, why not do so?

#14

contest is always good project but this one will fall in hollydays times… poor chance I can get in, anyway good luck for every candidate

#15

interesting… though as with all the contests so far, i will probably miss the startdate again… :wink:

#16

I’m busy on the Sat, but hopefully can slam something together on the Sunday. ;D

#17

Uh, hey, if these dates don’t work for you guys - say so. Once again, it’s all about working for everyone here at JGO. Instead of just saying that what I posted doesn’t work, post when would work for you. Let’s get dates that (mostly) everyone can do.

#18

Since the assets rule changed, I made this little animation of Duke for anyone who wats to use it.

Hope that the theme can be expressed in a plataformer.

:wink:

#19

My first thought too. A front-facing 3D shooter would also be doable. Or Duke cart (like mario cart). I quite fancy isometric with cell-shaded duke (not sure I can do that in the timescale though). A lot depends on the theme. :slight_smile:

#20

I might be able to join those dates. Maybe. =D