PGD Annual 2009

[AthenaOfDelphi]

Hi Everyone,

This is the official PGD Annual 2009 announcement thread.

I am in the final stages of organising this years competition which is due to start at the beginning of July.

Unless things change dramatically, the timetable for the competition is as follows:-

4th July - The theme and theme related rules will be announced
6th July - Stage 1 will commence. The deadline for stage 1 submissions is 11:59pm 11th July
12th July - Stage 2 will commence. The deadline for stage 2 submissions is 11:59pm 26th September

Stage 1 - The only deliverable should be a design document outlining the game you are going to produce
Stage 2 - The game, the source code if you choose to provide it and the user manual

And thats it. The judges will get to work scoring your entries. At the time of writing the prize pool is valued at somewhere in the region of $2500.

So break out your Redbull (other energy drinks are available ) and get ready for a summer of code

All times are based on the PGDAnnual.com server times (these are GMT).

Note:- Please do not sign up on the PGDAnnual.com site yet, the site is still being tested and will be fully reset before the competition starts.

[chronozphere]

Great!

Unfortunately I'm going on a holiday a few days after the compo starts (Probably 7 or 8 July). I go camping, so I probably can't get online. Getting a design doc ready on time might be a problem. Guess I have to start writing one as soon as the theme is announced.

And what kind of information must this document contain exactly? Alot of technical details also? And to what extent can I drift away from my original plans (This happens quite alot)?

I think the best way to go is to aim low and make some detailed plans. Ofcourse it's also a matter of motivation, which will depend on the theme and my own "gamedev inspiration". I just hope I'll be able to stick with the rest of you guys until the very end.

[NecroDOME]

Woohoow, nice!!

I also have the some question as Chrono, IF we write a design doc, can it be changed later and what should it contain?

[NecroDOME]

Another question: will the game design documents get published so we can see what the other teams a re doing?

[AthenaOfDelphi]

Good questions...

The design document is really intended to help you guys formulate a development plan. Diving in and just coding isn't a good idea as you'll inevitably end up reworking stuff. If you've got at least some idea of what you're going to do, you can set yourself targets and goals. A to-do list is a great motivator as it's a nice feeling crossing things off the list.

What should the design document contains? I would suggest at a minimum, an outline of your game, information about key gameplay elements and the control schema. You may also want to set yourself some goals and make a little project plan, drop a storyboard in there and some sketched up levels for example. As I said, the document can be an aid to you, so you should put into it the stuff you think will help you.

Will it be published? As with all competition submissions, it will probably be made available for public consumption after the close of the stage.

In terms of whether your game design can change, it has happened in the past... a competitor submitted a design document and then changed their mind part way through, so changing your mind or evolving your design isn't out of the question.

[efikkan]

How related to the theme would the game need to be?

I guess I better stock up on coke...

[AthenaOfDelphi]

How related to the theme would the game need to be?

I guess I better stock up on coke...

Well, the theme largely sets the rules that the game must comply with, so providing the game meets the rules, its fine

All I can say at this point is that they are fairly straight forward this year, so hopefully we'll see quite a few people competing and some interesting games coming out at the end of it.

[noeska]

Maybe i should try to make some free time an actualy enter this year. The only part that wories me is part 1. (and for me, and maybe others to, i can only spend one hour on it for each day) Is not that a bit short time to realize a design document. E.g. writing a storyline for an adventure cannot be done in such a short period so better go to something arcade'ish.

[AthenaOfDelphi]

Maybe i should try to make some free time an actualy enter this year. The only part that wories me is part 1. (and for me, and maybe others to, i can only spend one hour on it for each day) Is not that a bit short time to realize a design document. E.g. writing a storyline for an adventure cannot be done in such a short period so better go to something arcade'ish.

You will need to wait for the them announcement later this week to see how part 1 pans out. We don't want full design documents, but it does help to have at least some idea of what you're aiming for. If you're not sure of details, then just rough out the basic idea, some key elements, basic control schema etc.

But, above all... wait and see what the theme is

[NecroDOME]

...
But, above all... wait and see what the theme is

Hack 'n' slash combined with some fluffy animals (Sorry, getting excited for the compo!!) Can't wait to see what the theme is!!

3rd of July I have my b-day party, so 4th of July would be my PGD b-day present

Design doc, are that some extra points upon the entry or just some random doc that is never looked at it again and just for ourself?