I can't get into the archives (for some reason) so I can't search on the last time we talked about doing a Design Competition.
Wasn't someone going to try to organize submissions and judging, maybe through the wiki?
http://icehousegames.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ice_Game_Design_CompetitionApparently 2006 didn't have a single "quarterly" competition; we shouldn't let 2007 go by without at least one contest!
Should I take charge, if no one else is doing so at the moment?
I know of this site:
http://icehousegames.com/contest/index.html....but it's WAY out of date and also offers things we couldn't necessarily ensure (ex: publication in Hypothermia). So, borrowing from that page, with adjustments, I propose:
IGDC PROCESS
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1) Each designer may submit ONE previously unpublished game which is played with Icehouse pyramids and any other equipment. Note that, the more hard-to-find equipment your game requires, the harder it will be for judges to try it out and, as a result, your rank will likely suffer. Previous competition entries ARE permitted, but previous competition winners are NOT.
2) You may only submit your own game designs, collaboration notwithstanding (i.e. a submission does not preclude the collaborator from submitting a different game; be sure to get agreement on who is the "principle" designer, for a collaboration, to avoid double-submissions!).
3) Submit a game for judging by informing me via e-mail within one week of the start of judging [TBD]. Please only send me a link to the game rules on the wiki; submissions of PDFs, DOCs, or other file attachments will be immediately deleted (i.e. I am not your designated wiki editor).
4) At the start of judging, I will post the list of games at the wiki (and to the list, as a reminder). This list will be "locked" as will the games' rules at the wiki--I will watch the relevant wiki pages and roll back any revisions during the contest. If you discover something you want to change and do not want to forget about the revision, make a copy of the game on its Talk Page and make the revision there, temporarily. FOLKS SHOULD ONLY JUDGE GAMES AS THEY STAND ON THEIR MAIN PAGES, AT THE TIME THE CONTEST BEGINS.
5) Anyone may judge games by submitting an e-mail to me which ranks the games they played, in order from "best" to "worst" ("lease best," if you're being gentle). If you do not want your name or user ID associated with your ballot, provide me with a "code word" so that I can designate your ballot publicly (see #8 below). Ranking submission will be accepted for exactly one month (i.e. until midnight of the same calendar day on the following month).
6) You may not include your own game in your rankings (we assume you'd give it #1). You may not include a game in your rankings on which you are a collaborator (we assume you'd give it #2).
7) Ranking will be tallied using [insert clever and fair method here; ideas? I don't understand the Condorcet Ranked-Pairs system. We have to be able to handle partial ballots.]
8) I will post the results to the contest's wiki page, including the full ballots with the submitter's real name, user ID, or code word, so that folks can confirm that their ballot was considered.
9) The winning game will be added to the Choosing Games page and may proudly claim "First Place, 2007 IGDC" on the wiki or elsewhere. Other final tallied rankings (2nd, 3rd, etc) may also be noted on their wiki pages, if their designers so desire [number of submissions would be my personal cue: to me, 2nd place out of 5 is no great shakes, but 2nd place out of 20 would be damned good]. Anyone who wishes to provide some other kudos is free to chime in here or on that page (special logo graphic for use on the game page, publication somewhere other than the wiki, oatmeal cookies in the mail).
[The above process will be copied to the wiki page above, once completed and confirmed by interested parties; i.e. this Icehouse list.]
So what do you folks think? Am I jumping the gun or otherwise out of the loop on a contest in the works? If not, then what in the Process above needs refining (in particular, can anyone advise RE #7; any math wizes, here)?
Thanks for your time and attention!
David