nestor romeral andres
Spain
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1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Hi, all.
Welcome to the 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest. Winner gets published (EDIT: obviously if we both reach an agreement).
Here are the rules:
1. Deadline is sep-30-2009
2. The game must use FORMAT 1 (see FORMAT 1 technical specifications on the links section of my publisher page).
3. The game must be added to the bgg database. Thumbs up help. Fans help...
4. The game must be added to the 1st NESTORGAMES design contest geeklist: http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/45282.
5. It must be a "german style" game (near abstract, pasted theme, a bit random, but not much,... you know)
6. Rules must be clearly written and uploaded in PDF format (english only) to the bgg page for the game. Nice documentation helps. Images help. Turn examples help. Cool artwork helps.
7. Already existing games in the database are also accepted, but innovative games are greatly appreciated.
8. Plagiarism will be banned.
9. Winner gets published (EDIT: obviously if we both reach an agreement). Some non winners could be published too.
10. NESTORGAMES reserves the rights to change anything about the published game/s. EDIT: This just means that the final product may be different from the original, due to production issues.
11. You can comment the entries in this thread.
12. Ask your questions here. Do not send messages to the NESTORGAMES e-mail about this contest.
13. Not following these rules may result in not considering your game for evaluation.
14. I may change these rules at any moment. EDIT: I mean I can update/add/explain the rules if needed. Like I'm doing right now.
EDIT (08-17-2009)
15. One person can submit more than one game.
16. Of course I'm paying royalties.
EDIT (08-22-2009)
17: You MUST calculate the total weight and show this result clearly somewhere.
Please forgive my english.
Good luck everybody!
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Nick Hayes
United States
Los Angeles
California
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Can a person submit more than one entry?
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Stephen Tavener
United Kingdom
London
England
The overtext below is true.
The overtext above is false.
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Quote: 10. NESTORGAMES reserves the rights to change anything about the published game/s.
This scares me. Can you limit your powers just a little bit.
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Tim Harrison
United States
Cleveland
Ohio
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Are you paying royalties?
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Black Canyon wrote: Can a person submit more than one entry?
Yes.
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
GamesOnTheBrain wrote: Are you paying royalties?
Of course.
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
mrraow wrote: Quote: 10. NESTORGAMES reserves the rights to change anything about the published game/s. This scares me. Can you limit your powers just a little bit.
Don't be scared. It is a short way to say that the final product may differ from the initial design.
But I like to preserve the designer vision and even the graphics, so dont' worry. The more the designer works, the less things I have to do.
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
I guess I'll use what I'm designing here. Except 1 as its not an abstract(melee combat).
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Steven Metzger
United States
Pullman
Washington
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
NESTOR I SHALL WIN.
But that means I need a german-style game, huh. I can come up with perfect-info games so much easier...
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
metzgerism wrote: NESTOR I SHALL WIN.
But that means I need a german-style game, huh. I can come up with perfect-info games so much easier...
Hey, Steven.
As you can see on my website, I love perfect-info games. So please send me your designs (off-contest).
Rule explanation: If your game doesn´t fit in this contest, wait for the next one or submit it to me directly, as I say on the "submissions" section of my website.
Regards.
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Updated rules.
Thank you.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Hi, all.
It seems that I've considered as obvious things that are not so obviuos. As you can see, I've edited those "not so obvious" aspects in the rules. Moreover, my english could sound a bit rude. Fortunately the rules are taking shape fast.
If you find something that is not clear enough please let me know and I'll try to explain it.
Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Nick Hayes
United States
Los Angeles
California
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Nestor,
Your English is nearly perfect. You shouldn't assume it's flawed and constantly feel the need to excuse yourself for it. How long did it take you to learn English so well?
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David Whitcher
United States
Manchester
Michigan
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
mrraow wrote: Quote: 10. NESTORGAMES reserves the rights to change anything about the published game/s. This scares me. Can you limit your powers just a little bit.
Expect this requirement from every publisher. It's normal.
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Black Canyon wrote: Nestor,
Your English is nearly perfect. You shouldn't assume it's flawed and constantly feel the need to excuse yourself for it. How long did it take you to learn English so well?
Thank you, Nick. 
I don't know... A whole life?
BTW: Ich lerne Deutsch!
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Rommer Tuesta-Vilca
Canada
Montreal
Quebec
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Hello,
Well, I have never published or successfully finished designing a game, but I think this a good opportunity to make some ideas come true. :D
Humbly, yet excited,
Romian.
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Patrick Rael
United States
Brunswick
Maine
We see our role as essentially defensive in nature.
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
May I ask some questions?
1. I'm assuming that in the end, yours is the only vote that counts, right?  Or are you planning a vote (perhaps one that only informs your judgment)?
2. You write:
Quote: 2. The game must use FORMAT 1 (see FORMAT 1 technical specifications on the www.nestorgames.com site).
So it's got to be small and squishy?  Or, it has to be capable of mounting on a fabric (board), and have few and simple enough components to fit in the little bag, right?
3. You write:
Quote: 5. It must be a "german style" game (near abstract, pasted theme, a bit random, but not much,... you know)
I'm guessing that there's wide latitude here, right? It sounds like you're *not* looking for a pure abstract, a miniature-crazed dungeon-fest, etc. Is that right?
I guess I'm trying to get a sense of what you're looking to publish. Seems clear that you want to keep costs low, so I'm getting a heavy hint that "less will be more," right? IOW, lots of strategic game play in a small and fairly simple package, right?
Thanks!
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Nick Hayes
United States
Los Angeles
California
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
I think it's safe to assume that if your design is close to the designs Nestor has already made, it will fit the bill. I think he's probably trying to avoid a lot of superlatives, like a bunch of cards, miniatures, player screens, and boards printed on something other than the pad. Ideally, the game will be easy for him to produce with the resources he has available.
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
prael wrote: May I ask some questions?
Sure.
Quote: 1. I'm assuming that in the end, yours is the only vote that counts, right? Or are you planning a vote (perhaps one that only informs your judgment)?
Being the first contest, I preffer to select the game myself. I guess future contest will change this (and there will be a lot of them).
As the games must fit a given format, I cannot allow users to vote for them, because the winner could not fit. And this would be a problem.
This constest will teach me how to deal with multiple submissions, opinions, requeriments,...
On future ones, I will make a selection of finalists that fit, then the users will vote.
Quote: 2. You write: Quote: 2. The game must use FORMAT 1 (see FORMAT 1 technical specifications on the www.nestorgames.com site). So it's got to be small and squishy? Or, it has to be capable of mounting on a fabric (board), and have few and simple enough components to fit in the little bag, right?
It has to fit FORMAT 1 specifications (including maximum weight). FORMAT 1 specs are available on the "submissions" section->FORMAT 1.
Being small and squishy is a consequence of the format itself, not a requeriment.
Quote: 3. You write: Quote: 5. It must be a "german style" game (near abstract, pasted theme, a bit random, but not much,... you know) I'm guessing that there's wide latitude here, right? It sounds like you're *not* looking for a pure abstract, a miniature-crazed dungeon-fest, etc. Is that right?
You're right. This doesn't mean I'm not interested in those type of games. Future contests will cover them.
Quote:
I guess I'm trying to get a sense of what you're looking to publish. Seems clear that you want to keep costs low, so I'm getting a heavy hint that "less will be more," right? IOW, lots of strategic game play in a small and fairly simple package, right?
Correct. "Compactness" in the word. But do not get too short, as the game won't be appealing. There are a few upper limits you can get close to (laser cutting perimeter, size, weight).
EDIT: Push the FORMAT 1 to the limit.
Thank you.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Rommer Tuesta-Vilca
Canada
Montreal
Quebec
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Hello Nestor,
I've just read FORMAT 1 specifications on your website. Maybe I did not get it right, but this means that in order to submit a game for the contest it has to be printed and cut by ourselves? I have a few game ideas, but I could only make them on print and play format. Of course, following your pre-production FORMAT 1 requirements. Would this be ok?
Have a good day,
Romian
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Isaiah Tanenbaum
United States
Brooklyn
New York
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
The one thing that's missing here is judging criteria.
What are the criteria by which you will judge the games? Assuming that two games are equally publishable under your Format 1 specs, how will you choose which is "better"?
Some ideas:
- highly developed, already finished rules
- short rules
- theme
- innovative mechanics
- widely available components
- strategic depth
- strategic simplicity ("gateway game potential")
- prior publishing history on the part of the designer
- access to a regular playtesting group
It's hard, as a designer, to tailor one of my games to fit your needs if I'm not sure what those needs are!
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Romian wrote: Hello Nestor,
I've just read FORMAT 1 specifications on your website. Maybe I did not get it right, but this means that in order to submit a game for the contest it has to be printed and cut by ourselves? I have a few game ideas, but I could only make them on print and play format. Of course, following your pre-production FORMAT 1 requirements. Would this be ok?
Have a good day,
Romian
Hi, Romian. Thank you for asking.
According to the rules, you don't even need a prototype. However, I suggest you to make one for playtesting. In case I ask for prototypes (probably I won't, because I can make them), it will be enough if they are made of paper and standard pieces.
I your game uses laser-cut special shaped pieces, you can draw them, or cut them on paper, or whatever.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
ilta wrote: The one thing that's missing here is judging criteria.
What are the criteria by which you will judge the games? Assuming that two games are equally publishable under your Format 1 specs, how will you choose which is "better"?
Hi, Isaiah. Thank you for your question.
My criteria is very simple. I will act as a gamer looking for a good german-style FORMAT 1 game. The game I would buy is the winner.
Quote:
Some ideas:
- highly developed, already finished rules
Of course. Imperative.
Quote:
- short rules
Not necesary, but the shorter, the better.
Quote:
- theme
Free.
Quote:
- innovative mechanics
An extra point.
Quote:
- widely available components
Not necesary, as soon as it fits FORMAT 1 (see laser-cut pieces).
Quote:
- strategic depth
An extra point.
Quote:
- strategic simplicity ("gateway game potential")
An extra point too.
Quote:
- prior publishing history on the part of the designer
Not required at all.
Quote:
- access to a regular playtesting group
Not required at all.
Quote:
It's hard, as a designer, to tailor one of my games to fit your needs if I'm not sure what those needs are!
It's hard to define my needs, when I'm just looking for a good game 
Just give me the best you can create!
I hope this helps.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Congratulations on your efforts Nestor (looks like you had some fun with it all!),
Couple of quickies...
Can the laser-cut pieces be "doubled-sided". Say, yellow on top, green on the bottom, so when one piece captures another, it's simply flipped over. A potential halving of unit numbers.
Is there any chance a few cardboard squares can be included in the packaging, for the purposes of "placing orders" and claiming opposing terrain. Say an A4 sheet, 1mm thick, full color both sides, sliced into 40x40mm squares, perhaps 20g in weight. I can modify my four-player game to a two-player, but need the ability to place simple orders "off" the playing board.
Regards, Matthew Blain
Melbourne, Australia
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nestor romeral andres
Spain
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Re: 1st NESTORGAMES game design contest.
Matt B wrote: Congratulations on your efforts Nestor (looks like you had some fun with it all!),
Hi, Matt. Thank you!
Quote: Couple of quickies...
Can the laser-cut pieces be "doubled-sided". Say, yellow on top, green on the bottom, so when one piece captures another, it's simply flipped over. A potential halving of unit numbers.
That's a very good question. The pieces cannot be double sided if printed, because of registration problems. However, they can be 2 coloured as long as one of the sides is solid colour with no graphics.
Example: You can use a green acrylic piece with a yellow image on top.
I will explain this in the FORMAT 1 specs on my website.
Quote: Is there any chance a few cardboard squares can be included in the packaging, for the purposes of "placing orders" and claiming opposing terrain. Say an A4 sheet, 1mm thick, full color both sides, sliced into 40x40mm squares, perhaps 20g in weight. I can modify my four-player game to a two-player, but need the ability to place simple orders "off" the playing board.
No. You can't use cardboard. It can be easily damaged inside the case. But you can use acrylic tiles. Far more durable.
Néstor Romeral Andrés
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Posted Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:08 pm
