We’ve started sorting through ideas for QuestComp 2014. If anyone would like to contribute their thoughts (either here or there), it would be much appreciated. We’re looking at doing it roughly the same time as last year, around April-June. At the moment, we are debating if/how to do it as a “flash-fiction” contest this year. I expect we’ll start talking genres/themes relatively soon.
BEFORE the official announcement is made, I want to make sure the concept and rules are clear. All feedback is welcome, but especially, please, let me know if anything here is confusing.
[spoiler]Quest Comp 2014
Welcome to QuestComp 2014, the second annual Quest exclusive IF competition!
Join the adventure, and be a Questing hero!
The QuestComp organiser is Evan Williams. The competition is being set up and can be discussed in
the QuestComp forum thread.
To declare your intent to enter or to submit a story or game entry, please contact
questcomporganizer@google.com. (Sorry about the american “z” 
Competition Overview
This year’s theme is flash fiction. We’ll be asking for story submissions in flash fiction format
of up to 1,000 words. Entrants will then choose a story to adapt into a game.
Like the classic hero, your reward will be honor, respect and glory.
Fortune smiles upon thee! There is also no entrance fee.
Dates
April 8: Deadline for flash fiction story submissions
April 10: Stories will be posted, entrants may claim stories and begin game design
June 1: Deadline for game entrants to declare intent to enter
July 1: Deadline for submitting finished games
Guidelines for story writers
- Anyone may submit a story, regardless of whether they intend to enter a game
- Stories are to be written as flash fiction of up to 1,000 words. Flash fictions are complete
stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end, conflict, obstacles, etc. If you have any doubts
about what constitutes flash fiction, please ask the organiser or go here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction - Submit stories as plain text, the organiser will need to post them to the QuestComp blog for
viewing and claims. - Please submit your own work only. Do not submit interesting stories you found.
- The game designers (entrants) will be given artistic license to modify your story as they see
fit, as long as they credit you appropriately. No takebacks. - You can submit as many stories as you like; we want entrants to have plenty of options.
- There is no quality standard. You can submit stories even if you don’t think of yourself as a
good writer. - There is, of course, no guarantee that your story will be used! So try to write something that
is compelling and evocative. - Entrants and writers are allowed to communicate, ask questions, make clarifications, etc. but
there’s no commitment for either to do so, and they should do so directly rather than via the
organiser.
Rules For Entrants And Submissions
- Anyone may enter a game, regardless of whether they submitted a story
- All entrants must declare their intent to compete no later than June 1 .
- Each entrant should submit one(1) game only, no later than July 1 .
- Entrants are not to discuss the contents of their game publicly during the judging period.
- Stories will be posted here: questcomp.blogspot.com/
- You claim a story by leaving a comment on it containing the word CLAIMED and your name. You do
not need to register an account for this, but anonymous comments require word verification. - Claiming relates one author to one story: you cannot claim an already-claimed story, nor can
you claim a second story. First come, first served. - Don’t hog the stories. Don’t pick a story unless you are sure you want to use it. It will be
extremely lame if you grab the coolest story before you have any idea about the game, then realize
that you’re stuck for ideas: then nobody gets to use that story! So be considerate, and don’t rush
in headlong. - Your chosen story should be more than a vague inspiration. While you have full artistic license
to make any changes you wish, remember that this is an adaptation from story to game. You may
write a new ending, change the title, add or remove supporting characters and conflicts, etc, but
not to such a degree that the audience cannot recognize the story. - Credit the writer/contributor clearly (nicely is always good form as well).
- Entrants who also submitted a story may claim their own story.
- It is recommended that you test how well your game works when played online – you can upload a
game to the site and set visibility to “unlisted” for testing.
Rules For Judges
- Judges are encouraged to play each game as long as they want and try to finish each one.
However, they are not required to finish before voting (especially if the game takes more than
about 1-1/2 to 2 hours). - Judges should vote on at least two games.
- Anyone may judge.
- Games should be scored on a 1 to 10 scale, 10 being best.
- Judges may discuss the games during the judging period, but should clearly mark posts/topics,
for the benefit of those who want to avoid spoilers. - Beta-testers are allowed to vote on the entries they beta-tested.
Legal
- While “freeware” multimedia is permissible, entrants assume personal responsibility for the
contents of their games and may be disqualified if any copyrighted material is used without
consent from the owner. - Entrants grant the competition and textadventures.co.uk the non-exclusive right to distribute
your game for free.[/spoiler]
Why the long period between claiming the stories and intent to enter? Doesn’t one imply the other?
I assume judges aren’t allowed to vote on their own games?
That’s a fair question … the answer is I don’t know, and I’ll have to think about that. I had originally made the “intent” deadline a month earlier, but it still sounds a bit redundant, doesn’t it. I’ll look at that.
Yes, I’ll put that in. Thank you.
Also, I’m just copy this from the other forum as well: