I recently explained my reasoning for this policy in a response to D4RK3 54B3R (skip):
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D4RK3 54B3R wrote:
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Those are all contentious issues which have come up every year when doing the GiaD. I have strong opinions about how the event should be held, but they may not be in sync with what this community wants. I'm more than willing to consider any input, just keep in mind that I'm the only person judging these entries. Until that changes, the reality of bias in my preferences and judging style must be accepted.
Is anyone pitching in for prizes, or is that not going to happen anymore?
And also, is there even going to be top places awarded? Like first place, second place, and third place?
Purchasing and distributing prizes is a logistical hassle I'm not suited to handle. That being said, the main reason I don't award "1st Place" or anything like that is because a lot of what I do is highly subjective. I play the games, I write up a review, take a screen shot, and then talk about what I liked or didn't like. If there were four of us judging then I could feel more confident about the relative rankings, but until that happens I don't feel that it's fair to the participants to comparatively rank the entries.
I feel that is a vital part of the GiaD, that the entries are evaluated individually, and not comparatively. Each entry is categorized based on completion, polish, gameplay, and use of theme. I believe that any competent developer with a good grasp of the development process should be able to achieve a rank of Complete given the time frame and restrictions. Requiring that they then best all other developers robs them of this achievement.
In the past I have tried to balance both sides in the same document, and (unless someone changes my mind) I'll be following the same basic format. Each entry will be judged according to the criteria and will be given one of the categorizations. Then I will order them on the page according to how well I feel they did comparatively. If you look at the results for 2007 you'll see that JP's Ragnarok is listed first, followed by CaptFalcon33035's Frost Fortress, which are both fantastic games. (I seriously wish Frost Fortress were expanded on, I would probably be playing it right now). Even though there is no formal declaration, I felt JP's was the strongest entry in terms of scope, depth of play, and replay value, none of which are determining factors in evaluating whether or not a game is complete.
I hope that I'm striking a balance, that that both sides can be satisfied with the result. If not, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
without a strict 24 hour timeframe, the GIADs really lose a lot of their appeal to me. I like the tension and the stress and pumping something amazing and cool out of that.
So do I. This has been a concession I've had to make given the geographical distribution of BYOND members. Acebloke and Elation are in England, and isn't JP is Australia? For them, a time frame of 6:00pm Saturday to 6:00pm Sunday doesn't make a damn bit of sense. I'd like the rule to be midnight to midnight, your own local time, but I have no way of enforcing that without giving each time zone its own theme. I, personally, work from midnight to midnight, and I think that anyone else who can get that time free (from work, etc.) should do the same. In the end it does come down to the honor system, but at least it's a fair honor system.
I hope the above addresses your concerns. It is an imperfect system, and if you have any ideas for improvement please let me know. For the sake of clarity allow me to summarize my thoughts:
1. In keeping with the spirit of the event, games are judged individually, not comparatively. Game are, however, ordered (highly subjectively!) in the results document based on their comparative strengths. The first game in the document is analogous to the first place winner in a competition.
2. A strict 24hr time frame is preferable, but not feasible given the worldwide distribution of developers. An honor system wherein developers choose their own 24hr period from a 48hr window is the best compromise I can think of while still announcing a unifying theme at the start of the event.
If you are a past participant, or if you are planning to participate this weekend, or if you would participate if there were rankings, I would like to hear your opinion. Please note that, though this is a poll, I will be basing future policy on ideas, so please comment about why you voted the way you did. If I get a convincing response before the day is through, I may change the policy in time for tomorrow.
An "event" is easier to maintain as it is free to promote (except in the cost of valuable time). This also expands longevity. Some day, I imagine, you won't want to hold the reigns of the GiaD, and it would be easier for the follow-up host to keep going if they didn't have to field a team of judges and provide prizes.
A "contest" will likely draw more attention. Simply put, if you wave a steak in front of 20 dogs they'll all go for it, though only one or two will actually get a worthwhile chunk of meat. However, this suffers pitfalls in contrast to the benefits laid out for the "event" type.