The Gathering 2007 Still Puzzled?

Failure to comply with the rules listed below will most likely lead to disqualification. And we don't want that, do we? Also, the democrew reserves the right to disqualify any contribution for other, unlisted reasons. Don't try to cheat. We will find out. :)

Compos:

Demo
Intro
Music
Graphics
Wild
Useless utility
Game development
Spreadshirt shop competition


Common rules:

• We do not allow previously released material to be entered into any of our competitions.
• Your entry/entries should be handed in via the party system, or personally at the democrew room. (If you hand in your contribution personally, it must still be registered by you in the party system.).
• No copyrighted material (that you don't have the copyrights to yourself) can be used.
• We will specifically not disallow any entries from the TG crew, as there are a lot of creative and skilled people there.
• All voting (except for UU) is done by the audience anyhow :-)
• All entries handed in (and not disqualified) will be considered released. The Gathering reserves the right to distribute all submitted entries - disqualified or not.
• If the rules aren't followed and the demo crew is not able to contact the contestant(s), demo crew reserves the right to modify the entries so that the entry complies with the rules. The alternative is disqualification.
• All sizes refer to the unpacked files, not the archive!
• Demo crew reserves the right to update minor details in the rules without notice.

Read and follow the rules!!
If you hand in an entry, you have automagically accepted the rules.

Demo:

Common Rules:


• Allowed platforms are: Amiga, Windows (Win2000/XP/Vista), .NET, Linux (x86), Java and Mac OS X. For more details, check each platform section.
• Maximum showing time is 8 minutes, but your demo should be extremely interesting to justify being that long ;-)
• Any libraries not listed in the rules must be supplied in the demo archive, and will count towards your demo size.
• Please try to remember the golden rules of making demos for parties: Try not to make it too boring, try not to make it too dark (since it will not look good on the big screen).
• Special exception for the 64k intro compo: You are not allowed to use the module player/sound decompression facilities of SDL. Link statically to minifmod or write a proper softsynth.
• If we, for some reason or another need to contact you regarding your production, please supply the following info in the archive:
• Point of contact within the group. (phone or email)
• Any special needs for the production. You will, however, need to fix such "partyversions" within two weeks or disqualification will be the only way.
• Any other info you feel that the democrew should be aware of. We want to show your production in the best way, and this is a vital point in making that even remotely possible.
• Feel free to make a "bigscreen" mode in your demo. Keep in mind that projectors have a lower level of contrast and are thus quite a bit darker.
• The projector for the bigscreen can usually only handle default *vga resolutions. That is: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768. Stick to them. It is not recommended to change resolution during the demo.
• Your demo/intro shall not write anything to the disk.

Demo

Common rules

• Allowed platforms are Win32, Linux, Mac and Amiga (see below).
• The same machine will be used for Linux and Windows platforms, with the same recording equipment. If you release a cross-platform demo, please make a crew.txt file stating which platform you want us to record the demo to run under. See the sections below for platform specific information.
• Maximum size in unarchived state is 20MB (20971520 bytes). Directories are not counted towards the final size for the Macintosh entries.
• The user has to be able to exit at any time by pressing ESC or by pressing left mouse button (Amiga only).
• For hardware accelerated contributions, you are allowed to use either Direct3D or OpenGL (or both, if you're really weird).
• Try not to restrict your demo to hardware from a specific vendor (that is, instruction sets that aren't widely available on people's CPUs today, weird OpenGL extensions, etc.). Note that you may still utilize things like custom OpenGL extensions if you detect them at runtime, but your demo should not depend on them to run.

Demo, Windows

• Hand in your contribution as a single .zip or .rar archive.
• Vanilla WinXP, with the latest DirectX and video/sound card drivers installed.
• The compo machines will have .NET Framework 3.0 installed. There will be both a Windows XP and Vista machine available.
• Latest drivers for the 3D cards.

Demo, Java

• Hand in your contribution as a single .zip file, .rar file or tar.gz/bz2 file.
• The demo must run under J2SE 1.5. You may use Java 3D 1.5.0, 1.4.0, or 1.3.2.
• Include instructions on how to start your demo.
• Java demos must be multiplatform and will be tested on Windows and Mac OS X. They will be run on the Windows compo machine during the compos.



Demo, Linux

• The machine will run Debian testing (latest version as of sometime in the party) with the latest Linux 2.6.x kernel (ie. hand in your entry as a .tar.gz, .tar.bz2 or .zip file via the party system (no RPMs etc.)).
• In case of a GeForce card: We'll use the latest OpenGL and display drivers from nVidia. In case of an ATI Radeon: We'll use the latest standard drivers for ATI. In other words, don't rely on proprietary OpenGL extensions to make your demo run, stick to ARB and EXT ones. Dynamic linking to libGL.so is recommended, since at least nVidia doesn't use DRI.
• You may freely link dynamically to the following libraries in addition to system libraries (that is, libc/libm, libpthread, and in general everything that's included with a base Debian install): Xlib (with DGA2), SDL, OpenPTC, OpenGL (including libGLU), GLUT, libvorbis (including libvorbisfile and libogg), libpng, libjpeg, zlib, bz2lib. None of these will be counted towards your size, which could be rather important in the 64k intro compo. We recommend that you link in everything else statically, or at least include the library with your entry.
• No direct sound access. Use of OSS, ALSA or ESD is allowed.
• Source is welcome, but of course not a requirement. Bring your sources with you, though, in case you need to recompile or fix something.



Demo, Mac

• If you don't deliver the demo in Universal Binary, please specify if the demo is written for PowerPC or Intel processors. We will provide both types of processors for running your demos.
• Hand in your demo as .tar.gz or .dmg file.
• The compo machine will run the latest version of MacOS X (version 10.4.x).
• If your demo relies on libraries or frameworks not included with MacOS X, you will have to link statically, or at least include the needed libs.
• If your demo is not packaged as an .app launchable from the Finder, please include instructions as to how to run the demo.



Demo, Amiga

• All entries should be handed in as single .lha or .lzx files.
• -The user must be able to quit the demo at any time by pressing the left mouse button.
• All contributions must feature UAE support. If yours doesn't have UAE support, you'll have to provide your own Amiga.
• All contributions must run after setpatch, and may utilize the APIs installed.

64k Intro

• You may contribute with either Amiga, Mac, Java, Win32, .NET or Linux intro. We will of course clearly state the platform prior to showing each intro.
• Max size for the 64k intro is 65536 bytes. Directories are not counted towards the final size for the Macintosh entries.
• Apart from the altered size limit, all rules from the normal demo compo apply.

Fast-Intro

• You may contribute with either Amiga, Mac, Win32, .NET, Java or Linux intro. We will of course clearly state the platform prior to showing each intro.
• We will announce a theme for the intro, and maybe some other requirements.
• You will have 8 hours to complete your intro. Really. No. We won't stretch the deadline.
• Apart from the theme and time limits, all rules from the normal demo compo apply.

Compo Machines

• PC Compo Machine: Intel Pentium D 3 GHz ATI X1900XTX 512 MB RAM 2 GB RAM
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13GHz nVidia GeForce 8800GTXI 756 MB RAM 2 GB RAM
• Mac Compo Machine: Dual Intel Xeon 3 GHz ATI XP1900 XT 512 MB RAM 2GB RAM

Music:

Common rules:

• Max length: 4 minutes
• One entry per competitor in each of the subcompos.
• No remixes of tunes you did/didn't make yourself. Read: NO remixes!
• All genres are welcome, and will be treated equally.

Reason Fast Music:

• An .rns-file containg samples will be released at the party.
• You may use any available versions of Reason up to 3.0.x
• No samples may be added to the .rns-file.
• You may NOT use the "Copy device" function
• No samples may be removed from the .rns-file.
• No samples may be edited (the demo crew will replace all the samples within the entries with the original samples to prevent cheating).
• Allowed devices: Everything EXCEPT NN-XT Advanced Sampler, SubTractor Analog Synthesizer, Dr.REX Loop Player and Redrum Drum Computer. You are allowed to use the filter section of the Malström Graintable Synthesizer, but you are not allowed to use the synth as a sound source. In short: You may only use the NN-19 sampler as sound source.
• Contributions are to be submitted in the .rns-format (not .rps/.mp3/.wav/.aif/.ogg).
• From release of the .rns-file containing the samples, you will have 5 hours to finish your masterpiece.

High quality music:

• Allowed file formats:
• Ogg Vorbis (preferred), 128-320 kbps (-q 7 equals about 224kbps at VBR, VBR is heavily recommended).
• MP3, 128-320 kbps, but >192kbps and a good encoder (ie. no BladeEnc or Xing, please) is heavily recommended.
• The use of non-creative "tools" like eJay will not be allowed. Don't even try.
• We will limit the finale to 10-15 entries. The selection will mostly be based on originality and production quality.

Graphics:

Common rules:

• Only one entry per artist in each of the compos.
• All pictures will be scaled to 1024x768. By doing it yourself, you will ensure the best scaling possible for your picture.
• Pictures with statements (e.g. "Democrew sucks", "partyticket.net stinks", or any other form of religious or political messages) will be disqualified.
• No text in the pictures, unless it is part of a texture, or is a part of the pictures in a logical way, and can be argumented for to be as such.
• All entries should be handed in as a .zip or .rar file, containing the following:
• Two versions of the picture, one compo version, with no signature, and one with a signature that will be released after the voting is over.
• At least three in-progress pictures, showing the workflow, in the case of rendered, screenshots of the software and mesh is accepted. (These don't have to be as big as 1024x768.)
• Files should be named in the following way:
• Signed-version: Title-Yourname.png
• Unsigned-version: Title-unsigned.png
• WIP-pictures (Work In Progress): Title-WIP-xx.jpg, where xx is the number in the progress.
• File formats should preferably be PNG for compo/release versions, and JPG for WIP-files.
• No norwegian characters in filenames.

Freestyle Graphics:

• All types of images are allowed as long the computer has been one of the main tools for making it. Just taking a snapshot with a camera and adjusting the colors in Photoshop simply isn't good enough.
• The motif should be an original one (e.g. we don't want to see a new version of "Scream", or the self portrait of Odd Nerdrum)

Themed Graphics:

• The same rules as Freestyle Graphics apply, except that the image has to include at least two of the following themes: Cube, leaf and spring.

Capture the spirit of The Gathering:

• Take a picture you think shows what The Gathering is all about.
• Use your imagination.
• Use anything that can take a picture. The feel is important. The equipment used is not. Use an expensive camera or a cheap cell phone camera. We don't care as long as the picture is good :-)
• Only photos will be accepted, not renders or pixels.
• Keep post production to a minimum.
• The pictures has to be taken from a place available to The Gathering's attendants.
• Pictures of illegal activities will be disqualified. Both The Gathering policies and Norwegian law applies.
• Only one entry per artist.
• No screenshots will be allowed. Pictures with computer screens on them will obviously be allowed, but only if the image on the screen is not the main purpose of the picture.



Wild:

• You may contribute with mostly anything here... As long as it's playable on the big screen.
• Max running time 8 minutes. (keep it short, 8 minutes is _long_).
• No unmotivated nudity, please. We will decide what is motivated or not.
• If we get too many contributions, we reserve the right to make a selection. We will most likely pick a cool movie full of impressive CGI before a video of some idiots running around in the woods. You may of course contribute with "plain" movies, but please don't make them too boring or stupid. You're only hurting yourselves!
• Speaking of hurting yourselves; NO JACKASS IMITATIONS. If you like being injured, fine. Just don't make us watch it.
• No CS-demos or other game demos. We are not really interested in how many frags you are capable of per second.
• Allowed file formats are MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX(5.x) H.264, and XviD.
• CDs and DVDs will be kept for our own, personal enjoyment. So there!
• Videos consisting of grabs from games are allowed, on the condition that it's not just another dull game video. We, the Demo crew, have absolute power of removal, and we are *not* gamers.
• If recording video with a camcorder, please make an effort to improve the sound quality. Unclear dialog is annoying and becomes difficult to pay attention to.



Useless utility:

• Make something totally useless; you know the drill. Surprise us.
• Yes, we're talking about a program, not a 3 day old banana or things like that.
• Destructive programs aren't useless; they're annoying.
• No PHP, thank you very much.
• If your program isn't made for Linux, Win32 or Mac, you will have to bring your computer and show us the program in action (or not, as it may be).

Game development:

• Platforms allowed:
• Windows (DirectX, OpenGL or regular Win32)
• Linux (OpenGL, SDL, X11, console)
• Java, including J2ME/MIDP (specify version)
• Symbian Series 60 mobile phones
• Macromedia Flash/Shockwave (either web or standalone windows executable).
• The author(s) will have to demonstrate their games on the bigscreen. The audience will then have at least 24 hours to try out the games and vote.
• If your game is for a mobile phone, please bring your phone to the party for demonstrating your game.
• Some guidelines:
• Try to make the game as fun as possible.
• If the game got a scoring system, include a hiscore list.
• If you have an online hiscore list, make it difficult to submit fake scores (use checksums or something).
• If possible, include a multiplayer feature. (Hotseat or network)
• Mobile games should work on as many devices as possible. Try to avoid using device-specific classes for J2ME games, or include fallbacks. Keep JAR size and runtime memory constraints in mind.

Spreadshirt shop competition:

• Open your own Spreadshirt shop on spreadshirt.no
• In order to register for the competition, we need to know the email address you used for signing up. You can either visit us at the Spreadshirt booth or send an email to gathering at spreadshirt dot no
• Every registered participant will immediately get a free one year premium shop upgrade. This normally costs 800 NOK
• We will also provide you with an information sheet including tips and guidelines about how to create a nice Spreadshirt shop
• The competition will last from Wednesday 09:00 until Friday 21:00. Note that the deadline for uploading vector designs to the shops is Friday 19:00
• Submit up to 3 screenshots that represent your shop before the deadline of the competition to gathering at spreadshirt dot no
• The fit between your overall concept idea, the look & feel of the shop, and your product designs will be evaluated. Be creative and original! The community decides!!
• Shops that do not pass our “minimum effort” requirement, use licensed material or are rated as offensive will be disqualified. Disqualified entries lose their premium status.