Hi Everyone. Thank you for making the GMC Jam 40, the 10 year anniversary jam, such a special event. I really wanted to do something big and exciting and you all helped really pull it off - and now it's time for me to pass the hosting baton to somebody else! I've been hosting the jam for the last 2 years now, and already had a year-long stint doing it on the old forums, and I think somebody else deserves a chance to deliver the jam with their own personal touch. Big thanks to those who have helped me to host in various ways over the last couple of years, especially @Alice and @Nocturne.
The GMC Jam is obviously a community event, run by the community for the community, so you should all get a say in who the next host will be - which is why I am posting this topic here in plenty of time for the next jam. (I would've left a longer buffer after the end of 40... but the next jam could creep up very quickly!)
Assuming that the format of the jam stays broadly the same, I have written up a list of the general actions/responsibilities that host(s) need to be aware of. That said, a new host (and the community at large) could take this opportunity to change the rules if they wanted to:
Information
Jams are hosted once every 3 months for 96 hours, although the workload basically amounts to doing some kind of low-level background work for 7 out of every 12 weeks (5 before the jam, 2 after).
At the current rate, GMC Jam 41 Should Be Held: Thurs 27th May - Mon 31st May 2021
(and therefore discussion topic starts around April 29th).
It's not quite as much work as it may seem when I write out the rather daunting checklist in full. Jam 40 aside, which was a special case, most of the jams I have run over the last 2 years have been quite easy and taken up very little of my spare time. Things like checking back on the GMC to post clues / respond to questions only takes a few minutes every couple of days.
I hope a few members will step forward and take this fantastic opportunity to get more involved in the jam!
All the best
Dan
The GMC Jam is obviously a community event, run by the community for the community, so you should all get a say in who the next host will be - which is why I am posting this topic here in plenty of time for the next jam. (I would've left a longer buffer after the end of 40... but the next jam could creep up very quickly!)
Assuming that the format of the jam stays broadly the same, I have written up a list of the general actions/responsibilities that host(s) need to be aware of. That said, a new host (and the community at large) could take this opportunity to change the rules if they wanted to:
Information
Jams are hosted once every 3 months for 96 hours, although the workload basically amounts to doing some kind of low-level background work for 7 out of every 12 weeks (5 before the jam, 2 after).
At the current rate, GMC Jam 41 Should Be Held: Thurs 27th May - Mon 31st May 2021
(and therefore discussion topic starts around April 29th).
- 5 Weeks+ Before Jam Start
- Get the winner of the previous jam to pick the theme and send it to you via PM.
- 4 Weeks Before Jam Start
- Create logos & forum signatures for the jam (and any other materials you may need)
- Open the discussion topic (usually by copying an old one and changing just the relevant dates / information) - https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/the-cosy-gmc-jam-39-discussion-topic.80459/
- For the next 4 weeks, keep checking back on the GMC occasionally for questions in your PM inbox / in the discussion topic that people may need answered, or offers of community prizes, and update the discussion topic accordingly.
- Build hype by posting about the jam on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Discord and the GMC.
- Reveal theme clues.
- Jam Start Day
- Reveal the theme and open the Games Topic (usually by copying an old one and changing the relevant information) - https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/the-gmc-jam-39-games-topic-enter-here.81247/
- Keep an eye on the GMC / Jam communication channels every now and then in case anyone asks for help during the jam
- Committing to making your own jam entry will help to focus your time on the jam for the full weekend, but isnât necessary
- Jam End Day
- Close the Games Topic when the deadline is reached (although you may want to give an hour or two leeway for people who donât understand time zones. It always happens).
- Open the Voting Topic (usually by copying an old one and updating the information) - https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/gmc-jam-39-voting-topic-closes-dec-18th.81381/
- Download all of the games and put them into a zip with the jam randomiser. Make sure that they all at least launch. GML errors are not your problem though.
- Be available during the voting period for questions / help.
- Voting Period End Day
- Close the voting topic
- Tally all of the votes
- Make badges / signatures for the top 3 finishers and the âbest ofâ categories
- Post the results topic, which should include the top 3, best ofs and a complete text-based ranking of all entries. Use a previous voting topic as a guideline (although copy-pasting doesnât really make sense here, because all of the information will have changed). - https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/gmc-jam-39-results.81943/
- If youâre running the next jam, or there are official prizes, youâll need to contact the winners of the jam to let them know how to get their prizes. Community prizes should be dealt with by the members of the community who offered/won them.
It's not quite as much work as it may seem when I write out the rather daunting checklist in full. Jam 40 aside, which was a special case, most of the jams I have run over the last 2 years have been quite easy and taken up very little of my spare time. Things like checking back on the GMC to post clues / respond to questions only takes a few minutes every couple of days.
I hope a few members will step forward and take this fantastic opportunity to get more involved in the jam!
All the best
Dan