Quote Originally Posted by tux
whatever we do for the next one. please do not have stage goals and deadlines! (just the last big deadline) that pretty much killed our entry as we were plodding along getting bits done and then suddenly we realise we have to do 3 main things for the next deadline and rush it.
I second that. Actually stages and deadlines were the reason why I did not enter the competition. I am a hobbyst programmer, making games is my hobby. Sometimes I can work on my projects four hours per day and sometimes it is four hours per week. With one final deadline there is a chance that I can make it. Otherwise it is no point for me to take a part in a competition.

Another problem is a timeline. How to design it, so that length of each stage reflects its difficulty which is relative. Some people would like more time to create game engine and less time for level design and some would like the opposite.

The Casual Gamming Contest sounds like interesting idea but I would prefer something more in the style of a GameDev Four Elements Contest although less weird (This Emotion stuff is really bringing me down).