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[godatplay]

TIGJam Midwest
June 4th-6th in Des Moines, Iowa
A game jam where videogames will be created around the theme "proverbs"
Registration is FREE and open to all creatives - programmers, hackers, designers, artists, musicians

RSVP at http://tigjammidwest.eventbrite.com

Friday, 7pm at Foundry Coworking
Keynote by Alec Holowka

Friday, 8pm - Sunday, 3pm at Foundry Coworking
Unity tutorial by Evan Balster
Making videogames

Sunday, 3pm - 8pm at Impromptu Studio
Presentation to the public

Participants will form teams, choose a specific proverb from a culture of their choice, and develop a game based on it.  There could be games based on Chinese Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian proverbs, or more obscure cultures or religions. You can start here for ideas: http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Chinese_Proverb/

[Nava]

Alec and myself were talking about the possibility of driving down there, but I think he'll probably be going whether or not we drive it.... 

[Cellulose Man]

I've got me eye on this one:

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."

...And am super pumped for this jam!

[godatplay]

I know, I'm pumped too!  Not sure what I'm going to pick yet, though...

[godatplay]

Got a poster up.

More news:

• Free Venom energy drinks
• Barring some catastrophy, free catered food all weekend
• In progress: drink specials next door at Des Moines Social Club

[x70x]

Ok, so I just signed up to do this thing and I am SUPER PUMPED that something like this is happening in Iowa. I just graduated from the University of Dubuque with a degree in Computer Graphics and Interactive Media. I was just hoping that someone could explain a little bit more to me how this whole thing works. I'm pretty sure that my graphic art skills will be useful, but how does the whole process work? If you want to see the kind of stuff that I do you could check out my portfolio at www.tylerowen.info. Basically, what should I expect? Can't wait to meet some other people interested in making indie games! I will be driving down from Dubuque for sure.

[Machine Saint]

I got time off work for this, so I am officially free to come now. I've wanted to attend the last couple events you guys held, but it never ended up working out. It's pretty cool that the first one I get to come to looks to be the biggest yet... I am zetta excited for this!
The state sponsorship thing went through as planned, right? Lately I have been happily thanking my friends for "unwittingly supporting independent game development".

Should I assume that I will be able to find people to work with on the day of the event, or is it acceptable to try forming teams beforehand? I want to use this as an opportunity to see how well I work when I'm not on my own. The only experience I have had developing a game as part of a group was when I was on the Egoboo devteam, and that was a little different, since we were expanding an existing game, not creating a new one from scratch.

I'll be interested in hearing that Unity talk... although I'm much more comfortable with 2D than 3D.
Oh, and who will be catering the food?



...By the way, in case you don't remember me, I'm that one guy who visited the Intuition office in Ames back in December.

[godatplay]

What to expect:
People will show up at Foundry and be milling around, we'll probably try to set up a whiteboard with skills, and someone will get up and make a very informal "hey welcome" about 7pm. Then Alec will give his talk, there will be a Q&A until the 1-hour mark.  Then Evan will give his Unity tutorial.

After that, people will announce their proverbs, brainstorm game ideas, and then get into teams.  It'll be pretty informal, in the past Greg has taken notes on a whiteboard of people's ideas and everyone just kinda decided what to do collectively.  Or maybe it'll turn into a caucus, I don't know.

From then on, it's pretty much do whatever you want.  Go home for the early-birds or get to work (most will choose the latter).

Then come back (if you left at all) the next morning/whenever people get up, and keep going.

Continue until Sunday at around 2:30pm, when we migrate to Impromptu.  Deliver a build, we'll start presenting, and those who want to last-minute crunch can for the next hour or two.  Hang out there until whenever; we'll officially be there until 8pm.

Food:
Fong's Pizza
La Mie pastries
Gateway Market/South Union sandwiches
Flying Mango BBQ
Mars Cafe sandwiches
Fruit/veggies/snacks
JessieMadeThis ice cream

The biggest thing you can do to be prepared is to have your development environment set up and ready to go before you come.  Make sure you bring all the equipment you need to be productive; software, brushed up on skills, external HD of assets/code if needed, drawing tablet, art supplies, (musical) keyboard, etc.

[x70x]

Thanks for the run down. Sounds like a great time. So am I to understand then that we can prepare some random graphics/music/code before hand? If so then I will start working on some ideas now.

And thanks for providing such a cool opportunity for people in this area.

[godatplay]

Preparing stuff specifically for the event is dangerous, since who knows what will be used or what wouldn't.  But it's up to you certainly.

I was mainly referring to low-level things, like code libraries/pieces, photos, raw drawings/illustrations, etc.  Stuff you could take and hack apart and reassemble come jam time.

Since we're talking proverbs, low-level character assets might be a good thing to work on.

This is roughly the 7th game jam we've had, actually.  We usually try to plan the time in our Google group (http://groups.google.com/group/igdf/).

[x70x]

Ok, well in that case I am just collecting some of my favorite proverbs and some ideas to go along with them.

[Nava]

Should Alec and I register? I'm not a programmer, hacker, designer, artist or musician.... I'll probably just be chilling out and doing photography.

[godatplay]

Yeah, that'd be a good idea, just in case I forget when I add everything up when ordering the food.  The goal of the RSVP is to make sure everyone on there gets food.  Thanks!

[Nava]

Aight I put two tickets under my name, Chrissy Chubala, for Alec and myself 

[savethedinosaurs]

I'm excited to hang out with everyone.  It's a huge weekend for me (parents 40th anniversary and freaking 60th birthdays.  no joke) so I can only make it Friday.  I'll be there as early as I can muster and jam all day.  Join me anyone?