Indie Game Making Contest 2018!

[JGS]

Can someone explain how the people's choice winner is decided. Does everyone vote on it?

 

[slimmmeiske2]

@JGS After the submission period ends, the public/we'll be able to vote on entries. The People choice's winner is the one with the most votes. (At least that's how it was last year.)

 

[Geoff Moore]

Best of luck to all the entrants! I sat IGMC out this year, though I did contribute a music track for an entry. It was awesome in the 2014 contest when there was a board dedicated to the event and everyone posted their progress on the forums. Is there any central place for discussion this year, or is it just this thread and on Itch?

 

[bgillisp]

@Geoff Moore : Just this thread this time. We had two threads last time, but it was too confusing so it was merged this time into the monthly progress thread.

 

[kovak]

Okay...now i'm in doubt about how do i prove that i've started my project after November 4th.

 

[Emanzi]

I think I'll have better luck next year. Is it possible to spend a year designing a game and creating custom assets then develop it next year during the game jam?

I otherwise find it impossible to make a decent game in under a month.

 

[Chef]

I think I'll have better luck next year. Is it possible to spend a year designing a game and creating custom assets then develop it next year during the game jam?

I otherwise find it impossible to make a decent game in under a month.

I created mine in about 2 weeks (sent it in yesterday), you just need to know what exactly you want to make and how you're gonna do it. And no I didn't create custom assets apart from a color change.

At the moment I'm trying to get a 2nd project finished before the timer hits zero.

 

[mlogan]

Okay...now i'm in doubt about how do i prove that i've started my project after November 4th.

I don't think you really need to worry about that, unless it's called into question, and that would likely only happen if someone found evidence that you'd previously worked on the game - screenshots you'd posted prior, social media or forum messages where you'd talked about working on it, etc.

I think I'll have better luck next year. Is it possible to spend a year designing a game and creating custom assets then develop it next year during the game jam?

I otherwise find it impossible to make a decent game in under a month.

The rules always state that you cannot use assets that were made prior and specifically for your entry. So that part would be a no. Yes, technically you can do planning, concept designs, etc. beforehand.

However, in my personal opinion (in other words, not stating it in any official capacity), I think it gives you an unfair advantage over other competitors and undermines the spirit of making something in a month. But you do you.

 

[Mrs_Allykat]

Do we need to put a project page up here? I just finished the itch page (by the way, <3 their butler console app). I hit the big glowing 'enter your game' button over there, but was curious. (Also, finishing a game from start to finish is hard enough, doing so with the flu was *really* rough, it was like trying to type with a chupacabre on the keyboard).

 

[bgillisp]

@Mrs_Allykat : Post it under games in development if you wish to post it here.

@Emanzi : That would be against the rules to do that. Though nothing stops you from designing the game at least. As it is though what you posted is the same problem I have with solo people trying to compete with the big groups. In fact, I think all winners from the last three contests were group projects. For that reason I do wish they would have a separate solo vs group entry section, so the playing field is more level.

 

[Mrs_Allykat]

@bgillisp Can I simply agree with you? Flying solo has taught me that man-hours is important, any time spent spriting takes away from dialogue and vice versa. I got the flu working on my entry, a fact that would have been a mere speed-bump for a group, but nearly ended my project. That's merely to get an entry done, let alone anything to separate the project from any other project.

 

[bgillisp]

@Mrs_Allykat : Agreed. The year I entered I started it on June 6th and submitted it June 23rd, with one start over on the 10th. I did it by not sleeping much and hauling my laptop with me everywhere. If I had a spare hour, I opened it up and worked on my project. But, I decided I'm not that young anymore and doing that again would probably get me sick, so now if I don't have a decent block of time to work on it, I'm out.

As it is, the best work I ever got done on my project was the summer I only taught 1 class and tutored 2 nights. I had until 5 pm free every day M - Sun, and so I'd work on the project until I had to go to work. Got a lot of work done that way. But I can't realistically do that constantly as I got bills to pay too. In fact, that summer my income was < my bills. That was before food and gas was accounted for. So it was tricky.

 

[Mrs_Allykat]

@bgillisp The only reason I could finish was due to having some "downtime" from work (re: contracts have been slow). Great for the gamedev, not so great with Christmas around the corner. I told my family not to get their hopes up, but I consider getting an entry done in time a win here. Hopefully, someday someone will lobby for a category for the solo-dev. I'm still "new," but it would be nice to have a fighting chance

 

[Freank]

just watching the first entries. The level this year is very high! congratulations guys

 

[Emanzi]

I did it by not sleeping much and hauling my laptop with me everywhere.

Its tough as a solo dev, I tried to bedroom code like every night for this game jam and sleep past 2:00PM but it really drained the energy out of me and im not even half way done and its already the 28th so I gave up. Maybe im too ambitious but I though hey I can make custom face sets and characters easily... It wasn't easy at all (<_<) (*_*).

I agree, we need a solo dev and group dev separate section for the jam or two entirely separate game jams one for solo projects and one for group projects.

 

[Lord Kuro]

It's looking like mine's not going to be done in time. Just too much rl stuff going on this time around. Do you need to submit a project to be able to rate other contest entries?

 

[NPC]

Our team found out rather late, so by the time we got everything organized the contest was already over half over! Still, it was motivation to get everything all together at last, so a very good month of game making!

 

[Mrs_Allykat]

I was able to fight through a bout of the flu, and got an entry done. It's far from the best, but I have an entry

 

[SJWebster]

Mine's up and ready for people to download and try out! Can I post a link to its page here?

 

[kovak]

@SJWebster
Post your game here https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?forums/completed-games.19/