2016 Edition
And we’re back…
…and this time, we’re early!
For those familiar with Heart of the OHR, feel free to skip down to the rules for a reminder of what was, and a taste of what will be. For those who are uninitiated, please read the following history lesson. Or don’t. Your choice.
A Brief History as Written in 2010:
Rules:HotOHR 2010 Thread wrote:It seems that as times change, interests start moving in new directions, and the things that first captured our hearts and attention about indie-RPG design had since faded into obscurity.
Toward the end of the ‘90s and the early part of this decade [2000s], RPGs were king, and were incidentally, the only thing the OHR was capable of making. And then, as the decade continued, RPGs became less common, less desired, and soon the rate of releases made on the engine went from a sprint to a crawl.
Then, in about 2006 or 2007, the limits of the OHR began to change, and new life formed. Sidescrollers were now not only possible, but easier to make. Puzzle games, menu-based games, and even street fighting games were beginning to surface in droves throughout the course of three years. And during this time the course of the OHR RPG began to fall. RPGs were released on occasion, but the presence of one became rare, and almost surprising. And even then, the likelihood of it being a joke game was high. No, the integrity of the epic vacation gave way to a cheap day-trip, and by 2009 the nature of the RPG had become nearly absent.
[In June 2010], Surlaw and I were discussing the disappointment of creating huge games, which translates to many, many hours of development time (read: three years or more for some games), that people refuse to play because it requires them to fight random battles (that aren’t titillating 100% of the time), or read text (of any length), or spend more than a few hours of game time in order to finish it. Authors who put the level of time and attention that goes into a quality game, just to have it go unplayed because of an unwillingness to read (for example), are highly disheartened, and certain OHR gems have gone unfinished because the author experiences What’s-the-Point? Syndrome.
This, of course, has contributed to the huge decline of RPGs—and especially in the quality RPGs—in our opinion, and that should be shocking when one considers we’re a community focused on an RPG making engine.
Even James Paige once expressed a slight disappointment in the gradual reduction of games that actually use the default features to, you know, make an RPG.
That is what the OHRRPGCE was made for.
Now, this isn’t to knock the surge in alternative gaming styles. I loved Slimes. The games released for the 2009 8-Bit Contest were brilliant. But look at how many good RPGs came out in 2009. Okedoke, and, um….
It’s hard to say whether the modern RPG is dying or just in a slump, but we’d like to see this giant of yesteryear make at least one more stand in the community. So, I am proposing the “Heart of the OHR Contest,” which is a contest, quite simply, about making the best RPGs we can make with the engine that brought us here in the first place.
-Must be an RPG. This is a zero rule. What categorizes as an RPG can be left open for debate, but at the end of the day it must be an RPG. In 2010, we saw one game stretch the limit of what we considered acceptable (Do You Want to Be a Hero?), and I would argue Silhouette from 2012 pushed the boundaries, as well. In 2014, we basically bent the rule as far as possible with T4R4D1DDL3. For a complete list of the games that made the cut in 2010, 2012, and 2014, consult the following link:
http://rpg.hamsterrepublic.com/ohrrpgce ... of_the_OHR
-NonRPGs not permitted (See Above).
-Joke games not permitted (though funny ones are okay).
-Special scripting is okay (as long as it doesn't turn the RPG into a nonRPG).
-Game must have at least 30 minutes of playtime with a good chunk of that devoted to story (in other words, 30 minutes without level grinding).
-Updates to previous RPGs permitted.
-Updates to previous RPGs need at least 30 minutes of new content to be eligible. Changing a textbox to an old two-hour game and re-releasing it doesn’t make it eligible.
-If you are posting a rereleased game for the contest, you must provide either a readme (or some document) discussing where the new content starts (if it's a continuation) or what the new content is (if it's integrated into earlier previously released sections), or you must supply a save file that begins the game just before the new content kicks in. If you fail to do this, your game will not be entered into the contest.
Note: I prefer the former since it's clearer what's new and discourages players from beginning your game halfway into the story.
Important Note: Historically, players are really bad about investigating new content and often replay the old stuff and vote on that without ever seeing the new content. This really skews the results at the end of the contest. This is especially true of long games. If you are submitting a rerelease and you care about doing well, please, please, please be abundantly clear about what’s new and give your players every possible incentive to play to the new stuff. This means improving the first 30 minutes of the game if necessary. This means making the whole game as fun and amazing as possible. Don’t turn your players off early or they may never get to the new content. Remember, just because you provide a save point or obvious information about where the new stuff begins and ends doesn’t mean your players will use it. If they end up just voting on the same stuff they played five years ago, your points may not count. Think about the whole game.
-Fan games and parodies discouraged, but not forbidden. Original stories preferred.
New Rule for 2016: As the only exception to the must-be-an-RPG rule, you may alternatively release a game that’s “in the spirit of 1999” and still be eligible for entry. This means that you may emulate the kind of game that was made for the OHR between 1998 and 2000. This rule was made possible by T4R4D1DDL3, so consult that game to see this rule in action.
RPG Release Categories:
In 2010 every entry was lumped into the same category and judged under the same conditions regardless of originality versus the rereleased. In 2012 they were divided into three categories: Original, Rereleased, and OHR Legends. In 2014, they were separate categories, but shared the same vote. We will be continuing this trend in 2016.
Original and Rereleased Games:
Original games are the games that have never been publicly released prior to March 1, 2016. These are the easiest to judge since the ground is fresh. We had eight original entries in 2010, including the Game of the Year winner, Motrya, 13 in 2012, and nine in 2014.
Note: These games just need to come with a Coke and a smile.
Rereleased games have been unleashed on the community before March 1, 2016, and are making a second life appearance in the Heart of the OHR Contest. Any original game that was released for the 2010, 2012, or 2014 contests will automatically default to this category if reentered for 2016. In 2010, we had four rereleased games; in 2012, we had three. In 2014, we had one.
Note: These games must include documents or save files that inform the player where the new content can be found. See the rules above for more information.
OHR Legends:
This special category is reserved for the games that have been submitted as rereleases in previous Heart of the OHR contests and resubmitted this year as “legendary” contestants. There are nine games eligible for Level 1 Legend status and two (Vikings of Midgard and Okedoke) eligible for Level 2 Legend status. In addition to a potential win, these games also get a “level badge.”
Release Dates:
Unlike traditional contests, “Heart of the OHR” will not require a start time or an end time per se. Rather, this will adopt the “release window” technique made popular with Game-a-thon, in that any RPG released within the window is eligible (provided it meets the above standards).
Window begins March 1st and ends July 31sh.
I will allow a two-week grace period for bug-fixing (Note: this grace period is not reserved for adding new content, unless that new content is required to fix a bug or to tie a loose thread). Entries must be ready for voting by August 15th.
All deadlines will expire at 6am EST the following day.
Voting:
Voting will run from August 16 - September 30. That gives you a whole month and a half to play those games! Make it count.
Note that I will not close voting until I have a minimum of 10 votes, so if the deadline comes and goes and I have fewer than that, voting will remain open until the minimum is met. I want all contestants to have a fair playthrough and comment/critique/score for their games.
The way we handle votes will be the same as in the 2014 contest.
For full details on how it was before 2014, consult the following post:
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 1778#71778
How Voting Works-
Five-point Average: Any game that falls short of the peak vote target range will receive however many fives it takes to reach the two-thirds margin.
Peak Vote Target Range: Identifies the game with the most number of votes and uses its vote count as the determinate for the contest average.
Two-thirds Vote System: Caps the required voting minimum at two-thirds the value of the peak target. Any game meeting this minimum cap will not receive additional fives to pad its average.
Prizes:
Note: New Prizes for 2016.
Because RPGs are harder to come by these days (especially in contests), I thought it’s only fair to combat the odds with prizes that don’t suck. Therefore, various members of the community have agreed to give special bonuses to entrants and the winner.*
Anyone out there can add to the prize pot if he or she has something to offer, so feel free to help make this into a treasure trove of winnings if you want to, and if you have the resources for it.
Specifically I'd like to see:
-cash prizes
-fan art
-theme song about the winning game(s)
-gifted games
-etc.
You may view talked about prizes or add to the prize pot discussion here:
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6840
I’ll update the prize list here as new prizes are offered. New prizes can be added until the end of the contest.
Potential community offered prizes include:
-OHR mousepad for winner (courtesy RedMaverickZero).
-An official spoonweaver coffee mug™ and some buttons and magnets to the winner and maybe buttons and magnets to second place Spoonweaver’s personal pick (courtesy Spoonweaver).
-$20 to the first place winner and $5 to the second place winner (courtesy Bob the Hamster)
-Another $20 to the first place winner and $5 to the second place winner (courtesy Willy Elektrix)
-An Amazon gift card or a Steam/GOG/etc. game worth ≤$20 to first prize, ≤$10 to second, and ≤$5 to third. (courtesy Foxley).
-The best Original Sound Track (OST) will win a presentation of its tracks on a recently made Cymascope. (courtesy Matokage). Note: This is a subjective win determined by the prize holder.
-Free coupon for a copy of Superheroes Anonymous: A Modern-day Fantasy, Year Two, ebook version (valued at $4.95), plus one additional priced ebook from my personal bibliography, redeemable at Smashwords, for all entries, plus one additional priced ebook for third and second place winners, and my entire 2015-2016 catalog for the first place winner. (Courtesy Pepsi Ranger). Note: This prize can be redeemed at the end of the year for a greater range of choices.
Note: This list will remain open to new prize additions from now until August 15th. I will update this list as I get new volunteers.
Special Prize for OHR Legends releases:
Any game categorized as an OHR Legends release will receive a special trophy classifying it as such. This is strictly a prestige award, but it will remind future players of the game's longevity. This trophy will receive "levels" each time it's awarded to a specific game. OHR Legends releases should still meet the 30 minutes of additional game time rule to be eligible for the trophy.
Note: Until I get someone to draw the trophy and Mogri to provide a location for it on the game’s dedicated page, this trophy will be in spirit only. I know, lame. We’re working on it!
So, as you can see, it would be crazy not to join and make something for the Heart of the OHR Contest, so take the chance.
*Because prizes are awarded by members of the community, and because community members come and go like the wind, all prizes are subject to change.
Note: Due to a backup from past contests, James Paige will *not* be doing bug bounties this year.
Tips:
Release the best game you’re capable of making. The community doesn’t want to see or play throwaway titles anymore. Do your best to make a quality game. While you shouldn’t be intimidated by this, you still need to be aware that games like Wandering Hamster and Motrya are just as capable of making an appearance during the contest window as any game, so make it your best if you want the winning prizes.
Have fun. Please use this thread to announce your RPG releases starting on March 1st. And I’d appreciate it if this thread were stickied until the end of the year. Thanks.
I will update this thread periodically as new information comes. Good luck, everyone.
Edit 8/16/16:
The Games:
Contest is closed. Here are the games. Let me know if I'm missing any.
Officially:
The Successor's Legacy (Demo)
by Mammothstuds
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=121526
Dragon Chaser
by DragonChaserKev
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=121794
Quodia
by Froginator
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=120432
Grapnes 2: Kepnalcide
by Taco Bot
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=123825
Sour City
by Phil
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=123830
You Need a Hero
by Idontknow
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=123860
Labyrinthilium
by Pheonix
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=124084
Bale
by guo
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=124082
Dark Planet
by Ichiro
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?p=123959 (gamelist file)
https://gitlab.com/lunarlabs/darkplanet (most recent file)
Surfasaurus
by RedMaverickZero
http://redtrianglegames.com/surfasaurus.html
Unofficially:
Note, these games were released during the contest window and satisfy the core RPG requirement, but have not been officially entered into the Heart of the OHR by the games' creators. I'm listing them here for reference. They can be voted on, but the authors must approve their entries for them to take any prizes.
Fruity Quest
by DarkLordCale
http://www.castleparadox.com/gamelist-d ... p?game=764
Note: This can be found on Castle Paradox, and is really, truly old school. It also seems short. And offensive.
Again, if there are any other games that should be on this list that aren't, please let me know as soon as possible.