Original Visual Novel Festival

[Aleema]

Huzzah! I hope you guys all enter now.
I knew their mission was to "spread the love" which was being severely undercutted by making their love only applicable to certain flavors. But I'm glad they didn't just go whatever to our concerns. I hope everyone has fun!!

[LVUER]

How about you? I mean they have changed the rule...

[Aleema]

How about you? I mean they have changed the rule...

Me? Like I said before, if people don't want me to, I won't, and at least one person said that they wouldn't enjoy the event if I did. Besides, it's still a contest, and I'm not interested in competing necessarily.

[Miss-Mae]

I'm also pleased to see that they changed the rules! Hopefully this means we can get more entries! <3 Sadly, I am not very confident that I myself will be able to enter... I'm so slow in my process right now, since I'm learning. OTL. But I will try my best and will definitely be rooting for any of you guys, if you are able to join in. <3

[sake-bento]

Just in case there are any misconceptions from my previous posts, I think that anyone who CAN enter and WANTS to really should. Saying that having someone enter the even would ruin it is like saying that it's not fair that Lord of the Rings was nominated for Oscars. Even my "big budget games" are basically funded by whatever I have left over after rent each month.

[blizz]

Hey guys, this is Blizz of the VisualNovel group on dA.
This thread's link came up while we were debating about the rules, lol. ^^;

I just want you guys to know that the main purpose isn't the contest; it's about PROMOTING your works -- that's why we called it a VN FESTIVAL, not a CONTEST. The main idea came from Comiket, actually--where dojin groups just promote their work.So even if you don't think you'll win in the contest, it's enough if you just get your amazing work out there into the public! We're planning to organize them in a nice clean format on blogger so we'll have a sort of archive of games submitted to the event. ^^

We want to play your games, so please submit them if you have any! <33

and that's my two cents. I'm glad to see the change in rules is for the better! <3

Much love,
Blizz

[Miss-Mae]

That's what I thought this was all about, which is why I posted about it in the first place... Blizz, I hope you don't mind, by the way. ^^; I was just hoping to get more exposure for the contest, since I'd like to see lots of entries.

[KimiYoriBaka]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of just splitting into categories based on the amount of work put in. perhaps that's something to consider in the future (since it sounds like the organization would take to much effort to change again)? you could just make requirements for different categories that would encourage a wide variety of competitors. for example, you could have vns either lasting longer than an hour, or having prominent non-standard gameplay as one category, which would then group together the developers with skills that beginners couldn't hope to compete against. you could also include grouping requirements based on the number of contributers so that people working alone aren't disadvantaged.

If it's feasible, I think a system that includes everyone, but just separates them into categories would be both better for a contest and more like a festival.

[Radhreni]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of just splitting into categories based on the amount of work put in. perhaps that's something to consider in the future (since it sounds like the organization would take to much effort to change again)? you could just make requirements for different categories that would encourage a wide variety of competitors. for example, you could have vns either lasting longer than an hour, or having prominent non-standard gameplay as one category, which would then group together the developers with skills that beginners couldn't hope to compete against. you could also include grouping requirements based on the number of contributers so that people working alone aren't disadvantaged.

If it's feasible, I think a system that includes everyone, but just separates them into categories would be both better for a contest and more like a festival.

It might be the non-VN writer in me, but I think word count would be a more useful measure than time. What takes one reader forty minutes might take another an hour and fifteen. "One hour" isn't a very useful benchmark by itself, unless you specify how many words someone is supposed to read in that time. (And this is not even taking into account VNs with gameplay elements, which could make the length even more nebulous.) Random example -- say, a category for <5000 words, another for 5000-9999, and one for 10000+ (keeping in mind the time limit mentioned in the contest rules for an approximation of desired length).

I also like the idea of a category for people working alone, as well as one (or more) for groups, though I don't know how well that would work in practice. You could end up with three or four in one category, and fifteen in another...and questions raised about whether that's fair. (Such uneven participation is also possible in the 'word count' categorization, though word quantity is a more objective/impartial measurement. It's still a potential problem.)

At this point, though, I'm just floating these as ideas for future events.

[James]

I don't think subcategories is a good idea, because it looks bad if there are 0 or just 1 entries in a specific categories (nothing is worse then a empty-feeling festival). This event seems more about displaying VNG in Deviantart rather then competing with each other anyways.

What I would like as a entry participant is a little empty space by the download link the for the creators to write in. Someplace for us to express what our work is about and the process of making it. That way it will be more personal then "click here to download entree #6 game". Not only will this be more rewarding for the creators, you can put tags in it like {BxG},{Slice of life},{<5000 words}, {13+ age to play} and describe your VNG better.

[blizz]

I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of just splitting into categories based on the amount of work put in. perhaps that's something to consider in the future (since it sounds like the organization would take to much effort to change again)? you could just make requirements for different categories that would encourage a wide variety of competitors. for example, you could have vns either lasting longer than an hour, or having prominent non-standard gameplay as one category, which would then group together the developers with skills that beginners couldn't hope to compete against. you could also include grouping requirements based on the number of contributers so that people working alone aren't disadvantaged.

If it's feasible, I think a system that includes everyone, but just separates them into categories would be both better for a contest and more like a festival.

I'm surprised no one has brought up the idea of just splitting into categories based on the amount of work put in. perhaps that's something to consider in the future (since it sounds like the organization would take to much effort to change again)? you could just make requirements for different categories that would encourage a wide variety of competitors. for example, you could have vns either lasting longer than an hour, or having prominent non-standard gameplay as one category, which would then group together the developers with skills that beginners couldn't hope to compete against. you could also include grouping requirements based on the number of contributers so that people working alone aren't disadvantaged.

If it's feasible, I think a system that includes everyone, but just separates them into categories would be both better for a contest and more like a festival.

It might be the non-VN writer in me, but I think word count would be a more useful measure than time. What takes one reader forty minutes might take another an hour and fifteen. "One hour" isn't a very useful benchmark by itself, unless you specify how many words someone is supposed to read in that time. (And this is not even taking into account VNs with gameplay elements, which could make the length even more nebulous.) Random example -- say, a category for <5000 words, another for 5000-9999, and one for 10000+ (keeping in mind the time limit mentioned in the contest rules for an approximation of desired length).

I also like the idea of a category for people working alone, as well as one (or more) for groups, though I don't know how well that would work in practice. You could end up with three or four in one category, and fifteen in another...and questions raised about whether that's fair. (Such uneven participation is also possible in the 'word count' categorization, though word quantity is a more objective/impartial measurement. It's still a potential problem.)

At this point, though, I'm just floating these as ideas for future events.

We considered categorizing, but we decided not to because we're totally understaffed and the event itself is, for the most part, noncompetitive. ^^; They're all good ideas though! If we're to have a real competition, we could really use them. Maybe once more people are making VNs and the group gets more exposure.

I don't think subcategories is a good idea, because it looks bad if there are 0 or just 1 entries in a specific categories (nothing is worse then a empty-feeling festival). This event seems more about displaying VNG in Deviantart rather then competing with each other anyways.

What I would like as a entry participant is a little empty space by the download link the for the creators to write in. Someplace for us to express what our work is about and the process of making it. That way it will be more personal then "click here to download entree #6 game". Not only will this be more rewarding for the creators, you can put tags in it like {BxG},{Slice of life},{<5000 words}, {13+ age to play} and describe your VNG better.

We're definitely not just putting up links! xD
This is the format we're working on:

[Elenakiara]

@ blizz: Oh that's great! xDD Plus, I love the fact that we have until June 1st to enter! xD I'm hoping to have most of my progress in the end of April and all of May! xD So I might actually enter! :'D!! <3 Thanks for allowing some potential dating sim elements. xDD :3

[KimiYoriBaka]

@Radhreni: I agree, actually. I just used the example of time because that's what the rules used. I don't really think lots of categories are needed as much as just a category for those excluded by the main category that's being used in the actual festival. even if this festival gets popular enough next year, I think those two would be enough.

[Aleema]

The contest results have finally been announced! TCST won of course.

[babyfish]

Awesome, and well-deserved~! Rock on, Carosene! =D