Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

RE: [Icehouse] Time's Running Out on IGDC Winter 2008 Polls

  • FromDavid Artman <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • DateMon, 29 Oct 2007 08:22:00 -0700
Thanks for your input, both "officially" as LL voice and personally. A
few notes in reply, inline below:

> From: Andy Looney <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Feel free to quote this message on the wiki, but I'm going to assume I can 

Yep, and I have copied the kernal to the IGDC Talk page.

> The restriction I'm most interested in seeing is games for a 
> single-Treehouse set. From a biz standpoint, we're very keen on being able 
> to rattle off a list of other games the new purchaser can play with a 
> Treehouse set and nothing else (except commonly-owned materials).

FWIW, this is a breakdown of (most of the) one-set games:
http://icehousegames.org/wiki/index.php?title=What_Can_I_Play%3F#One_Set

...I think we've sort of been hammering on them for some time, now,
outside of the competition. There's a total of 36; in fact, there's
more: I don't list games on that page until I am out of playtesting,
some others also comply with that general request (see Games Under
Development page), and so there's bound to be a handful more to come
once their rules are nailed down.

BUT... compare that to two-set games:
http://icehousegames.org/wiki/index.php?title=What_Can_I_Play%3F#Two_Sets

...Nine games total, with about four of them only "limited" variations
(fewer players or fewer play options).

So given that you went on to say the following:

> My second choice would be games that use 2 Treehouse sets (or parts 
> thereof). As we pitch people on the system, we look forward to being able 
> to say "here are some games you can play when you get your second set," 

...Unless there's a strong, last-minute quorum and consensus
otherwise--and given that "xHOUSE" is the current leader, with three
votes (counting yours) out of 6/7 votes so far--2HOUSE will probably be
the restriction for Winter 2008. 

> > Designer Ballots - Never rank your own game, assumed to be ranked first,
> > or free to self-rank however.
> 
> I don't have a strong opinion here. I guess I'd say never rank your own 
> game.

So-noted, breaking the 3-3 tie. If anyone else has an opinion, now's the
time to get it voiced! Mere days remain to build consensus.

> It's true our calendar year is dominated by Origins/GenCon and the winter 
> holidays. As such, we're awfully busy at those times (and for awhile 
> afterwards, recovering) so these to me aren't the ideal times to be setting 

Interesting... but what about the potential for using various cons to
actually run judging? I can think of few better ways to highlight the
community and the system's versatility than with a round of games and
some judging. It's all well and good to tell someone about the
"hundreds" of Icehouse games... but showing them a solid set, along with
those in PWP or 3H, seems perfect, to me.

Also, don't forget that many other cons occur around that time of year,
too, not just the Big Three (of which you listed only the smaller two :P
). Maybe the Looney booth at GC/Or is hopping too much for contest
management, but surely that's not the case for Demo Rabbits throughout
the world who may or may not attend any of the Big Three.

> these events. I'd rather see them offset by 3 months, to our quiet(er) 
> times of the year, when I'd have more time/willingess to actually test out 

Another tough nut: that puts them square at Spring and Fall... dead in
the middle of exam and holiday periods, typically, for schools and unis.
Winter and Summer, true, are break times... but they're not dominated by
breaks (few schools are still on break as late as Jan 21st, though
June-July 21st IS a problem for game groups built at non-year-round
school).

Believe me... it's a tough call. Winter/Summer means it should be easier
for family gatherings and such to test, during time that's generally
leisure time. Spring/Fall maximizes school-related timings, but with the
conflict of exams and shorter breaks (e.g. less likely to find time
during Spring Break at Daytona, to play pyramid games, as compared to a
week at Grandma's during Christmas).

> the entries. But that's more of a personal opinion... I don't care that 
> much about this. Really what matters is the times of year when the largest 
> number of people would be most likely to be able to fully participate in 
> the judging.

I *think* that's going to generally be Winter/Summer. YMMV.

Also, consider that such a shift will mean no IGDC for another, oh, five
months. That's a long time to wait; we might risk losing some of the
momentum we've gotten with the Summer resurgence of the contest.

Perhaps some of the teachers and folks with gaming families could chime
in on this timing issue? Being neither, I am largely speculating
(though, FWIW, I personally have the most time available Win/Sum than in
the middle of generally "hot" development periods First and Third
Quarter--so I can speak for a lot of the professionals in the group, I
think).

David