Are you allowed to post a demo?

If you have enough of your game done to add a demo to your thread, are you allowed to do so as a taster for the whole game?

Yes. If you're doing it for the contest you have to post it here though:

http://rpgmaker.net/

Ahh, good to know. Thanks.

Isnt this the official forums?

why do demos have to be posted there?

I read that you can make a thread here, but you have to host the demo on the rm.net webiste.

Uzuki, can you post a link to that, I'd really like to see exactly what it says.

I assume its ok if we privately ask friends to playtest. I mean, giving them a beta copy of the game to test on their cpu?

heh.... the only friends I have who are interested in playing it won't be able to test it because of reasons, and good luck getting my family to sit down and try... ah well, I'm just gonna hafta work harder and test it like a million times myself.

I am a bit confused by this thread.  I checked the RMN site and in their announcement for IGMC they state the following at this link: http://rpgmaker.net/forums/topics/15480/

Compete for huge money prizes ($10,000 grand prize), promotion of your game, or even a review from one of our celebrity judges! Check out all the details at the contest platform!

Also, we here at RMN are offering some front page exposure to some of the winners!

So it appears that RPG Maker Web (and this site) is one of the official sponsors.  In terms of protocols about posting demos of IGMC games in progress, I am unsure of policy and this would be up this forum's moderators/admins ... (if demos have already been officially sanctioned for this site please let me know and post link, thanks! :) )

I had asked the same question in the Contest thread on here and they only listed that website. But seeing as this is the official website I think it's safe to post the demo on here. I guess I was just being paranoid and took it as absolute. 

I see nothing in the official contest rules that states anything along the lines of only being able to post the game/demo in certain places. 

What is DOES say is: 

Which I take to mean, "It's YOUR game and you can post it or demos of it wherever the heck you like."

Now, you have to post it though the official channels for them to judge it for the contest, but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to also post demos or whatever else anywhere you like.

If it is true that we're not supposed to do that before the submission period ends, they had better state it clearly in the rules. As it is though, I don't see why posting a demo should be a problem at all. 

Just personally, I'd hesitate to post a demo until there's a link to an official announcement about it. Even so, you should make sure that what you post doesn't spoil the game too much. Even though the judges won't play the demo there's still the People's Choice poll, and I'd want people to be surprised the first time they play my game.

The game doesn't have to be posted on rpgmaker.net. It has to be submitted to the contest platform :)

However, there is a problem when it comes to demos. The contest is intended for completed games only. The grey area is episodic/chapter-based games. If you're submitting a clear first chapter of a larger story that has its own climax and feels complete, then the judges won't be likely to penalize the game.

Edit: ah, I misinterpreted. You CAN certainly post your game here, on RMN, etc. before the deadline is up.

Sweetness.  I mean, I probably WON'T be posting one here (I'll be sending it to my beta test group-I actually have a beta test group now!  I feel special!), but it's nice to know I've got options if for some reason they decide to SHAFT me...

Anyway, this is good to know!

Also good to know that episodic games (so long as they feel complete) shouldn't incur much wrath.  While my game IS a standalone product, the idea of continuing it out via other stories is appealing to me, and I'll be setting mine up to where it CAN be extended.  Because I really like the Sanguine Sol System, and I feel there is much to be explored there, with Captain Sully and his crew, and with other people you'll meet along the way. 

Hell, as soon as I'm done with this, I'm going to try and come up with a story to tell for the Cook, "Fightin' Joe" Hooker (yes, that is a Civil War reference-I like history.  It's also a Monte Walsh reference-my third favorite movie ever.  OF ALL TIME).

And I'm rambling again.  See my signature for details on why!

Its good to have it confirmed that we can indeed post demo's - if we so choose - on alternative forums / websites etc..

@Deckiller

A slightly related question:

For the download link - ie, the big 'DOWNLOAD NOW' button on the contest forums (as seen HERE)

Does it have to be a direct link to a download, or, can it be a link to - for example - my blog, where I provide multiple links - eg. dropbox / mediafire / other

Is that acceptable? Or does it need to be done another way ?

Sooo...

I am guessing no one knows?

I just dont want to provide a link to, for example, my dropbox and then reach my bandwidth thing and people not being able to dl the game :/

Sorry, been super busy over here :)

A direct link would be preferred, but it's not necessary as long as we can access the download easily.

No problem dude, I can imagine you guys are being inundated with questions on this and that..

I will setup a direct link and have alternative links in the game description box then :)

That way people don't feel annoyed at being transferred from one site to another :/

Thanks for clarifying that one ^_^