Competition rules

Competitor

General rules

  • All entries must be submitted via our intranet - where applicable.
  • Only the holders of a weekend ticket have access to the intranet - where voting and submitting are done.
  • Use descriptive filenames.
  • At least one of the authors of the entry must be present at the party.
  • There may be pre-screenings during the party. Entries can be disqualified because of their content or, for example, because there is no machine the entry can run on. The organisers have real ultimate power.
  • Any machine running a competition entry in the competition may not be connected to the Internet. The entries may contain net-using features but they must work without the net, too.
  • Please note that all competing entries may (and will) be distributed right after they have been presented. By submitting a contribution you give us and others permission to spread your entry in the best demoscene manner.
  • Alternative Party has the right to use the contributions in its future marketing, events and media productions whether commercial or non-commercial. Alternative Party has the right to use the entries or parts thereof modified or unmodified and to sublicense other entities to produce any such productions. The contributor waives the right to have any compensation from any such use.
  • As a general rule, the entry should be completely your own creation. If you use someone else's work as part of e.g. a demo, it must be either public domain or you should have a written permission packaged with the entry.
  • The resolution of the video projector is 1024x768.

Competition machines

These are the preliminary specifications for the computers we can provide for the demo competition. If you are entrying a demo for some other platform, you must provide your own computer for the entry to run on!

  • PC: Sony Vaio VGN-Z11MN/B, Core2Duo P8400 2.4GHz, 4GB RAM, GeForce 9300M GS, Windows Vista Business SP1
  • Mac: MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, 2GB RAM, GeForce 8600M, OS X 10.5
  • Amiga OCS: A500, 1MB, OS1.3
  • Amiga AGA: A1200, 060/50, PPC233, 128MB, HD, OS3.1, Permedia2
  • MSX: 1chip MSX (MSX 2+)
  • C64: Action Replay, 1541
  • Vic-20: 1541

Alternative Demo Competition

  • You know what a demo is, right? If not, see Wikipedia's description. Intros compete in the same competition.
  • The purpose of this competition is to bring out new ideas in demos, whatever the platform and method. A field for creativity.
  • Maximum length is 8 minutes, or until we get bored.
  • We will publish the platform your demo runs on the big screen, also the size of the demo will be shown.

Dynamic Demos

  • Dynamic demos will be shown twice as part of the main demo competition and will compete with the other demos there.
  • In addition, they will be ranked in their own series and the best will receive their own good prizes (TBA). Note that this means that a good dynamic demo can win two prizes — both in the normal category as well as the dynamic one!
  • The demo must be noticeably different every time it is run. It can use randomisation or evolution or any other technique to accomplish this. Your mind is the limit.
  • How exactly it should change is left for the participants to decide, though be warned that watching the same demo with only slight randomisation can be boring.
  • Untraditionally for demos, dynamic demos may write to the disk for the purpose of evolution and they may use the network if it is available (in the competition machine there will be a network connection). The demo should still run without the network, too.

HS.fi Material Challenge

  • Participant to any competition is encouraged to use any material ranging from articles to pictures from the HS.fi feed http://www.hs.fi/altparty08/feed/
  • The use of the material is especially encouraged in the Dynamic Demo Compo but any other demo competition is valid.
  • You can modify or use the material as it is. Be creative!
  • Inform the organizers about the feed material usage while submitting the entry and clearly specify where and how did you use the material.
  • Material from the feed and referenced by the feed may only be retrieved and used during the execution of the demo. A right is granted to make temporary copies, modify and display the material modified or unmodified. Permanent copies of the material may not be made in any form modified or unmodified.
  • The contributor to the Material Challenge competition grants Helsingin Sanomat a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, modify, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, distribute and sublicense the contribution and its source code.
  • The source code of the contribution must be included in the submission of the contribution.
  • Notwithstanding the above, the contributor retains full copyright and other immaterial rights to the contribution.

FogScreen Interactive Demo Competition

  • FogScreen is a large steam-based display device, like a projector screen that you can walk through. Windows sees it as a normal USB mouse so you can add interactivity. The device does not relay "mouse clicks", just pointing coordinates. Take this into account when you design your demo.
  • Maximum running time: 5 minutes
  • Platform: PC (Windows XP)
  • Screen resolution: 1024x768
  • You should provide one person to demonstrate the interactivity on the stage
  • You can also submit a video file and provide "interactivity" purely by the actions of the person on the stage
  • Sound and network use are allowed
  • Additional information: FogScreen product information

Oldschool Game Development Competition

  • Create a single or multiplayer game for a platform, that was available before 1992
  • The game must be submitted in both physical media for target platform (along with the target for the exhibition area if there already isn't one) and in a format usable by common emulators
  • Entries may use custom built hardware (such as controllers)
  • You may provide promotional matetrial (such as posters, tape covers) for hardware exhibition area
  • Game may be multiplayer-only

1 Channel Tracker Music Competition

  • The main idea of the compo is to be innovative in restrictive tracker environment. Use effects and samples in an innovative way to take the best out of the restrtictions.
  • Entry can only have one channel in use
  • Maximum size of the tune is 64KB unpacked
  • Allowed formats are XM, MOD and IT
  • XM files are played via xmplay
  • MOD files are played via quade
  • IT files are played via Impulse Tracker

CSS Graphics Competition

  • The idea of the competition is to show one's skills by creating stunning graphics with techniques that are not commonly associated with the creation of art visuals.
  • Create graphics only by using the capabilities of standard HTML and CSS (No images, no javascript and no other extensions allowed).
  • Entry must be HTML 4.0.1 and CSS 2.1 compatible, as specified by W3C
  • Maximum size of the entry is 40KB unpacked
  • Entry has to be provided in a single valid HTML file.
  • Entry has to work in latest versions of Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer in some watchable form. Some precision errors allowed.
  • Entries will be showed with the latest version of Firefox 3
  • Example visuals (where the idea came to have this compo :)): http://www.romancortes.com/blog/homer-css/

Technology Video Competition

  • The theme is "Technology". You may choose how theme is used in your video.
  • The entry should be a MPEG1, MPEG2 or MPEG4 video.
  • The video can be uploaded via intranet or submitted on a CD/DVD.
  • The content of the video you submit must, of course, adhere to Finnish laws.
  • You can use public domain archive material as part of your work. If you use non-PD material, be prepared to prove that you have the right to use it.
  • Recommended maximum length is 6 minutes and you must notify if the video goes over it.

Steampunk Costume Contest

  • Dress yourself up for theme of "Steampunk"
  • Register at the infodesk no later than 60 minutes before the contest - in addition to your character's name, you can also write a short description (max 3 sentences) of your character A most revered panel consisting of 5 judges will give points to each participant. Points will be based on originality, style, character, details and steaminess (the steamier, the better!).
  • The host or yourself will present every participant at the stage by name or description.
  • The winner will be declared after about an hour, after all participants have been asked to gather on the stage.
  • The winner will be awarded with the title "Lord / Lady of Steampunk".

Name Voting Competition

  • Throw a name for an entry.
  • The best names will be voted.

Contraptions Competition

  • In true Victorian spirit, this will be a chance to present your inventions, your gadgets and your contraptions to the world. Be the next Nikola Tesla.
  • You will be given 5 minutes to present your invention and why it is so great.
  • Can be a fully working prototype, or designs, documents, photos and sketches. Whichever you believe to be the most appealing. However we suspect that the audience will like something that is actually demonstrated to work!
  • Entries are judged by the audience based on eccentricity, inventiveness, entertainment value and originality.
  • Video projector and sound are available.

Romantic graphics competition

  • Romanticism in art defined in Wikipedia: 'Romanticism found recurrent themes in the evocation or criticism of the past, the cult of "sensibility" with its emphasis on women and children, the heroic isolation of the artist or narrator, and respect for a new, wilder, untrammeled and "pure" nature.'
  • Organisers reserve rights to disqualify entries that don't follow the romantistic art direction in our opinion. You will be given a chance to explain why you think it qualifies if we are about to disqualify your entry.
  • Picture must have at least 3 creation stages
  • If you are using stock photos or public domain pictures in your entry, those may not be dominant parts of the entry and you must give info about them
  • The pictures will be shown using resolution 1024x768 so you may want to use that resolution in your picture
  • Picture has to be in PNG format
  • If you use retro platforms etc., just convert your picture to PNG format in order to participate

Most Obscure Computer Competition

  • The owner of the most rare, obscure or otherwise special computer or other machine will be awarded by the jury.