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<blockquote data-quote="Wik" data-source="post: 5042547" data-attributes="member: 40177">So, in less than 24 hours, the contest begins.&nbsp; Which made me realize, I should post my judging criteria.&nbsp; Because, it's kind of lame to write something, when you have no idea what it is you're writing for.&nbsp; So, I'll present the check-sheet I'll use when evaluating entries.&nbsp; It looks a lot more organized than it will actually be, but it is at least a starting point.Writing Quality:.......3 points&nbsp;&nbsp; The quality of the writing is important.&nbsp; A &quot;0&quot; means the work is nearly illegible.&nbsp; A &quot;1&quot; means there are frequent typoes, misleading statements, and so on.&nbsp; A &quot;2&quot; is your average manuscript - there will be problems, but they aren't huge.&nbsp; A &quot;3&quot; means the writing is crisp and very easy to understand.&nbsp; Organization:..... 2 points&nbsp;&nbsp; How well organized and laid-out your submission is.&nbsp; A &quot;0&quot; means it makes absolutely no sense (the skill rules are buring in the combat rules, it's impossible to find anything!).&nbsp; A &quot;1&quot; is your typical manuscript (at least two of the following: Table of Contents, placement of topics in places where it at least makes sense, and a consistent organization scheme).&nbsp; A &quot;2&quot; means it is very well organized (all of the above, plus perhaps an index, or &quot;see page XX&quot; cross-referenced throughout).&nbsp; Main Theme Implementation:.... 4 points&nbsp;&nbsp; How well your game follows the main theme.&nbsp; Remember, the Theme Is Loose in this competition, so it shouldn't be hard to tie a lot of your game into the theme.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; A &quot;0&quot; means your game does not tie into the theme, at all.&nbsp; This will be automatic &quot;fail&quot;.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; A &quot;1&quot; means you have to stretch for the theme to work, or the theme is just so lamely incorporated (ie, the theme was &quot;horror&quot;, and you present a western that has a few pages of horror material tacked-on).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; A &quot;2&quot; means the theme is present, but it doesn't dominate the game - someone describing the game would probably only see it as part of the game, not something that the game is truly &quot;about&quot;.&nbsp; A &quot;2&quot; might mean the theme is present, but not always well thought-out.&nbsp; &nbsp; A &quot;3&quot; means the theme is present in the script, is well-thought out, and is probably found in a few different parts of the game (it's not just &quot;western horror&quot; in the monsters section... you'd probably get the horror vibe even when making a PC, or when reading the rules). &nbsp;&nbsp; A &quot;4&quot; has all of the qualities of &quot;3&quot;, but also incorporates the theme in a unique way (without &quot;stretching&quot; it!), and is found even in parts of the game where you might not expect it (for example... your &quot;horror&quot; theme is found in the gear lists... and the table of contents!?)Sub-Theme Implementation:.... 3 points&nbsp;&nbsp; This works a bit differently.&nbsp; I'll mark each sub-theme you include, and take an average of them.&nbsp; Each will get marked as a &quot;0&quot; (sub-theme is jarring and awful), &quot;1&quot; (Sub-theme is tacked-on, but at least interesting) and &quot;2&quot; (interesting sub-theme, incorporated into the game, and meshes with the primary theme).&nbsp; If you include ALL of the sub-themes, and none of them get a rating of &quot;0&quot;, you get a bonus point.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; For the record, I think it's a smarter idea to just tackle one sub-theme and get the 2 easy points.&nbsp; Going for 3 points here will be difficult.Mechanics:.... 4 points&nbsp;&nbsp; Game mechanics are obviously important.&nbsp; I prefer rules-light systems, but I'll try to overlook my bias when marking.&nbsp; &quot;Game Balance&quot; means little to me, though.&nbsp; This category is really hard to grade except by &quot;what feels right&quot;... I imagine most games will grade around a 2 or 3, with 1s and 4s being used only in special situations.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 0:&nbsp; Rules are incomplete, or are so confusing they become practically unplayable.&nbsp;&nbsp; 1:&nbsp; Rules are fragmented, have jarring inconsistencies, or make little sense.&nbsp;&nbsp; 2:&nbsp; Rules work, but might not be all that clear.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 3:&nbsp; Rules make sense, they implement the theme, and are fairly unified (if there are &quot;sub-systems&quot;, they at least follow the main mechanics of the game).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 4:&nbsp; The rules make perfect sense, are very easy to GM for, and make perfect sense in consideration of the game's theme.&nbsp; Concept:.... 3 points&nbsp;&nbsp; The basic idea of the game is worth points.&nbsp; Basically, if I described your game in one paragraph, how would it sound?&nbsp; This gets marked a bit differently. &nbsp;&nbsp; If your game is &quot;original&quot; in how it approaches things, it gets a point.&nbsp; Note that you can make a D&amp;D clone - if you do it in a new and interesting way, you get a point.&nbsp;&nbsp; If your game is &quot;thought out&quot;, you get a point.&nbsp; In other words, you have put some thought into ways your game world's realism could be broken.&nbsp; You don't need to be super exact... what I'm looking for here is more along the lines of &quot;there's a reason cowboy PCs are going to be hunting vampires&quot;, more than anything else.&nbsp;&nbsp; If your game has an actual &quot;concept&quot; that makes it easy to remember, you get a point.&nbsp;&nbsp; Basically, you're aiming for a concept that won't get lost in the shuffle - make it so I can remember your game six months down the line.&nbsp; How will your Western Horror game be different from, say, Deadlands?&nbsp; You don't need to make a gonzo game or anything, but at least make it a bit different from the other games out there.&nbsp; Playability:.... 4 points&nbsp;&nbsp; How playable is your game?&nbsp; This isn't a mechanics thing... this is a &quot;can Wik actually play this game and have an idea what's going on?&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; If there are at least a couple different options open for character types in play, you get a point (ie, if the PCs are all vampire-hunting cowboys, you don't get the point... UNLESS there are options for those PCs to notably stand apart from their companions in an interesting way).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; If there is an adventure in your game, or adventure ideas, or even some sort of random table to create adventuring sites, you get a point.&nbsp;&nbsp; If I can see a group learning this game and actually playing it for a session or two, you get a point.&nbsp; i.e. - the game is meant to be played, as opposed to some thereotical exercise.&nbsp; This should be an easy point!&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; If the game is one that can be handled easily around the table, you get the point.&nbsp; If there are elements in the game that could be confusing, and you've made the effort to explain how they actually work, you'll still get the point (in other words, if you have an intricate game system, make sure you include examples!)Depth: .... 2 points&nbsp; &quot;Depth&quot; indicates whether the game has long-term potential.&nbsp; 0:&nbsp; The game is a one-shot, or is functionally a one-shot.&nbsp; Basically, I could play this game maybe three times with the same group before it got old.&nbsp; &nbsp; 1:&nbsp; The game has the capacity as a &quot;side game&quot; or &quot;pickup game&quot;.&nbsp; It probably has PC advancement rules and options, and should have a range of items or monsters - or, better yet, ways for the GM to create his own material.&nbsp;&nbsp; 2:&nbsp; The game could conceivably host longer-term play, or could be used to run numerous &quot;one-shots&quot; without it ever getting old.&nbsp; There are ways for the GM to create his own material, and there are numerous adventure options available.&nbsp; Now, as you can imagine, this criteria isn't perfect.&nbsp; If you have any questions, feel free to ask.&nbsp; I'm more using this is a guideline for marking over anything else - a means to make sure my grading is fair.&nbsp; Now, with that... less than 24 hours to go!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Wik, post: 5042547, member: 40177"] So, in less than 24 hours, the contest begins. Which made me realize, I should post my judging criteria. Because, it's kind of lame to write something, when you have no idea what it is you're writing for. So, I'll present the check-sheet I'll use when evaluating entries. It looks a lot more organized than it will actually be, but it is at least a starting point. [b]Writing Quality:[/b].......3 points The quality of the writing is important. A "0" means the work is nearly illegible. A "1" means there are frequent typoes, misleading statements, and so on. A "2" is your average manuscript - there will be problems, but they aren't huge. A "3" means the writing is crisp and very easy to understand. [b]Organization:[/b]..... 2 points How well organized and laid-out your submission is. A "0" means it makes absolutely no sense (the skill rules are buring in the combat rules, it's impossible to find anything!). A "1" is your typical manuscript (at least two of the following: Table of Contents, placement of topics in places where it at least makes sense, and a consistent organization scheme). A "2" means it is very well organized (all of the above, plus perhaps an index, or "see page XX" cross-referenced throughout). [b]Main Theme Implementation:[/b].... 4 points How well your game follows the main theme. Remember, the [i]Theme Is Loose[/i] in this competition, so it shouldn't be hard to tie a lot of your game into the theme. A "0" means your game does not tie into the theme, at all. This will be automatic "fail". A "1" means you have to stretch for the theme to work, or the theme is just so lamely incorporated (ie, the theme was "horror", and you present a western that has a few pages of horror material tacked-on). A "2" means the theme is present, but it doesn't dominate the game - someone describing the game would probably only see it as part of the game, not something that the game is truly "about". A "2" might mean the theme is present, but not always well thought-out. A "3" means the theme is present in the script, is well-thought out, and is probably found in a few different parts of the game (it's not just "western horror" in the monsters section... you'd probably get the horror vibe even when making a PC, or when reading the rules). A "4" has all of the qualities of "3", but also incorporates the theme in a unique way (without "stretching" it!), and is found even in parts of the game where you might not expect it (for example... your "horror" theme is found in the gear lists... and the table of contents!?) [b]Sub-Theme Implementation:[/b].... 3 points This works a bit differently. I'll mark each sub-theme you include, and take an average of them. Each will get marked as a "0" (sub-theme is jarring and awful), "1" (Sub-theme is tacked-on, but at least interesting) and "2" (interesting sub-theme, incorporated into the game, and meshes with the primary theme). If you include ALL of the sub-themes, and none of them get a rating of "0", you get a bonus point. For the record, I think it's a smarter idea to just tackle one sub-theme and get the 2 easy points. Going for 3 points here will be difficult. [b]Mechanics:[/b].... 4 points Game mechanics are obviously important. I prefer rules-light systems, but I'll try to overlook my bias when marking. "Game Balance" means little to me, though. This category is really hard to grade except by "what feels right"... I imagine most games will grade around a 2 or 3, with 1s and 4s being used only in special situations. 0: Rules are incomplete, or are so confusing they become practically unplayable. 1: Rules are fragmented, have jarring inconsistencies, or make little sense. 2: Rules work, but might not be all that clear. 3: Rules make sense, they implement the theme, and are fairly unified (if there are "sub-systems", they at least follow the main mechanics of the game). 4: The rules make perfect sense, are very easy to GM for, and make perfect sense in consideration of the game's theme. [b]Concept:[/b].... 3 points The basic idea of the game is worth points. Basically, if I described your game in one paragraph, how would it sound? This gets marked a bit differently. If your game is "original" in how it approaches things, it gets a point. Note that you can make a D&D clone - if you do it in a new and interesting way, you get a point. If your game is "thought out", you get a point. In other words, you have put some thought into ways your game world's realism could be broken. You don't need to be super exact... what I'm looking for here is more along the lines of "there's a reason cowboy PCs are going to be hunting vampires", more than anything else. If your game has an actual "concept" that makes it easy to remember, you get a point. Basically, you're aiming for a concept that won't get lost in the shuffle - make it so I can remember your game six months down the line. How will your Western Horror game be different from, say, Deadlands? You don't need to make a gonzo game or anything, but at least make it a bit different from the other games out there. [b]Playability:[/b].... 4 points How playable is your game? This isn't a mechanics thing... this is a "can Wik actually play this game and have an idea what's going on?" If there are at least a couple different options open for character types in play, you get a point (ie, if the PCs are all vampire-hunting cowboys, you don't get the point... UNLESS there are options for those PCs to notably stand apart from their companions in an interesting way). If there is an adventure in your game, or adventure ideas, or even some sort of random table to create adventuring sites, you get a point. If I can see a group learning this game and actually playing it for a session or two, you get a point. i.e. - the game is meant to be played, as opposed to some thereotical exercise. This should be an easy point! If the game is one that can be handled easily around the table, you get the point. If there are elements in the game that could be confusing, and you've made the effort to explain how they actually work, you'll still get the point (in other words, if you have an intricate game system, make sure you include examples!) [b]Depth:[/b] .... 2 points "Depth" indicates whether the game has long-term potential. 0: The game is a one-shot, or is functionally a one-shot. Basically, I could play this game maybe three times with the same group before it got old. 1: The game has the capacity as a "side game" or "pickup game". It probably has PC advancement rules and options, and should have a range of items or monsters - or, better yet, ways for the GM to create his own material. 2: The game could conceivably host longer-term play, or could be used to run numerous "one-shots" without it ever getting old. There are ways for the GM to create his own material, and there are numerous adventure options available. Now, as you can imagine, this criteria isn't perfect. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm more using this is a guideline for marking over anything else - a means to make sure my grading is fair. Now, with that... less than 24 hours to go! [/QUOTE]

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