Rule-O-Matic

Don't read too much into the results of these sample spins! The method of picking rules is yet to be tweaked to its full potential, and until a good selection of rules have been added, it's rather meaningless.

Once the Rule-O-Matic has been spun for a final time, the authors of the selected rules will be contacted in order to add clarifications and last minute twists. They won't be allowed to do anything drastic, and to limit their advantage of a heads up, they won't know for sure which of the rules atually were selected. (For example, they may be notified that one of three specific rules have been selected.)

Here is a sample spin, with the following rules being chosen:

1. Genre requirements

   Mr. Inventor (Good)

   The game must feature several items, and ways of combining them to put them to some other use that they originally have. The best ways to combine an item are left to be figured out by the player.

2. Technical requirements

   There are 2 technical requirements:

   Backstab (Good)

   The direction from which you attack your enemies must have an important effect on the results. It can be a literal backstab in a stealth-based platformer, but a strategy game that takes unit facing into account would be okay with this rule too.

   Easter Egg (Great)

   Your production must contain a subgame or hidden effect within that can be accessed through some unusual method - a particular sequence of controls or unlocked through ability. The means of access should be described somewhere in the source code so that I can determined that is has been added, but you can keep it a secret in the compiled binary version as you wish.
   
   This effect is not to be malicious in any way and should not damage or compromise the host machine or installed software.

3. Artistic requirements

   There is 1 artistic requirement:

   Dragon effect (Good)

   Your game must feature a character with the ability of breathing fire. Kudos for most creative uses and more spectacular fire effects.

4. Bonus rules

   There is 1 bonus rule:

   Act of Sagan (OK)

   If your game exposes an aspect of science in a comprehensive, positive and (if possible) poetic way, you may opt out of one of the other rules.

5. Other Important Info

   All entries must comply with all requirements except where nullified by Act of Dog.

   All entries must be submitted on or before 12:00 UTC on Monday 25th July without fail. All entries must be supplied in a ZIP file equal to or less than 250 KB in size. All source code, makefiles, documentation, and references to additional libraries used must be supplied in the ZIP file.

   You can assume that everyone will have a copy of Allegro (standard installation) installed. You do not need to supply one. It is okay to use a more recent version of Allegro, but if someone is unable to compile your game because of that, it's your fault. You should consider uploading binaries for people who have problems compiling the source onto your own website. I will be checking that the binary and source match up, so adding enhancements to the 'competition binary' is not permitted..

   If source code is reused from legal sources (your own, GPLed, public domain) you should declare this and what changes have been made, so that your work can be assessed for the voting.

   People should keep a informative and interesting account of their development through the competition. This can be sent after the competition for those people with no Internet access over the weekend. This does not affect your space requirement.

   A web-based "blog" update page will be available. This will allow spectators to see what is going on :-)

   You can make use of all information sources, mailing lists as you see fit. This is not an exam! :-)