It’s time for more information about Unpub 2 on January 14th!

We’ve received a lot of questions over the past two weeks… so we figured, it’s time for an FAQ. We’ll update this as go.

Registration:

Q: Do I have to register?

A: It would be nice. There’s no fee and it’s easy to do from the  event page. This gives us a better idea for a headcount in regards to food and other matters. Designers definitely need to register. We will then be in contact to get the right information from you that we need. Please Register!

Q: I registered and was sent a ticket. Do I need this? 

Nope. You actually don’t need the ticket. The registration process is really for us, but the system we are using generates tickets for you. You can bring it if you like, but you don’t need it. You can bring as many friends and family as you want. You do not need tickets for the number of people your are bringing.

Q: I registered a game, but I want to bring a different game. Can I change the game I’m bringing?

A: Certainly. Send an email to john@cartrunk.net and let me know about the change. Or you can re-register with the different game, but note which previous game isn’t coming. Fact is, we’ll be in contact with designers shortly to confirm everything. You can show up with a different game on the day of the event and it won’t hurt much, but you will be saddled with the schedule we create which may be based on a shorter game. Keep in contact with us to avoid this.

Q: Why only two games?

A: We’re kind of hoping you’ll be instructing each time your game is played (we WILL have a blind play testing area if you want to go that route.) So, we don’t want to spread you too thin. We also want to keep the players circulating and allow each designer a chance to have their game played and evaluated. Allowing an unlimited number of games might trap people at one table with one designer, which is against the spirit of the event.

Q:  I can’t make it. Can I still submit a game?

A: Yes. We will open an area for blind play-testing. Games and rules will be placed in this area in a presentable format. Players will be encouraged to try them, but the truth is games with designers will have bigger crowds. I’m not saying your game will not get played, but the chance it will get played is a little slimmer.

What we’d need from you to do this, is the same as if you were coming to the event, register. ..But we also need you to send us a non-print and play version of your game. By non-print and play, I mean we’re not going to accept pdfs that we have to print, cut and assemble. You want to print and cut it, that’s fine. These games can be returned to you after the event if you wish, but you’ll need to pay for the shipping. If you have any questions about that process please contact me (john@cartrunk.net.)

The Program Book:

Q: What’s the deal with the program book?

A: We’re putting together a program book for the event. Any designer who registers a game will have their write-up, name, and contact information posted in the book.  We are also selling ads to game companies and will provide some other useful information in the book. These program books will be free to attendees who have donated and available after the event for download from Cartrunk.net. If you’d like to advertise in the program book, check out this post!

Event Fees:

Q: How much is this going to cost me?

A: There is no set door fee for designers or players. We are asking a suggested $5.00 donation. Our goal is to keep this as inexpensive as possible to get as many people in the door as we can.  …But the reality is that we’re growing and things cost a little more this year. Unlike last year, food is not included in any door fee.

Food:

Q: What’s the deal with food?

A: We are offering food on site, like we did last year. Unlike last year (in theory) food will be a separate fee, and we’ll be charging a la carte. All the final details on food haven’t been settled yet, but we’re working on having that information available as soon as we can.

Designers:

Q: Do I need to submit my game to you?

A: No. We don’t need, nor do we want a copy of your prototype. You bring it with you and you’ll take it home.

Publishers:

Q: Will there be publishers at the Unpub?

A: I prefer not to answer this question. I have been in conversations with several publishers who may or may not be coming. While this event is intended to help get games published, we don’t want the stress of “finding a publisher” to allow designers to lose sight of their feedback. We also don’t want to overwhelm any publishers with people trying to sell them games. Our hope is to keep this event low key and helpful for the growth of game designs. It’s a stop along the road, not the end destination.

Bloggers:

Q: Will there be bloggers at the event?

A: Yes. We have a few bloggers attending the event. If you are a designer, your game is probably going to get some exposure on several websites that get read by lots of people. This is a good thing.

Advertising:

Q: How can I help you get more people to Unpub2?

A: Bring them! That’s a simple answer. Sharing the word helps too. We’ve talked a lot on twitter about this, and I bring it up on Tumblr. We also have a downloadable poster, that you can take to your local store or make available on your website. There are lots of ways to help us share the information and get more people coming to this event! Pertinent information links can be found in this post.

Well, that’s what I have for now. Thanks and keep your eyes peeled for updates!