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[Jordgubben]

Short version
I am looking for comic artists to join me for No Comfort Jam. Join me the whole jam, or just for a page or to. If you're interested, reply to this post.


Slightly longer version
No Comfort Jam is a jam where your supposed to step our of your comfort and into an unfamiliar genre, artstyle, displine or what not.

We all spend a lot of time in our comfort zone. It's where we feel secure, where we know our way around. However, when we leave that space we discover new things and learn new skills. Stepping outside your personal boundaries can be very rewarding. And this jam is all about making yourself uncomfortable.

To participate in the No Comfort Jam, each contributor in your team needs to step outside their familiar safe zone along at least one of the following routes, in order of increasing difficulty:

    1. Unfamiliar Content
    2. Unfamiliar Process
    3. Unfamiliar Discipline

Of course, this will make things more difficult than usual jams but that's the point of this one. Here the focus is the process and the things you will learn along the way. It's a great excuse to finally try out that thing you always wanted to, in a limited scope.

My regular way to approach a jam is to spend 90% of the time coding and then possibly cram some graphics into it at the very end. This time I'm taking the 'Unfamiliar Discipline' rout and making an interactive comic. This way I can spend 90% of the time drawing.

But thing is I usually work alone, so to up the stakes a bit more by inviting complete strangers from the interwebz (like you) to join me.

The basic idea is to have a comic that does not have a predefined storyline, but that branches out from a predefined first page. New alternate routes can be added from any page by any artist. The story will evolve organically.

Note: This is 'Unfamiliar Discipline', so I do not expect you have drawn a lot of comics before (but I'm also not excluding you if you happen to be experienced ^.-). I will spend the entire weekend on this, but you do not have to. Every page is appreciated.

If you think this sound interesting, post a reply to this thread. Further instructions will be provided.

[ProgramGamer]

Sure. Are you going to program the base game?

[NoLocality]

I dig the idea Jord', the jam theme is intriguing but your approach especially sounds fun!  I tend to doodle in a "Newspaper comic" sort of way for my games so a few pages shouldn't be a stretch.


Question about the project...would the contributors be aware of the story they are branching off of or would we be tossing you pages with random tidbits of story leaving you to put them in order to make sense out of what you are given?  Edit: re-read your post and saw that contributors could branch off of any page, very nice.

Either way sounds fun tbh but I'm curious what you have in mind.


This would be my 2nd jam (hoo boy did that first one take it's toll lol) and I've never collaborated with anyone ever so this would be a good step out of my comfort zone.

I'd like to lend a hand with this if you'd have me.

[Jordgubben]

Sure. Are you going to program the base game?

I've cheated a bit. What little code is needed is already written.

A small demo can be found here:
http://superattack.se/games/no-comfort-jam-2016/tech-demo/

It is possible to make state dependent transmissions between pages, but I'm hoping be able to avoid needing to code anything beyond the most primitive if/else clauses.

Question about the project...would the contributors be aware of the story they are branching off of or would we be tossing you pages with random tidbits of story leaving you to put them in order to make sense out of what you are given?  Edit: re-read your post and saw that contributors could branch off of any page, very nice.

Your initially misunderstanding is not surprising. I've actually had a lot of problems explaining this idea to non-devs. With programmers it's a bit easier as the whole idea can be abridged to "Like git branches, but a comics".

[Jordgubben]

Oh, and just to be clear. Your both very welcome to join me. I consider it an honnor.

I'll try to cobble up some form of "submission guidelines" (image dimensions, etc.) tomorrow after work.

[NoLocality]

Sounds great.  This reminds me of those "choose your own adventure" paperbacks I loved as a kid.

I'll start checking in on my TIGs account/this thread for instructions and I saw you had an Itchio account from the above thread so if need be you can get ahold of me (also named NoLocality) through Itchio.

FYI I work Friday through Sunday but I'm still in, please understand if I'm a bit hard to get ahold of at certain times.  To be honest though this should be considerably more forgiving than my last jam where I flew solo and the jam took place during my work weekend as well.  It was super intense grinding but it was worth it just to slide through the finish line with a half broken, hastily finished game and a handful of minutes to spare.

It was super worth it though and this should be as well.

Alright, I'll be revving my engines and oiling up my scribbling hand.   

[Jordgubben]

FYI I work Friday through Sunday but I'm still in, please understand if I'm a bit hard to get ahold of at certain times.  To be honest though this should be considerably more forgiving than my last jam where I flew solo and the jam took place during my work weekend as well.  It was super intense grinding but it was worth it just to slide through the finish line with a half broken, hastily finished game and a handful of minutes to spare.

No problem. This is async collaboration. You add a page where you see fit and the rest of the "mob" might do interesting things with it.

Also: The NCJ2016 description page more or less states that it you finish the game in time, the you weren't trying to do something that was hard enough for you.

[Jordgubben]

Submission guidelines
Every page consists of one image, with an alt-text for screen readers.
Dimensions: 1000x600 px
Format: PNG, JPG, GIF
File size: < 250kb

I'll need to know what page it's supposed to follow after and what the selectable option (brown button) should say. I may take liberties with the exact phrasing to make the options stand out from each other more clearly.

Not that I think it will be a problem, but I reserve the right to refuse anything that I find pornographic or xenophobic (my webbhost has rules and I want to make the world a more inclusive place).

Page(s) should be sent to: [email protected]

[ProgramGamer]

How do branching paths work? Do they just extend endlessly or is there a way to make them converge? Where on the screens do the buttons appear? What size of text should we use? How many options per screen?

[NoLocality]

I was wondering how we could actively see who put what branch and where/when/how/etc...?

I suggest we could probably use this thread right here (or maybe start one in dev' logs if you wanna be more official).


example: say I saw a cliff in someones branch then I would post here that I'm making a "Jump off" branch, email you the image and some text so Jord' can edit/implement text as he sees fit.


Like this---

I call jumping off that cliff in that frame!

Button: Jump Off

Text: Rash decisions though ill advised can inspire innovation at a shocking pace.

Then toss up the image so people could see how things are coming...



Thoughts?

[Jordgubben]

How do branching paths work? Do they just extend endlessly or is there a way to make them converge?

The basic version is that every option leads to exactly one page. The pages are in a hashmap and refer to each other by key, so it is possible to let different branches merge back again into the same plot line. A page can also explicitly be an ending page (ie. it will never have any following pages).

Where on the screens do the buttons appear?

The buttons (or "options" as I call them) till appear below the page and to the right. You can see an example in the tech-demo posted above.

How many options per screen?

There is no technical limit to how many options a page can have, but everything above 3 will probably be a bit unwieldy.

A page can also explicitly be an ending page. These pages have no options, since they are endings. The options bos i replaced with a "That's it" heading and a short text encouraging the player to restart the game.

What size of text should we use? How many options per screen?

Just use a clearly readable font size. I'm using 28pt on my originals, but I shrink them from 2000x1200 to 1000x600 before exporting.

[Jordgubben]

I was wondering how we could actively see who put what branch and where/when/how/etc...?

I suggest we could probably use this thread right here (or maybe start one in dev' logs if you wanna be more official).
...
Thoughts?

The thread sound like a good start. I'm thinking of adding a small byline under the pages, with artists handle/nick and possibly a link to personal site (or itch.io profile).

[Jordgubben]

Ok, the first page is up.

Game snapshot is here: http://superattack.se/games/no-comfort-jam-2016/snapshot/

I uploaded a sketch and not a cleaned one because I the rest of you to be able to start drawing. I will clean this one up tomorrow morning (it's sort of late over here).

I would like to take this occation recommend anyone interesting in participating to make at most 1-2 pages before your first page has been integrated. This is to make sure that there are no misunderstandings about how this is going to work.

[NoLocality]

Fun fact: after seeing the first frame I went to untangle the wire-mess I took to work with me to use my pen-tab and found my monitor wire was left at home...  No way to get it till Monday morning.

Well there's my lack of comfort right there  Guess I'm using my mouse for this one.

[ProgramGamer]

Wait, hold on there's an emotional state? Can we use that to make different branching paths?

[NoLocality]

Okay I got my first branch kinda done...


Button: The Mission

I'm sending you a text free image Jord' but this should show what I have in mind.  Edit as needed 

[Jordgubben]

Wait, hold on there's an emotional state? Can we use that to make different branching paths?

Yes. There is some relatively primitive state. Options (the buttons) can both modify state and branch differently on state. Of course there needs to be multiple pages to actually have different things to branch to. 

[NoLocality]

Hey tigs is back up!

I'm gonna put an "ending" branch on the 73yo Tau-Pi (that you ProgramGamer?) to assure at least one short-order ending.  I might be able to swing in another "continuation" frame from the "little freak like you" frame if time allows today.


Question: Were we going for a "clean-up" phase before the final game or are these frames going in "as is"?  If we are cleaning up tell me so I can put in some psuedo-water colors in my frames and get them to you before Sunday evening.

edit-Another Question Did you want me to keep sending you text free frames Jord' or should I start finishing up my frames with text bubbles and such?

edit-edit-

What size of text should we use? How many options per screen?

Just use a clearly readable font size. I'm using 28pt on my originals, but I shrink them from 2000x1200 to 1000x600 before exporting.

Nevermind lol...I'll start sending out texted frames.

[ProgramGamer]

So, do we just take opportunities and branch off of other people's branches too?

[Jordgubben]

Question: Were we going for a "clean-up" phase before the final game or are these frames going in "as is"?  If we are cleaning up tell me so I can put in some psuedo-water colors in my frames and get them to you before Sunday evening.

I prefer to get thing in a "good enough" form. But if you want spice up or correct spelling on any of your already submitted pages that's fine. The first page, that I posted in an unfinished state, was a bit of an exception. I wanted to get it out early so that other artist could start.

edit-Another Question Did you want me to keep sending you text free frames Jord' or should I start finishing up my frames with text bubbles and such?

No, just send the texted ones please. That way it more clear to me what to actually include.

So, do we just take opportunities and branch off of other people's branches too?

I'd put it the other way around. Avoid branching of your own pages if possible. It's more interesting that way.