AGDQ2016 - Runner, Volunteer Discounts, Registration Pricing [locked]

Cool Matty

Edit history:

Cool Matty: 2016-01-10 09:54:33 pm

Cool Matty: 2016-01-10 09:53:58 pm

Cool Matty: 2016-01-10 09:52:55 pm

Cool Matty: 2016-01-10 09:52:19 pm

Cool Matty: 2016-01-10 09:50:58 pm

2015-10-05 04:25:39 pm

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

As was discussed numerous times in the past, we will now be offering the following for runners and volunteers of AGDQ2016:

Edit: Modified to reflect the full refund system.

Regular Registration Rate: $40
Runner and Volunteer Rate: $40

Registration Date for everyone, estimate: 10/21/2015

So how will this work? We will break it down into two sections, for runners, then volunteers:

Runners

As communicated in the Game Submission Info Thread: https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/agdq_2016_game_submissions_information.html

We will be requiring runners to register immediately after their runs are accepted into the final schedule.

1. Once your game is accepted after the final round of cuts, and in the final game list, you will receive a notification via email and your profile.
2. You will be required to register for AGDQ2016 immediately. You will have approximately one week to finish registration.
3. You will be asked to pay nothing.
4. Your submission will be automatically verified, and you're confirmed for the event. This is when you may go ahead and book flights, etc.
5. Scheduling will not occur until the final game list is completely verified for all runners. The schedule may experience a short delay before release if some runs must be replaced (because they did not register).

What if I am unsure if I can go, due to work, school, etc?
You can cancel your submission at any time. Once your game is cancelled, you cannot resubmit.

What if I want to go to AGDQ, but need to cancel my run (hand injury, etc)?
When you cancel your submission, your account balance will be updated, and you will need to immediately pay the difference during the cancellation process. If you do not pay immediately when prompted, you may be subject to the registration cap and be unable to attend AGDQ.

What if I can't run while I'm at the event (sick, family emergency, etc)?
Inform a staff member IMMEDIATELY. Scheduling problems are difficult and requires time to resolve. Make sure to explain what your run is, who you are, and why you can't run. Note that cancelling this late may be grounds for rejection of game submissions at future GDQs, depending on the reason.

Volunteers

The volunteer discount will work differently to the runner one, due to timing. Volunteer discounts are extended only to those who are accepted as a volunteer during our volunteer signups, which will take place later this year.

1. You must first register for a GDQ account, and then register + pay for AGDQ2016. You will pay the full $40 at this time.
2. You will need to submit to be a volunteer via our normal volunteer signup process.
3. Once our volunteer coordinators have selected you to be a volunteer, you will receive a notification in your email and on your GDQ website profile.
4. You will be automatically issued a $40 refund to the card you used to pay with.

What if I am unsure if I can go, due to work, school, etc?
If you need to withdraw from AGDQ2016 as a volunteer, you will be able to request a refund on the website. You will be asked to provide a brief explanation for our records and you will receive a refund for the remaining $40. Refunds must be submitted before December 17th.

What if I can't volunteer while I'm at the event (sick, family emergency, etc)?
Notify a volunteer coordinator, or at least one of the GDQ staff, immediately! Make sure to tell them what shift(s) you cannot be at, what your name is, and why you cannot volunteer. Because we are extending this discount on good faith to volunteers, our staff will be checking to ensure volunteers show up when scheduled. Staff can work with you if things happen, but if you do not make a good faith effort to volunteer, you may not be allowed to volunteer again in the future.

====

Got any questions? Let us know! That's a lot to read, but it should be straightforward when it happens!

Thread title:

As was discussed numerous times in the past, we will now be offering the following for runners and volunteers of AGDQ2016:

Edit: Modified to reflect the full refund system.

Regular Registration Rate: $40
Runner and Volunteer Rate: $40

Registration Date for everyone, estimate: 10/21/2015

So how will this work? We will break it down into two sections, for runners, then volunteers:

[size="18"]
Runners
[/size]

As communicated in the Game Submission Info Thread: [url]https://forum.speeddemosarchive.com/post/agdq_2016_game_submissions_information.html[/url]

We will be requiring runners to register immediately after their runs are accepted into the final schedule.

1. Once your game is accepted after the final round of cuts, and in the final game list, you will receive a notification via email and your profile. 
2. You will be required to register for AGDQ2016 immediately. You will have approximately one week to finish registration.
3. You will be asked to pay nothing.
4. Your submission will be automatically verified, and you're confirmed for the event. This is when you may go ahead and book flights, etc.
5. Scheduling will not occur until the final game list is completely verified for all runners. The schedule may experience a short delay before release if some runs must be replaced (because they did not register).

[b]What if I am unsure if I can go, due to work, school, etc?[/b]
You can cancel your submission at any time. Once your game is cancelled, you cannot resubmit.

[b]What if I want to go to AGDQ, but need to cancel my run (hand injury, etc)?[/b]
When you cancel your submission, your account balance will be updated, and you will need to immediately pay the difference during the cancellation process. If you do not pay immediately when prompted, you may be subject to the registration cap and be unable to attend AGDQ.

[b]What if I can't run while I'm at the event (sick, family emergency, etc)?[/b]
Inform a staff member IMMEDIATELY. Scheduling problems are difficult and requires time to resolve. Make sure to explain what your run is, who you are, and why you can't run. Note that cancelling this late may be grounds for rejection of game submissions at future GDQs, depending on the reason.

[size="18"]
Volunteers
[/size]

The volunteer discount will work differently to the runner one, due to timing. Volunteer discounts are extended only to those who are accepted as a volunteer during our volunteer signups, which will take place later this year.

1. You must first register for a GDQ account, and then register + pay for AGDQ2016. You will pay the full $40 at this time.
2. You will need to submit to be a volunteer via our normal volunteer signup process.
3. Once our volunteer coordinators have selected you to be a volunteer, you will receive a notification in your email and on your GDQ website profile.
4. You will be automatically issued a $40 refund to the card you used to pay with.

[b]What if I am unsure if I can go, due to work, school, etc?[/b]
If you need to withdraw from AGDQ2016 as a volunteer, you will be able to request a refund on the website. You will be asked to provide a brief explanation for our records and you will receive a refund for the remaining $40. Refunds must be submitted before December 17th.

[b]What if I can't volunteer while I'm at the event (sick, family emergency, etc)?[/b]
Notify a volunteer coordinator, or at least one of the GDQ staff, immediately! Make sure to tell them what shift(s) you cannot be at, what your name is, and why you cannot volunteer. Because we are extending this discount on good faith to volunteers, our staff will be checking to ensure volunteers show up when scheduled. Staff can work with you if things happen, but if you do not make a good faith effort to volunteer, you may not be allowed to volunteer again in the future.

====

Got any questions? Let us know! That's a lot to read, but it should be straightforward when it happens!

dangodofthunder

2015-10-05 04:34:09 pm

Waaait. You mean I'm going to get a discount for something I wanted to do anyway? Sign me up!

Cutefluffybunny

2015-10-05 04:54:00 pm

What happens when the inevitable 5 revisions after the "final schedule" occur and more games get added but someone has already paid? Online refund?

Cool Matty

2015-10-05 04:58:42 pm

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

Quote from Cutefluffybunny:

What happens when the inevitable 5 revisions after the "final schedule" occur and more games get added but someone has already paid? Online refund?

Yep, if you're added after the initial run of submissions, we'll give you a refund, as long as it's before December 17th. After that, we'll have to make special arrangements (we don't expect this to happen, most of the time we use runners already going this close to the event).

Cutefluffybunny

2015-10-05 05:16:24 pm

Quote from Cool Matty:

Quote from Cutefluffybunny:

What happens when the inevitable 5 revisions after the "final schedule" occur and more games get added but someone has already paid? Online refund?

Yep, if you're added after the initial run of submissions, we'll give you a refund, as long as it's before December 17th. After that, we'll have to make special arrangements (we don't expect this to happen, most of the time we use runners already going this close to the event).

Alright my man thanks for the heads up.

I expect a strong push for fortified zone if it gets rejected for the 4th GDQ in a row I have a good feeling about this one.

TheMG2

Edit history:

TheMG2: 2015-10-05 05:19:09 pm

2015-10-05 05:18:39 pm

Quote from Cool Matty:

Quote from Cutefluffybunny:

What happens when the inevitable 5 revisions after the "final schedule" occur and more games get added but someone has already paid? Online refund?

Yep, if you're added after the initial run of submissions, we'll give you a refund, as long as it's before December 17th. After that, we'll have to make special arrangements (we don't expect this to happen, most of the time we use runners already going this close to the event).

Hypothetical what if the opposite happens? What if your game is dropped but you still are going?

Cool Matty

2015-10-05 06:51:32 pm

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

Quote from TheMG2:

Hypothetical what if the opposite happens? What if your game is dropped but you still are going?

If you cancel it yourself, it's covered in the first post.

If we cancel it for uh, some weird reason (keep in mind registration doesn't happen until final game selection, not during the cuts), then you get lucky. You won't get a runner badge though. I don't think this has ever happened to my recollection, other than runners being ejected from the event.

Ghoul02

2015-10-05 07:03:19 pm

www.twitch.tv/ghoul02

I'm going to go on the the record and say that I think it's a nice thought but it's going to be ultimately a bad thing. We have tons of drama with game selection already and there is zero monetary incentive. Add that and it's a whole new can of worms. Say two runners are a minute off and it gets accepted solo, not as a race. Or if people vouch for a friend now, they are literally advocating you charging their friend less. What about couch commentators that have all the same expenses and should put prep time into their craft? Often, they don't even get mentioned on stream, let alone any money saved. How is an influx of volunteers going to be handled if there are far too many? Potluck? Past GDQ visits? I know this is in part a response to past criticism but it opens the slippery slope way too far. Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed? Or start the marathon with extra money going to the charity? There has to be a more fair way to do this. If the 20 dollars is truly an issue, that can be handled privately via PM and nobody needs to know.

zewing

2015-10-05 07:25:26 pm

just( •_•)>⌐■-■ ..... (⌐■_■)wing it

I think this is a great idea, keep up the good work!

sumichu

Edit history:

sumichu: 2015-10-05 07:50:19 pm

2015-10-05 07:49:50 pm

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Quote from Ghoul02:

I'm going to go on the the record and say that I think it's a nice thought but it's going to be ultimately a bad thing. We have tons of drama with game selection already and there is zero monetary incentive. Add that and it's a whole new can of worms. Say two runners are a minute off and it gets accepted solo, not as a race. Or if people vouch for a friend now, they are literally advocating you charging their friend less. What about couch commentators that have all the same expenses and should put prep time into their craft? Often, they don't even get mentioned on stream, let alone any money saved. How is an influx of volunteers going to be handled if there are far too many? Potluck? Past GDQ visits? I know this is in part a response to past criticism but it opens the slippery slope way too far. Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed? Or start the marathon with extra money going to the charity? There has to be a more fair way to do this. If the 20 dollars is truly an issue, that can be handled privately via PM and nobody needs to know.

We've been looking into the possibility of doing this for a while, and we're finally at a point where we can give it a shot.

We plan on operating exactly the same way we did without the discounts when it comes to runner/volunteer selection. We are already at a point where we can't accept all the runners and volunteer offers we get, so it doesn't change much.

If we find that something's not working out, we'll make changes for the next event.

[quote="Ghoul02"]I'm going to go on the the record and say that I think it's a nice thought but it's going to be ultimately a bad thing. We have tons of drama with game selection already and there is zero monetary incentive. Add that and it's a whole new can of worms. Say two runners are a minute off and it gets accepted solo, not as a race. Or if people vouch for a friend now, they are literally advocating you charging their friend less. What about couch commentators that have all the same expenses and should put prep time into their craft? Often, they don't even get mentioned on stream, let alone any money saved. How is an influx of volunteers going to be handled if there are far too many? Potluck? Past GDQ visits? I know this is in part a response to past criticism but it opens the slippery slope way too far. Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed? Or start the marathon with extra money going to the charity? There has to be a more fair way to do this. If the 20 dollars is truly an issue, that can be handled privately via PM and nobody needs to know. [/quote]

We've been looking into the possibility of doing this for a while, and we're finally at a point where we can give it a shot.

We plan on operating exactly the same way we did without the discounts when it comes to runner/volunteer selection.  We are already at a point where we can't accept all the runners and volunteer offers we get, so it doesn't change much.

If we find that something's not working out, we'll make changes for the next event.

kirbymastah

2015-10-06 08:24:45 am

<(^_^)>

Quote from Ghoul02:

I'm going to go on the the record and say that I think it's a nice thought but it's going to be ultimately a bad thing. We have tons of drama with game selection already and there is zero monetary incentive. Add that and it's a whole new can of worms. Say two runners are a minute off and it gets accepted solo, not as a race. Or if people vouch for a friend now, they are literally advocating you charging their friend less. What about couch commentators that have all the same expenses and should put prep time into their craft? Often, they don't even get mentioned on stream, let alone any money saved. How is an influx of volunteers going to be handled if there are far too many? Potluck? Past GDQ visits? I know this is in part a response to past criticism but it opens the slippery slope way too far. Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed? Or start the marathon with extra money going to the charity? There has to be a more fair way to do this. If the 20 dollars is truly an issue, that can be handled privately via PM and nobody needs to know.

This is sorta what I'm concerned about, and the drama/salt will only get worse with runners getting discounts. Still, I guess you never know until you try, and if it's a flop (which I personally expect a lot of complaints about) then don't do it again.

[quote="Ghoul02"]I'm going to go on the the record and say that I think it's a nice thought but it's going to be ultimately a bad thing. We have tons of drama with game selection already and there is zero monetary incentive. Add that and it's a whole new can of worms. Say two runners are a minute off and it gets accepted solo, not as a race. Or if people vouch for a friend now, they are literally advocating you charging their friend less. What about couch commentators that have all the same expenses and should put prep time into their craft? Often, they don't even get mentioned on stream, let alone any money saved. How is an influx of volunteers going to be handled if there are far too many? Potluck? Past GDQ visits? I know this is in part a response to past criticism but it opens the slippery slope way too far. Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed? Or start the marathon with extra money going to the charity? There has to be a more fair way to do this. If the 20 dollars is truly an issue, that can be handled privately via PM and nobody needs to know. [/quote]

This is sorta what I'm concerned about, and the drama/salt will only get worse with runners getting discounts. Still, I guess you never know until you try, and if it's a flop (which I personally expect a lot of complaints about) then don't do it again.

Kirua

2015-10-06 09:20:59 am

To the people thinking there might be drama because of it, you're probably overthinking it honestly. When people get their games rejected, they'll be sad to not have a run but I doubt they'll think "wow now I have to pay full price", particularly considering the other costs like plane ticket, hotel etc. Also, (almost?) every runner submits runs for other considerations than money to begin with. I expect the discount to just be a bonus for people who are in, and the rest won't give it much thought.

NicktheRocket

Edit history:

NicktheRocket: 2015-10-06 10:01:18 am

2015-10-06 09:59:35 am

This will be my first time attending a GDQ and I would like to volunteer. However, I do not know exactly what that would entail; what types of things do the vols typically assist with? Apologies if that is a silly question, I'm just curious. Thank you!

Alventenie

2015-10-06 10:37:12 am

Nick there will be a Volunteer registration thread that will go up after registration is open. That thread will detail all positions we look for volunteers (Host, Tech, Donation Station).

NicktheRocket

2015-10-06 11:55:47 am

Great, thank you

Gamesforcharity

2015-10-07 08:58:35 am

GFC_

So my situation is somewhat odd:

I can either go the 2nd through the 4th (Saturday through Monday) OR the 8th through the 10th (Friday through Sunday). I am going to put both on my availability for my run. However, if I am accepted in, how long will it roughly be until I know which 3-day block to reserve at the hotel? If I am not accepted in, I'll be going the 8-10th anyways.

Cool Matty

2015-10-07 01:19:30 pm

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

Quote from Gamesforcharity:

So my situation is somewhat odd:

I can either go the 2nd through the 4th (Saturday through Monday) OR the 8th through the 10th (Friday through Sunday). I am going to put both on my availability for my run. However, if I am accepted in, how long will it roughly be until I know which 3-day block to reserve at the hotel? If I am not accepted in, I'll be going the 8-10th anyways.

You can only put one set of dates, so put down 8-10th.

philosoraptor42

2015-10-08 11:47:19 am

Dapper as fuck.

Quote from Ghoul02:

Could we get an across the board registration fee drop if less money is needed?

We did, remember ADGQ15 registration was $50.

BubblesDelFuego

2015-10-09 08:10:55 pm

That's "Mr." Speedrunner, to you

Can a runner be a volunteer? I think I remember Spike reading donations and playing Rayman at SGDQ.

Alventenie

2015-10-09 08:34:50 pm

Yes, we have had multiple people that are both runners and volunteers.

robthegamer117

2015-10-11 08:08:55 am

So i don't know if this is the place to be asking this 9the tweet just said the forum), but why was Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 1 immediately rejected, when it was accepted for SGDQ2015? If the reason was because of DarkPapo not doing the run in the end, then I don't see why that should be held against the entire small Ty speedrunning community. Please respond soon, so that if it's a small thing, I can work with kythol to fix it. - robthegamer117

Cool Matty

2015-10-11 08:23:23 am

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

Quote from robthegamer117:

So i don't know if this is the place to be asking this 9the tweet just said the forum), but why was Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 1 immediately rejected, when it was accepted for SGDQ2015? If the reason was because of DarkPapo not doing the run in the end, then I don't see why that should be held against the entire small Ty speedrunning community. Please respond soon, so that if it's a small thing, I can work with kythol to fix it. - robthegamer117

This is not an official response to your run, but just general info:

Typically, if a run has been featured recently at previous events, it will be less likely to be chosen. Very, very few games make it into the marathon back-to-back.

Kythol

Edit history:

Kythol: 2015-10-11 12:48:57 pm

2015-10-11 12:47:31 pm

LennyPls

Quote from Cool Matty:

Quote from robthegamer117:

So i don't know if this is the place to be asking this 9the tweet just said the forum), but why was Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 1 immediately rejected, when it was accepted for SGDQ2015? If the reason was because of DarkPapo not doing the run in the end, then I don't see why that should be held against the entire small Ty speedrunning community. Please respond soon, so that if it's a small thing, I can work with kythol to fix it. - robthegamer117

This is not an official response to your run, but just general info:

Typically, if a run has been featured recently at previous events, it will be less likely to be chosen. Very, very few games make it into the marathon back-to-back.

Our issue here is that the game was never run or featured at SGDQ 2015. Yes, the game WAS accepted for SGDQ 2015 and was going to be run by Papo, but he dropped and never performed the run at the event. What we're trying to figure out is whether or not that is currently being held against the Ty community in any form, as I (as the runner in question that submitted the game for AGDQ 2016) have had plans for over a year to attend this event. It would be really unfortunate and quite ridiculous if the game got rejected on the sole fact that Papo didn't perform his run for SGDQ 2015.

This is not a plea to have the game in the marathon, but more of a query for why we got rejected so we can hopefully improve our chances for future GDQs.

[quote="Cool Matty"][quote="robthegamer117"]So i don't know if this is the place to be asking this 9the tweet just said the forum), but why was Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 1 immediately rejected, when it was accepted for SGDQ2015? If the reason was because of DarkPapo not doing the run in the end, then I don't see why that should be held against the entire small Ty speedrunning community. Please respond soon, so that if it's a small thing, I can work with kythol to fix it. - robthegamer117[/quote]

This is not an official response to your run, but just general info:

Typically, if a run has been featured recently at previous events, it will be less likely to be chosen. Very, very few games make it into the marathon back-to-back.[/quote]

Our issue here is that the game was never run or featured at SGDQ 2015. Yes, the game WAS accepted for SGDQ 2015 and was going to be run by Papo, but he dropped and never performed the run at the event. What we're trying to figure out is whether or not that is currently being held against the Ty community in any form, as I (as the runner in question that submitted the game for AGDQ 2016) have had plans for over a year to attend this event. It would be really unfortunate and quite ridiculous if the game got rejected on the sole fact that Papo didn't perform his run for SGDQ 2015.

This is not a plea to have the game in the marathon, but more of a query for why we got rejected so we can hopefully improve our chances for future GDQs.

Cool Matty

2015-10-11 06:08:49 pm

Crawlathon WR, get down on my level.

No, if it wasn't actually ran, that wouldn't impact the game itself's chances. It would impact the runner's chances though, depending on the circumstances (did they notify us, how much time was given, what was the reason, etc).

Popalopolis

2015-10-13 12:55:52 am

I would like to volunteer for reading donations where would I be able to apply for that or are those already taken? Just wondering!