SDM STAGE WARS: MUGEN is HELL

[DGJ]

Super Deluxe MUGEN presents STAGE WARS!  STAGE WARS is a competition focused on making stages (whoa) for the M.U.G.E.N fighting game engine.  This isn't about just any stage, though.  The theme of this contest will be stages converted for M.U.G.E.N from non-fighting games.  Platformers, RPGs, dating sims... NES, Sega Genesis, PS1... anything non-fighting game is fair game!

Entries will be judged by myself, the Prince of Chile Titiln, and RandomSelect's 2006 Newcomer of the Year (aka The Award KFM Probably Regrets Giving Out) Jango!  While the exact scoring system hasn't been finalized yet, you can assume it's going to be based on if the stage is "good" or not.  The main points we will be focusing on are if the stage is well-made (i.e. no noticable visual errors) and the amount of creativity the stage shows.  (I'll make another post later about the kind of things you should strive for/try to avoid doing.)  Anyway, now for some rules:

-ALL E-MAIL SHOULD BE SENT TO STAGEWARS(at)GMAIL(dot)COM
This includes any registrations or entry submissions or questions/comments.  I get so much junk e-mail in my main e-mail address that I usually delete anything from people I don't recognize.
-Stages must be from a non-fighting game.
Platform doesn't matter.
-Entry deadline is March 11th, 2007.
It's not necessary to register ahead of time, but it would help me.  Just post here, or send me a PM or an e-mail if you'd rather keep your entry under wraps.
-Include a screenshot of the original game and a readme with your entry.
-Stages must be a personal effort.
Sprites and BGM are exempt for obvious reasons, but the rest must be done by yourself and represent your own ideas.  This isn't because I'm some kind of creators' rights retard, but simply because this is supposed to be a judging of your own ability.
-Only one entry per person.
-Stages must run in Windows M.U.G.E.N.
If we can't run it in Windows M.U.G.E.N without changing anything, we're not going to bother judging it.

I might've forgotten to mention something in the rules, so if you have any questions at all just post in this thread and I'll address them.  I'd also just like to get this out of the way right now:  I posted a little earlier that I was ending my involvement with M.U.G.E.N, but Jango was really excited about this and since other users expressed interest I decided to go ahead with this anyway.  Please don't make me regret it.  This is a contest about having fun and making cool stuff, so don't drag any of that bullshit about "community ethics" into here because it will not fly and chances are you're wrong anyways.  Save yourself the public embarassment and everyone else the headache.  With that unfortunately necessity aside, I really look forward to the stuff you guys will be making.  Good luck!

*DGJ gabs his gun and runs out of the trench screaming~!
Oh, and thanks to Titiln for the logo.

[DGJ]

Some stuff about how stage releases and such will be handled:

The way contests like this usually go down in the Stepmania community (this contest is modeled after the idea of a stepfile contest) is that everyone submits their file to the people running it, and then those people release a download pack of all the files for the contest.  However, I don't think this is such a good idea for the MUGEN community given how silly people can be sometimes so I've been thinking of other options.

First, for submitting files.  I'd prefer that the file you want to be judged be e-mailed to me.  The problem with downloading off a site is that we have to worry about the file being changed and then not everyone is playing with the same file.  If you're worried you might have to make changes before the March 11th deadline, that's alright.  Even if you e-mail me your stage now I won't judge it or give it to the other judges until after the 11th, so you can send me as many updates as you need to.

As for releasing your stage for everyone else to see (because playing all the different files is part of the fun of contests and people love writing their own reviews), there are two options.  You can either upload the stage onto your own space, or I can temporarily host it for you on a page that I'll be setting up for STAGE WARS soon.  If you want to be hosted, make sure you specify that in the entry e-mail, and if you're hosting it yourself then make sure to give me a link that I can add to the page.  Also, if you upload the stage onto your own space, please try to keep from updating it from the version that you send to be judged.  I personally know how irritating it can be to have something busted with your name on it floating around (See: Tournamix 5), but it will help avoid any instances of one of us saying "Well I didn't like such-and-such a thing" and people calling BS because their version doesn't have that same thing in it.

So anyway, hope that works for everyone.  If you have any questions or comments, post/e-mail/PM away.

[P.o.t.S.]

If you have any questions or comments, post/e-mail/PM away.

does the mail need any special format or anything?

[Jango]

-Include a screenshot of the original game and a readme with your entry.

That's pretty much it actually.

EDIT: Oh yeah and post about it in the Entries thread