Secret Santa 2018! (Sign-ups are closed. Sorry.)

Hello, fellow GMCers! It's that time of year again!
What time, you ask?

~ The "GMC Secret Santa 2018" time! ~



GIFT TRACKER PAGE
(See if your gift is ready and download from here on Gift Day.)
Sign-ups are now closed. Sorry.​

I was just wondering if anyone was going to host a Secret Santa for this year? I would do it, but I don't have the time to organize it.
Aw, heck. I'll go ahead and do it. We'll make it work. Here's the rundown....


(The following is copypasta from 2 years ago, mostly. (the last time I hosted) )
Uh, Wut?

"GMC Secret Santa" is an event carried out each year where each participant makes some kind of a gift for a "Secret Pal". Then, by December 23rd all gifts are published for all participants to unwrap! Note, however, that the identity of your Santa will remain hidden - it's 'SECRET' Santa, after all.
(Feel free to check the last discussion topic as a reference for how things were done last year.)

Dude, isn't this getting started kinda late?

Yeah, probably, but there's still time. We just need to move a little faster this year.

How do I sign up?

Well, to sign up, you need to make a post in this topic before the 5th of December, 0:00 GMT saying you want to participate. You may also state your gift preferences in that post, but be careful about being too specific - you wouldn't want to give your secret Santa a headache, now would you?
On December 5th, I will make an announcement in this thread that the sign-up period is closed and I'll randomly assign "Secret Pal's" to "Secret Santa's" using the Alicination Method. Soon afterwards, you should get a message in your GMC inbox with the name of your "Secret Pal" and you can start making their gift.

Making the gift

After your "Secret Pal" is assigned, your Secret Santa present must be made and messaged to my GMC inbox before the 20th of December, 23:59 GMT.
Don't publish it here or PM it to your secret pal; it's supposed to be SECRET.
Do take into account your pal's preferences, but try to be discreet. Use whatever means you can devise to maintain your anonymity and keep your identity a secret from your "Secret Pal" as you research his or her preferences. However, sometimes it may be fun to leave little hints to your identity within your gift. Also, and this should go without saying, the gift you give must not be mean spirited, offensive or even break the GMC rules. Additionally, the gift must not be financial (Steam keys, program licences, cash bribes, etc.).

Examples/ideas of what you could make:

• a new avatar
• banners or promo images for their games
• music or sound effects for their WIP
• "Let's Play" videos of their games
• a simple game (made with GameMaker, naturally)
• a holiday video message
• desktop wallpapers
• your own idea here

Of course, if you have your own idea for a gift, feel free to make it -- these are just examples!

If at some point you find that you can't make the gift after all (due to lack of time or random circumstances such as runaway trains or time travel misfortunes), please message me about it as soon as possible, and at least 5 days before the December 20th deadline! That way I'll have time to assign your secret pal to someone else.
Please be sure that you will be able to follow through with your obligation to create a gift. Reassigning Secret Santa's to Secret Pal's at the last minute doesn't always work out so well, as you might imagine.

The unwrapping!

By December 23rd, I'll gather all the gifts and publish them for your viewing pleasure (except for those that can't be published, for one reason or another). You're free to share your joy in this topic, comment on whichever gifts others posted here, or even try to guess your Santa. Keep in mind, however, that your Santa's identity may never be revealed.

In a nutshell...

• to sign up, write a post here before the 5th of December, 23:59 GMT
• you can state your preferences in the sign-up post, but please, don't be too specific!
• after sign-up is closed, your "Secret Pal" name will be messaged to your GMC inbox; you will then have over two weeks to make the gift! (until the 20th of December, 23:59 GMT)
• once you make the gift, message it to my GMC inbox; don't send it to your secret pal or post it here, it's supposed to be secret!
• all gifts should be virtual, unless you want the expense of air-mailing a teddy bear to your secret pal
• when making the gift, try to think what your pal would want; also, the gift should not be rude, offensive, inappropriate, etc.
• finally, no financial gifts (Steam keys, program licenses etc.)!
• if you can't make your gift, please PM me as soon as possible and at least 5 days before the December 20th deadline, so that I can assign your secret pal to someone else.
• by the 23rd of December all gifts will be published here to unwrap (except for those that can't be shown here); then you may try to guess your Santa if you want

Participants so far (sign-up post link; gift preference)

• @SamSam (post; red-haired beautiful women, no avatar)
• @Bingdom (post; no avatar)
• @Misu (post; no avatar)
• @Cloaked Games (post; something he's never seen before)
• @Micah_DS (post; no preferences)
• @Ninety (post; no .exe files, no avatars)
• @Kyon (post; no avatar)
• @Alice (post; no avatar, no signature)
• @GMWolf (post; no avatar, banners, etc.)
• @chance (post; no preferences)
• @Shadow_Lancer (post; no avatar, no signature)
• @Evan Malinowski (post; if avatar, make it raccoon like current avatar)
• @RollyBug (post; no avatar)

Emergency Santa's

• @HayManMarc
• @SamSam
• @Siolfor the Jackal

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays to you all!

"Island of Misfit Fonts" font can be found here

 

So cool ! I'm in !

To my Secret Santa :
• Please don't give me an avatar because mine is already as good as an avatar can be !
• Here is what I love the most in life : beautiful women.
• Well, obviously it is a bit vague since every woman is beautiful, so here is what I love the most in life among what I love the most in life : red-haired beautiful women ^^ !

 

I was in it last year, so... here I am.

I'd prefer anything but an avatar.

 

I want to become an avatar but this isnt a James Cameron film so Im gonna go for anything but no avatar.

 

I've been on this forum for a long time, but never participated in the Secret Santa. But hey, I think it will be fun so I will.

I'm not an artist of any kind so a lot of those gift suggestions are pretty hard for me, but I'll think of something creative.

For me, see if you can surprise me with something I've never seen before.

 

Participating the last two times was great fun, so I'm in!

I have no preferences, but if my secret santa makes an avatar, I will only use it for a limited time (though I would treasure it always).

 

Sure, I guess I'll participate

Please no .exe files, and please no avatars.

 

Sounds fun!
I also wouldn't like a new avatar haha

 

Thanks for joining, everyone! I think I've added everyone to the list (in the first post). Please check and make sure I didn't miss you.

As with the last time I hosted, I won't be adding myself to the pool (I would know who my Secret Santa would be), but if anyone wants to gift the Secret Santa host, that would be most kind. (No avatars or signature banners, please.)

Also, I'm asking for volunteers to be 'Emergency Secret Santas' in case a participant is unable to fulfill their Secret Santa obligation. These volunteers will need to be able to come up with a gift very quickly on the 23rd.

Hopefully things go smoothly. I'm a bit busy with other life stuff so I'll do my best. Let's have fun and Merry Snowdays, everyone!

 

We gotchu~
Unless someone else really wants to be in charge of this, I'd love to be the host for our host.

Basically, anyone who wants to give a gift to our host (HayManMarc) can PM me their gift within the same deadline, rules, etc. and I'll zip up any and all gifts and deliver at the same time as everyone else's gifts.
I did this once before, and it worked out quite nicely.

I do want to note that I don't think our host would want anyone to give him a gift yet miss their gift for their assigned giftee, so let's make a point to ensure we give our intended gift like a good Secret Santa, and only make something for our host if we have extra time.

I really want to, but I don't want to overextend myself and I feel like I might not be able to make anything aside from some crappy mspaint thing at that point. So the best I can give is a maybe.

 

Yes!! Sign me up!
No avatars, banners, etc. Cheers

 

Thank you so much, @Micah_DS!! Love the banner, btw.
(I should clarify that I WILL be someone's Secret Santa, I just won't be assigned a Secret Santa.)

 

I volunteer to be Emergency Santa's too !

 

Thanks, @SamSam!!

 

I'll sign up - no avatar or signature please =)

 

I'm tempted to sign up and just make avatars for everyone, since almost nobody wants one

 

Sure why not im in,
Just note that if I get a new avatar I ask that its a raccoon like the one I already have

also note im just a poor boy from a poor family so you gift will be made with twigs and freeware

 

One more day left, then I throw all the names into a pot and assign Secret Santas! So exciting!

Edit: Please take another look at the original post and make sure your name is on the list. I'd hate to forget anyone.

 

I've been on the fence about joining as I doubt my gift-making ability. I figure though that by the odds what I add to the pile won't be the worst.

Anything but an avatar please.

 

No worries, @RollyBug. In the GMC's Secret Santa, there's no such thing as a bad gift! It's all about community and fun. Enjoy it!

Secret Santa sign-ups will be open for about 24 more hours as of the posting time of this post. So, get in if yer gettin' in!

 

I guess you can put me downas an emergency Santa if you need another.

 

Excellent! Thanks!

As it turns out, I can't be a Secret Santa after all as there would be more Santas than recipients. (I don't know what I was thinking.) So, I'll make a gift for the whole group. Joy!

 

Still waiting for @HayManMarc to update this...

 

Update: Sign-ups are still open for 3 hours (+).

 

Sign-ups for the GMC's Secret Santa are now closed. I will be PM'ing all the participants the names of their "Secret Pals" shortly.

 

Let the gift making begin!!!

All participants have been notified (by PM) of their Secret Pal!

And remember...

 

Oh awesome, another year, another instance of me only finding this topic the day after it closes.

Best of luck to everyone, and happy gifting!

 

Sorry Cat. I was waiting for someone else to host and when no one did, I went ahead and did it. By then, it was kinda late with only a 6-day sign-up period. Next year we'll get an earlier start.

 

Hello Secret Santas! I hope your little elves are hard at work!

My elves have been busy. They've created the 'Gift Tracker Page' and added the link to this thread's first post. (It looks like this...)

GIFT TRACKER PAGE
(See if your gift is ready and download from here on Gift Day.)

What would we do without our elves? We'd have to fetch our own cocoa, I guess. Yule!

 

They are, tomorrow it's revolution and then back to work !

You rock ! ♥

 

@HayManMarc Is the gift tracker page link intended to be of this page? It is correct in the first post though, just not in your recent post above (maybe that was intended to take you to the first post so you can click on the real link?).

Also, my gift is coming along nicely. Having fun working on it too.

 

Yes, the actual link to the Tracker page is in the first post, and this link ^^ links to the first post. That was intentional. Call me crazy.

 

Gonna be doing sketch work to begin my giftee's gift... ... ... ...

 

Although my English level is very poor, but I am still willing to actively participate in YOYO's various activities, Merry Christmas, I am Santa Claus from China, I hope I will instantly move, and then give you all kinds of Chinese food, put it in your socks, haha.

 

9 days left to turn in your gifts!!

One Secret Santa has turned in their gift so far. I can't say who it was or who the gift is for yet, but I took a peek and it's pretty nice!

But I can't help myself.... Here's my gift to all of you!

Spoiler

Yes, I'm giving it early!

Spoiler

I'm sure they're exactly what you wanted...

Spoiler

Are you ready for this? I don't think you are....

Spoiler

This is it! I present to you....

Spoiler

NEW AVATARS FOR EVERYBODY!!!!
All wrapped up in a nice little group photo.
​

 

Haha yeah ! I love it, thank you so much @HayManMarc ! This is so cool I will have to use it now. ^^

 

@HayManMarc Thats awesome!

 

@HayManMarc hahahah that's so cool, thanks man!

 

@HayManMarc I know you had to go looking to include me in there, so I'll definitely use it =)

 

5 days left to turn in your gifts!!


Secret Santa Update:
I've received 4 secret gifts from Secret Santas for their secret pals through secret PMs, so far. Good job, you 4! Now the rest of you 9 need to get those elves of yours hoppin'. Before you know it, those sleigh bells will start jingling and GMC Secret Santa 2018 Christmas Deadline will be here!!
Also, I've updated the 'Gift Tracker' page to show which gifts are in. No downloads or reveals yet, you'll have to wait for (Christmas_Day - 2) for that. (or earlier if I receive all the gifts before then.)

Lasso the moon! Zuzu's petals! I'm bleedin', Bert! Way to go, Clarence! And Merry Christmas, you wonderful old building and loan!

 

Aaaahhh! 5 days left?

Ok, I'll plan it on the plane tomorrow and prepare it for the next three days.

 

Dont know Ill be able to finish mine unless I do a quick gift in one day. Currently im stuck managing real life stuff so its the reason why I havent done much at all. Ill try my best to send in the gift on the last day.

 

On that note, just a reminder that anyone who wants to give a gift to HayManMarc can PM me their gift before the same deadline as everyone else's gifts.

Even something like a quick little ms paint thing would be awesome, just to say thanks and show appreciation to our host.

 

too late?

 

Here ^^ :

My dear Lucia,
I know you unfortunately haven't been able to sign-up in time, but it is never too late to wish one a happy Christmas.
So allow me to wish you a happy Christmas. Even if it is too early this time.
This will be my humble but sincere gift to you this year,
Hoping you will be able to sign-up next time.

Love,
SamSam

 

Something came up to my mind just now.
For those who missed the sign up ideally could become backup gifters still since the backups are usually making to anyone regardless of knowing who.

Dont know if this is a good idea but if anyone thinks its a good idea, thatd be great

 

If think it's a good idea ! And I am anyone ! So it's great ! Yeah !