Encouraging Feedback

[Doug Ruff]

Hi,

In , Andy suggested a brainstorm on how to encourage cross-posting during the competition.

First, let's define the problem: the Game Chef competition has got real big in the last couple of years, with around 40 submissions this year and several more ideas that didn't get completed in time for the deadline.

And the deadline is tough: I think a lot of people had to go full-out just to submit their game in time, which didn't allow much time to give helpful feedback and encouragement to the other entrants.

What am I missing?

[Harlequin]

[Doug Ruff]

[Jason Petrasko]

Thanks Doug! I thought the sideline interviewer was fitting and colorful, keeping to the iron chef theme. I didn't think it would take off the way it did though, zow-E!

I think the ninja of the feedback clan is a great idea. Go Kitchen ninjas! My problem was that the timing constraints make it hard to both finish you own submission, and yet still have time to comment on others. I don't though see any easy solution to this.

[Justin D. Jacobson]

There just isn't enough time for many of us to cross-post about other games and still put in the time to get our own game done. Heck, I barely had time to post in my own thread. I don't think we should be encouraging more cross-posting. It takes time away from game creation, which IMHO is an inherently bad thing.

My real proposal: Advertise the contest and forums at RPGnet and other independent-minded forums and encourage non-participants to post and comment.

My off-the-wall proposal: Have one of the judge-types award additional time to participants for each meaningful post, extending their deadline accordingly. So, if you make a post in someone else's thread you get, say, an extra half hour. If you want to encourage behavior, you need to reward it.

[Doug Ruff]

[Ben Lehman]

[kenjib]

I agree that time was one of the big concerns with commentary. Is the deadline of this contest really the beginning or end of the real game design? Now that the deadlines are over and done with, why not take this opportunity to start looking over the games in more detail and helping people revise and test them for further development? There's nothing to stop us now from spending as long as we like examining and commenting on the various games.

I think it could actually work out nicely this way if people actually stick around and work together from here out. The contest is about seeing what you can do on your own. The aftermath is about making good games from those initial solitary efforts.

[JenniferS]

Yes. Now that I'm not creating the game on top of taking care of a three year old with insomnia, I'll be happy to start reviewing the games. I think I'll start one at a time. From the bottom. When the Demon Child goes to sleep.

[matthijs]

One Big Thread for all games: Please, please don't. In such a thread, I'd hardly read anything at all.

Feedback Ninja: Two or three committed non-contestants would be great!

Time rewards for posting: Nyaah... Personally, I like a strict and simple deadline much better.

Some sort of informal reward could work well, though; "FEEDBACK FIEND OF THE YEAR: <insert name>" prominently displayed on the site, or something.

Feedback after the deadline: I'd hate to see this as a requirement. One week of dedication is more than enough. A fuzzy amount of dedicated time afterwards would scare me away from the contest.

So IMO, go Ninja, go!