I tend to agree with Huehnerschaender, this competition is more a fun event to me. As far as blind competition against cut-throat competitors goes, I can get enough of that @work - and reward-wise, there is no doubt which is going to pay my bills
Seeing the flourishing of "blogs" this year, maybe this posting of progress and feedback should be made an "official" part of next year's competition? This would be a double-edged sword however, seeing others's progress can be just as much of a stimulation to give your best, as it can be a trigger for "give up" as certainty bears down you won't catchup...
Judges giving info can be a difficult balancing act, especially when as a judge, you know the technology well enough to pinpoint a bug that has been bothering an entry for several stages. Giving small hints can be okay, but anything detailed is problematic.The most difficult thing last year was finding out what we as entrants were doing wrong. Personally, I didn't have anyone that I could bounce my game idea or work against. As the compo progressed I started to find people, but initially I relied almost completely on the judges comments.
As for gameplay and game mechanics, you shouldn't rely on judges IMO, and nor should judges provide much beyond which goal is achieved missed, as anything beyond those could be easily construed as favoritism or give impression of partiality... Besides, external input can often have more of a diverting effect on your work than anything else.
Bookmarks