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[ChevyRay]

Haha yeah, a couple things about the email made me giggle:

Well, it is 48 hours so we won’t expect the next Dragon Age

Hahaha I hope not. That would make for a pretty crappy 48-hour jam game.

The global game jam encourages interaction and collaboration between people you have not met yet. Teams will be formed after the event starts. In a few cases, people may have reasons to work in teams and I will accommodate that. Picking a team because your friend is on it, is not an exception.

This sounds lame. I don't want to work with somebody that's going to be headstrong (that's MY job!) and actually want to create the next Dragon Age, whereas working with people I know would be more fun, interesting, and productive. I can't think of a reason not to, really.

We have some very cool surprise judges who will review the games.

I have a feeling I'll be unimpressed by this. For starters, who is qualified to judge the games yet isn't taking part in the jam itself!? Oh well it's all about the fun of jammin with folks anyways.

This is provided by IGDA Board Member Thomas Buscaglia, aka The Game Attorney.

Hopefully he won't be there.



Regardless, I don't think the "formality" is going to be that big of a problem Greg. Laurie seems to have worked really hard on arranging this, and it's the first GGJ in Calgary, so we're lucky to get such nice, organized accomodations so I'm grateful either way. Now our job is to rock this out indie-style, and make it worthwhile.

[ChevyRay]

Yeah, people I've never heard of that's sort of what I assumed.

...Except for that "appearing on the news after 48 hours of work" thing... 

Haha a bunch of tired and bedraggled game developers

[CreativeCalgary]

Hey guys, its me Laurie. No worries.. we're going for a fun time. I sent out the big doc.. more just so no one shows up with no laptop or gets lost, or something goes wrong.

Was expecting around 20 and got up to 50 - and first year... yikes.

I hate formal so no chance of that... that's what this is all about - getting people out and build games.. the people coming to "judge" are just for fun (not a contest, saw the idea at other game jams) 

See ya Friday...

[GregWS]

Oh yeah, I've had a change of heart since I posted that.  It should be awesome! (Other than the logistics of getting to and from Calgary, as I might be forced to bus as my parents don't want me driving on the QE2 if it's snowing, and it's supposed to...it is the QE2, so I guess I can understand where they're coming from).

[PsySal]

So I'm probably gonna show up as early as possible. I might even show up a day earlier just so I can hang out and get real psyched. Is anybody else gonna be there early and wants to hang out, or wants to stay for a day later for an after-party or something? Be pretty sweet to hit up a pub or something afterwards; I have to get my bus tickets ahead of time, so just wanna know if it's gonna be worth it to get my return ticket for a day later, if anybody's gonna be hanging around.

I live here and was hoping to hang out something along these lines. So count me in, before or after whatever works best for you.

[PsySal]

We have some very cool surprise judges who will review the games.

I have a feeling I'll be unimpressed by this.

*COUGH*COUGH*COUGH* ('events' has been updated with people I assume are judging.) They, at least, will probably not be disappointed if we don't make the next Dragon Age. 

I think the formality is necessary when you've got so many people, but I doubt it will really be as strict as it sounds. It's mostly for Friday, with the rest of the weekend's schedule basically amounting to "WORK CONSTANTLY!!!"

I do hope teams are a bit more than luck-of-the-draw though, for exactly the reason Chevy mentioned (Except I don't really know anyone there, so I can't answer for that, haha.) I'm sure it will be fun no matter how it turns out though! Psyched.

...Except for that "appearing on the news after 48 hours of work" thing... 

It's slightly funny that we're all talking about Dragon Age II because the most noteworthy developer around here is Bioware up in Edmonton, I can easily see the "surprise judge" being somebody from Bioware. Just sayin'

[GregWS]

Well if you look at one of the Creative Calgary webpages, it outright says that two higher-level Bioware employees will be coming to the Jam to give lectures or something?

Regardless, I've never been much of a fan of Bioware, and the mutual drunken rant about them with Alex May/haowan in London last summer only served to legitimize my feelings towards them.  Those feelings can basically be summarized by "they never innovate on any significant level."  (and that statement applies to most other game companies too...so yeah)

EDIT: and being judged in front of a room full of people after a few days of heavy work, without sleep, is just called "architecture school"; it's nothing special, just google it. 

[Matt Thorson]

Where is everyone sleeping for this? I should probably figure that out soon.

[PsySal]

Matt did you get the info sheet? Anyhow there is a room set up for you to put down a sleeping bag. However... I think I will be going home for a few hours. I'll sleep better there and I don't live very far away (just a quick train ride). The motel village she mentions in other messages is also not very far away by train, it's basically 2 stops from SAIT.

One thing she didn't explain was how the train system here works. Basically it's $2.50 (I think? maybe it went up to $2.75...?) for a ticket, which lets you ride trains/buses for 90 minutes from the time of purchase. Calgary is a bit strange in that it works on an honor system, so nobody checks your ticket-- instead they just do spot checks. This often confuses visitors. Anyhow I highly recommend buying a ticket, not just because it's the honest thing to do (duh) but because there is something like a $500 fine if they spot check you and you don't have it. That would suck!

W00t, this will be like Ludum Dare but in-person. We will all smell really bad by the end, sleep or no sleep, hahaha! Then the TV cameras will show up.

[ChevyRay]

OH MAN 2 DAYS

[GregWS]

Matt did you get the info sheet? Anyhow there is a room set up for you to put down a sleeping bag. However... I think I will be going home for a few hours. I'll sleep better there and I don't live very far away (just a quick train ride). The motel village she mentions in other messages is also not very far away by train, it's basically 2 stops from SAIT.

One thing she didn't explain was how the train system here works. Basically it's $2.50 (I think? maybe it went up to $2.75...?) for a ticket, which lets you ride trains/buses for 90 minutes from the time of purchase. Calgary is a bit strange in that it works on an honor system, so nobody checks your ticket-- instead they just do spot checks. This often confuses visitors. Anyhow I highly recommend buying a ticket, not just because it's the honest thing to do (duh) but because there is something like a $500 fine if they spot check you and you don't have it. That would suck!

W00t, this will be like Ludum Dare but in-person. We will all smell really bad by the end, sleep or no sleep, hahaha! Then the TV cameras will show up.

Edmonton's identical in that regard; so Matt and I are both prepped on that system.  Hahaha, I'm actually working on Edmonton's North LRT expansion at work right now! 

And I'm planning on getting a hotel room.  I just won't be able to sleep very well at the jam, and having done a lot of these things (though not really any game-centric ones) I'm aware just how important those few undisturbed hours of sleep are.

[Matt Thorson]

Edmonton's identical in that regard; so Matt and I are both prepped on that system.  Hahaha, I'm actually working on Edmonton's North LRT expansion at work right now! 

PLEASE TELL ME IT'S GOING WEST

[Matt Thorson]

Oh and Greg or Chevy, want to split the cost of a hotel room with 2 beds?

[Pietepiet]

Sleeping during a Gamejam? What is this madness?

[GregWS]

Edmonton's identical in that regard; so Matt and I are both prepped on that system.  Hahaha, I'm actually working on Edmonton's North LRT expansion at work right now!  

PLEASE TELL ME IT'S GOING WEST

West?  That's my end of town actually; born and raised.  And I don't know if you saw the city council ruling recently, but they did approve the West expansion...though don't expect it for like a decade.  Still, given this is super-cheap Alberta, I'm amazed that city council approved it anyway.  

PM'ing and emailing you about hotel stuff now.  

[imaginationac]

I'm going to this at UGA. First time. Should be awesome.

[PsySal]

Hey if you guys are in town early we can hang out, I'm not doing anything in particular tomorrow, trying not to burn myself out completely (this week has already seen a lot of code pass through these fingaz!)

[Matt Thorson]

Greg and I are driving down together. We'll probably get there around 4 though. I still need to pack!

[GregWS]

So do I! 

(though I think this is the lightest I will have packed ever, and i already pack light; so it's all cool  )

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking of bringing my Korg Kaoscillator; it would be a good way to get some audio very quickly. 

[Matt Thorson]

Yeah I might bring one of my tiny acoustic guitars.  Mostly for just jamming when I'm thinking (which I often do) but also I might use it for music if the game permits.