Announced! (see homepage)

Question: the rules say it is ok to reuse some code, but what about game concept? I submitted a game to a previous jam and liked the results. Based on feedback I've decided to rewrite it for a broader platform base. All the code will be new, none is reused (complete rewrite using a different programming language) but the concept/theme is the same. Is that ok to submit or better to have something new?

"2. Your game is only allowed to contain art assets from OpenGameArt.org, or made by yourself or your friends and/or associates. Using commercial assets that you not have the rights to use is not permitted."

This implies I cannot use assets that are not yet on OGA and that I did not create, but are never-the-less eligible to be submitted to OGA. For example if I found some cc0 assets by another artist on deviantart. The assets are not on OGA, but they could be. Yet they were not created by me or my friends or associates since I do not personally know the deviantart artist. I could not use these assets in the Jam. Is this the correct intent of the rule?

I think this could possibly be joined together with rule #3.
suggested omissions in strikethrough
suggested additions in bold
explanatory notes in italics

3. All newly created art assets used in your game must either already be on OpenGameArt.org or be made available on OpenGameArt.org before or at the end of the jam, provided they fit into any of the art submission categories there. <--I'm not sure this part is necessary. The categories should enforce themselves. This means if you didn't find the assets on OpenGameArt.org, you must have permission to submit them under one of OpenGameArt.org's licenses <--this should make rule #2 unnecessary. Using commercial assets that you do not have the rights to use is not permitted. <--copied from rule #2, because its an important clarification Exceptions are given for game logos, cover arts, banners and other promotional material (but if you want to post them on OGA anyway, no problem ;-)). eh, most logos and promotional art is too specific to be used by any other game, so such assets usually go against the "must be usable by others" rule. I don't recommend people uploading those assets, even if they want to.

Its not my jam, but i would say that creating or using assets that are not currently on OGA would be still OK to use, as long as the assets are made available on OGA before the jam concludes(with permissions of coarse), so they could link back here. For banners, promotional use, i would say that that is there just to not confuse some participants with thinking they had to submit there 'promo' things if they included any in their project to be part of rule for 'ALL Assets'. All game assets must be, but promo,logo's, banner need not be, they are exempt from the rule. :)

"....I could not use these assets in the jam". If they are not available, and permission isn't given to share, then you can't use those assets for your project.

Right. In the example I outline, permission is given by the author, but the author is not me, my friend, or my associate... so rule #2 forbids their use as it is currently written. Thus my suggestion for a revised rule #2/#3 that basically says 'if they're not on OGA already, make sure they're OGA-compatible, then submit them'. I'm probably just being too rules-lawyerish. :/

EDIT: P.S. When I said "I don't recommend people uploading [logos and promotional] assets, even if they want to." I should have said "I don't want people to submit those. They are not useful to anyone but the submitter. Please do not encourage people to submit assets that I will have to remove."

yeah, i see that, and get what you saying, perhaps it could be worded a little better. Hopefully Xom can come back and correct any potential confusion and clear anything up.

@MedicineStorm:

> Question: the rules say it is ok to reuse some code, but what about game concept?

Can't speak for Xom here, but as far as I'm concerned this would be perfectly fine. Most Jam entries (most games really) are derivative of something else, if not outright clones. If you want to revisit an old game concept, I see no reason why that shouldn't work for the jam, provided as you say, you don't 'borrow' too much from the original work.

@all:
Regarding logos, etc. I put an exemption for logos and theme music in the all-OGA jams for two reasons:

1) As MedicineStorm said, logos aren't especially useful on OGA. They aren't particularly re-usable unless you are literally out to re-make some one's game.

2) I was worried people would not want to contribute to the jam if they had to put there logos, themes, etc. up on OGA. I took this from my own thinking. After everything I've learned from art and artist on OGA, I'm more than happy to share back all the sprites and tiles for my games, but there's something about the logo that still feels personal to me. If someone takes the sprites I made for 'Word Dug' and uses them to make their own game that's awesome. They could even make another game about kids digging up letters underground, and that would be fine, cool even, the world needs more games like that! :) But if they took the logo and used that too, well then you have a game out there that's called 'Word Dug' and looks exactly like my creation but has someone else's name on it and as open minded as I try to be, I think that would still bother me. So I figured other developers might feel the same way and pass on the jam if I required them to submit their logos, etc. to OGA in order to participate.

@all:
one more comment, we should really just slap together template language for the jam rules. I know I got my rules by copying chasersgaming's original rule-set and then adding some 'ALL-OGA' language. I like the idea that whoever runs the jam can come up with their own rule set. It certainly encourages to try new and different things with the Jam rules. At the same time, it does seem a bit silly to be re-wording the same basic rules every jam.

Agree with all of it ^^. its all good with me too. :)

The original rules from the first jam(summer jam) was over the top and confusing, During that time it adapted to the feedback received and changed to make more sense and less convoluted. I think most parts of it do work as a template, and its good that it gets copied and pasted, and then other parts added to fit in with the jam theme/conditions based on the host. i would say those parts should be 'added' to meet the hosts needs, and to take care that added rules don't conflict with the 'template' stuff. the rest needn't be changed

IMO i do think basics are covered already, anything else that needs to be explained in more detail could be dealt with via Discord, here, or itch community pages by the host, or jam community.

Obviously MedicineStorm has pointed out something that needs clarifying, so we will have to wait for Xom to respond. :)

If I can add another lament here, it's still too many clicks to get to the list of ideas. Any chance you could add the list of ideas right in the main Game Jam page (at the end maybe?) or post them as a sticky post in the forums?

although the link appears to go directly to the zip file, when I click on it (Firefox browser on Win 10), it takes me to the OGA submission page. From there, I have to download the zip file, unzip it and then open the PDF to finally view the ideas list. I know that's just a handful of mouse clicks, but I think we'd get better participation if the list of ideas was displayed directly on the itch.io page for the Jam.

why use a powerpoint? just edit an image, save the png. Or edit your created game list in power point, save a screen shot, edit it to size, save as png, then load the png's up to itch in a post or project(make the project private), when theres a new idea, create the page, and repeat the step. then link to the project or page. thersno downloaded needed its all there infront of you, easy peasy. Il do it if you want? :)

The list is formatted nicely and works well as a set of slides, so I see why Xom did it that way. The bummer is it makes it hard to view.

The list is 32 pages long so I see why exporting to PNGs might be impractical. Although, I suppose once you get through the initial pain, and all you're doing is /adding/ to the list then it'd be more manageable..

Hi! First of all, this site is great and has been a huge help in the past.

Secondly, I was looking for clarification regarding "You can re-use some old code".

Basically, I've got a small framework for strategy games that I've put together. It's not a game, just a bunch of utilities (an FSM implementation, z-sorted sprites, input handling, etc.). I thought this would be a great opportunity to produce a playable demo, but wanted to make sure that building off of a framework wouldn't be frowned on.

I would say that there is no reason that you cannot 'fork' or 're use' some old/other code to create your project as long as its a 'new project' started on the jams starting date and for the its for the jam itself and not a continuation of a project you are already developing or developed. :)

Thats my understanding and opinion. Maybe wait for @XomAdept to answer to be double sure, but yeah, i think its OK. :)

Thanks for the clarification! I may need to revisit the idea some other time.

As a follow up, is there a Discord channel or some sort of community forum where people collaborate/share progress? Perhaps I missed a link, but it seems like it would fit the site to have a place to show off how folks have used the resources that are here.

Thanks again.

Try this invite mate -
https://discord.gg/U5P988N
see you there!

Super, thanks.

My entry to the OGA Winter Jam 2021.
Not much of a game but its a good start. :)
Thanks to everyone here, and XomAdept for hosting the jam.
Assets used in my game are:
https://opengameart.org/content/8-bit-style-music-loops-pack

https://opengameart.org/content/birds-and-wind-ambient-birds-wind-and-synth

https://opengameart.org/content/shotgun-shoot-reload

https://opengameart.org/content/8-bit-style-music-loops-pack

https://opengameart.org/content/retro-space-bgm

https://opengameart.org/content/helicopter-sounds

https://opengameart.org/content/attack-helicopter-0 (small parts)

https://opengameart.org/content/forest-tiles (some edited)

https://opengameart.org/content/8x8-top-down-character-carrying-torch (modified)

https://opengameart.org/content/spider-flare-sprite-sheets (minor edits)

https://opengameart.org/content/basic-hex-tile-set-16x16 (minor edits)

All games entered here:
https://itch.io/jam/opengameart-winter-game-jam-2021/entries

your right i did, my apologies to @nene, i will sort it when i get a moment. thanks for letting me know. :)

Oh dear, another mess up there, whoops. Sorry, my notes were all over the place and i must of got confused with some things in the rush. :) il update the page info, and update the game when i get the chance. :) again apoligies to Mold.

if the game 'Heavy Loader' hasn't followed the rules then i would reach out to them to correct what needs to be rectified. if they haven't responded in a timely manner then you may have to disqualify them?

+ Congratulation to winner.