Are there any rules other than that it be pastel? For example, are we allowed to work on brainstorming, rough drafts of scripts, and rough concept designs before the jam begins? Or is all work strictly set to begin at the start time?
Thanks!
Could we get a more solid answer? By my interpretation of Maz's answer there already looks to be a game breaking the rules (https://giddygirlgamer.itch.io/the-summerlands/devlog/34887/assets-are-almost-do...), however Hazel-Rah seems cool with it since they liked it on twitter?
I'm not against lax jams, but it's a little frustrating to get mixed signals, and if people read this thread and figured that they shouldn't make any assets or anything until the weekend of the jam, it's discouraging to see those games put next to games that had a few extra weeks as a head start. Is this a weekend jam where you can plan before hand but need to make the assets and write the script and code within the weekend (how I interpreted Maz's answer) or is this a submission for a collection of pastel themed games that can be completed at any time (perfectly legit, but please make that clear)?
Personally I'd think that in the spirit of how a jam is, Summerlands shouldn't be submitted, since it was started way ago. But I think it'd be fine to add to a collection of pastel games.
I was personally brought in to just set up the jam rather than as the initial idea, but in my experience it is definitely disheartening to see a bunch of highly polished assets next to something which has been done in a weekend.
Perhaps if someone has been preparing something like Summerlands it may be a good idea to add a button which people click to say "Yes this has been made entirely over the weekend" versus "This has had assets prepared beforehand but was programmed over the weekend".
Thanks for the clarification, so long as those cases are clearly marked on the submissions page, that seems like a good solution.
I also don't mean to harp on the Summerlands, as I don't think they had any malicious intent and it was a case of the rules not being clear beforehand, but I also wanted to point out it's not just art assets they're working on, but the whole game, code and script and all. I only want to point this out so that next time there can be clear rules (regardless of what the rules end up being), as this isn't the first time I've seen a similar mix up when a jam doesn't state the rules on the main page. Some people haven't been jamming since forever and really are unsure what is considered 'traditional' for a jam, and with so many new jams with different rules, it's better to just put it all in writing from the start so there's no confusion.
Again, nothing against a more relaxed jam if that's what you guys would like to do in the future! Just asking for clearer rules from the get-go, not necessarily a stricter jam.
Of course :3 I understand. It might not be possible to show the difference on the main page, but on each page I'm thinking there should be something. I'll test it before submission deadline.
It's true that jams are far more varied than they used to be. I think there's not as much an issue as reusing code snippets, as long as whole games aren't put together before the start of the jam.
Yeah! You can enter, there's just a button which you click to show you've made assets before the jam time started.
Traditionally in jams you complete them (or don't finish completing them sometimes, as I've done in the past) in the jam time. Some jams last a week, some a month, many a weekend.
I personally think storyboarding is fine, like taking code from games you've made in the past, but making assets beforehand should be marked.