EnglandExample of the Form
To help you prepare, an example form submission is below. The form will open and be linked here on Monday the 9th of February! If you dare even think about posting something like this in this forum we will be super disappointed.
Nickname - flicky (this will be pulled automatically from your speedrun.com account) Country - United Kingdom (pulled from speedrun.com account) Web IDs - @flickyish, flickyish (pulled from speedrun.com account)
Game - Dungeons and Dragons: Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft Category - Any% Red Monk Estimate - 1h20m Video - Region - PAL Console - PS1
Comments - The greatest fighting game of our generation, Dungeons and Dragons: Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft lives up to it's two subtitles. I will be blitzing through the game as Red MOnk, the most OP of characters. Watch in awe as a charged finger poke deals 80% damage, shriek with excitement as low kicks are spammed and cry tears of joy with every weird wall-bounce double knockdown! Feel His Wrath!
I've been working on this game since the first time I played it with bangerra. I'm working on taking world record from the only guy to have finished it.
✓ I agree to the €5 deposit.
To clarify, the Nickname, Country and Web IDs will be taken from your speedrun.com account so make sure they're correct!
All the runs will be initially looked through and "accepted" if they're filled out correctly. If your run is "rejected" at this phase, you should find out what was wrong and then re-submit!
Once the runs are "accepted" during the open-submission phase, they will be viewable on the schedule page (use http://www.speedrun.com/submissions until this is live) by everyone. Please note that this page may no longer be viewable while we're messing with it and doing rounds of cuts. All games and runners will link to their respective speedrun.com pages (should they exist).
Once your run has been submitted, you will not be able to edit it. Please post in this thread or contact either flicky or bangerra directly to change things!
If you're having any problems with the form once it is online (Opens on Monday 9th February), please post here and we will help you out!
ESA 2015 will be open from the afternoon of June 26th until noon July 7th 2015. Click here to visit the master thread!
The Game submission and scheduling team are flicky, bangerra and joka. We will also reach out to individuals and game communities regarding runs, rules and so on to help us make our decisions.
[centre][big]Game Submissions are over![/big] View completed submissions here (temporary)[/centre]
This year Game Submissions will be using a form that will be linked here, do not suggest games in a post! Submissions this year will once again include second-stream content including talks. Not complying with the rules will cause your submission to be ignored. This thread is for listing the rules and is open for game discussion! Game submissions will open on Monday the 9th of February and close on Sunday the 22nd of March at 23:59 CET.
Our Philosophy When deciding whether a suggested game will fit into the final schedule, we will consider the following: Length, entertainment value and commentary quality. We will be looking at these three qualities over others such as game popularity.
For example, long games (4 hours or more) are harder to put in the schedule due to how many games could be put in their place. Long games can and still will make it in, but have a disadvantage compared to shorter games.
Additionally, the entertainment value of runners, games and commentary is taken into consideration. if you're running a game that was only released in Guam, but is incredibly entertaining or has fantastic commentary, your game is still likely to get in.
Rules for Submissions This year, we are setting a limit of 5 different games for submission. You can submit multiple categories for a single game, but no more than 5 different games can be listed. Non-complete game categories will be allowed provided they are accepted by the individual communities. Any additional games over the five will be ignored.
Submitted games must adhere to Twitch's streaming policy. Pitching games that you have not yet learnt or mastered is OK. But you need to show steady (weekly) progress after the point that your suggestion passes the first cut.
When you submit your game, you should provide a short blurb about the game and video link such as those seen here as well information about your progress in the game. We suggest adding your times to the speedrun.com leaderboards for your game (or making your own!) so we can more easily keep track of times. If your community uses other leaderboards, please link them in your comments!
If you are submitting races, relays, co-op games or anything else with multiple people, all involved runners must submit a form including a list of the other participants.
Games should be submitted with a reasonable estimate not including setup time. The estimate should consider everything that can go wrong as well as any additional content that you may wish to show off. Remember that you may have been awake for forty hours having fun before your run!
We will be having a second stream once again, but our exact balance of speedrunning to additional content has not been decided on. Content will be slightly shifted in favour of the first stream while attempting to balance runners. Content on the first stream will be speedruns only. The second stream will complement the first stream and include live talks, tas:ing, backseat runs, backstage interview and genres like rhythm games, arcade games, shmups etc. We are also aiming to capture the feeling of the event more accurately here with more backstage cameras and tournaments on stream.
There will be three rounds of selections: The first will pick out all the games we're interested in, regardless of current skill of the runners. The second round will be done nearer the event after we have gauged the run quality. The third round will be the final selection to work to within our time limit before being fit into the schedule.
Due to a large number of drop-outs last year, runners that get accepted into the final round will be required to pay a €5 deposit to discourage suggestions from those who don't intend to come. This €5 will be taken off your entry fee. Those who have not paid the deposit will be contacted about resolving any problems. If we cannot sort it out, the runner will risk having their run(s) replaced. This rule was agreed upon unanimously in a vote held for attendees last ESA. Due to this, the deadline for dropping out will be one week before the final games are decided. More information about the deposit and how to pay will be available after the first round of cuts. Kept deposits will go towards funding the marathon itself (as the money would have if the person was an attendee)
Update Log
2015-06-09 - Tech Volunteering 2015-06-07 - Mass Housing 2015-06-05 - Equipment 2015-05-30 - Schedule 2015-05-29 - Volunteering 2015-05-15 - Second Round Cuts 2015-05-03 - Payment 2015-04-01 - First Round Cuts 2015-03-16 - Sign ups are open! Sign-Up Information 2015-02-13 - Pricing & Budget Thread posted. 2015-02-12 - Highlight of the Roundtable stream which aired Febuary 12th. 2015-02-10 - Clarification About the State of ESA and Ludendi posted. 2015-02-09 Game Submission is now open! 2015-02-07 The Game Submission Form post has been updated with important info! 2015-02-05 Games Submission Rules Posted! 2015-02-04 - Master Thread posted and Travel thread added! Games Submissions will be opening soon!
ESA 2015 will be open from the afternoon of June 26th until noon July 7th 2015. Click here to visit the master thread!
Since many other threads have already started popping up, it is now high time for a travel thread—and here it is! This post is organised into different sections:
- Getting into Sweden from abroad
- Getting to Skövde and the event
- General marathon information
- Places of Interest in Skövde.
For the sake of transparency, this post was written by flicky with Alko's assistance. For those of you trying to budget the event, we estimate that accommodation and entry fees should total similar amounts to last year (€40-50 for entry fee and mass housing for the whole event.)
========================== Getting into Sweden from Abroad ==========================
By Air For those of you travelling from Europe, you will likely be taking a plane to Gothenburg Landvetter (GOT), Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH) and possibly Stockholm Skavsta (NYO) and then taking a train or bus onwards. Your best option for finding prices is skyscanner.com or similar sites based in your home country. Browse this is in incognito/private mode to avoid cookies messing with your prices.
For those of you travelling from North America, Australia or any other continents, your best bet is still with the above airports. For Americans, Norwegian run budget flights in and out of Stockholm which can cost as little as $450 from Oakland or $350 from New York to Stockholm. Please note that you'll get charged for hold luggage on this route. You should however, expect your flights to cost around $900 and you should book them ASAP as they are unlikely to get any cheaper.
If you're travelling from Asia, it might be worth checking flights into Helsinki (HEL) as that's a big travel hub for those travelling from Japan, South Korea etc.
If you're struggling to find direct flights to the above airports, other major airports in Europe to consider are (in order of my knowledge about connections) London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt. There are other airports, but these will likely have your best options to the airports in Scandinavia.
Gothenburg City airport has shut down this year, so you will no longer be able to travel there.
Arlanda and Kastrup are both located conveniently on or close to train stations (look for Arlanda C and Kastrup, respectively) and you can continue on your journey by train (see "Getting to Skövde"). There are many buses from Landvetter to Gothenburg central station. Remember that even if there are no trains running at certain early/late hours, you can still take a flight bus (flygbussarna) from Arlanda to Stockholm city centre. You might even be able to still catch trains onwards to Skövde, as the last train to Skövde departs later than the last train from Arlanda arrives.
Every airport is serviced by long-distance buses, if you prefer that mode of travel. Of course, you can always bribe people to drive you on, or rent a car and take people with you from each of them.
By Boat If you're planning on arriving by water, you're probably a Finn coming from Helsinki or Turku and will know your way to a train station from Stockholm's harbour. If not, do please post in this thread and I'll provide with additional assistance ;)
By Car If you're taking the driving route, see the section below. And remember to post in this thread if you're able and willing to pick up people (and equipment?) on your way. Driving is a valid option from Denmark but people are planning on driving from further afield if you wish to ROAD TRIP. Parking will likely be at Nyeport as they have a large, empty and free car park or at the Hotel if you are staying there.
By Train Finally, there are people who chose to enter Sweden by train. Assuming that you're coming from Denmark or further South, the most convenient option is probably an X2000 from Copenhagen to Nässjö C, followed by a Västtågen train directly to Skövde C. You can get to Copenhagen either conveniently EuroCity/IntercityExpress trains from Hamburg. Unfortunately, the night train services from Amsterdam, Basel and Prague have been withdrawn as of the 14th December 2014. Note that you cannot (for whatever reason) buy a through ticket from Germany directly to Skövde; you will need to buy one to Nässjö C and purchase the last part of the ticket in Sweden (or via sj.se, as posted above). Again, this option is usually cheapest if bought ~90 days ahead of the marathon (remember your return journey!).
Using interrail (a five-out-of-ten days global pass costs 184 € for adolescents or 281 € for the poor souls older than 27; a ten-out-of-22 days global pass is 269/399 €) might also be an option, especially if you're planning on travelling further before or after the marathon.
¤¤¤¤¤¤ If you are having particular trouble finding affordable travel, please contact either flicky or Alko and we can assist you personally!
================= Getting to Skövde and the event =================
As is the rule all over the world, there are three means of transportation that you can use to get from where ever you set out to where you want to go: (1) Take a train; (2) Take a bus; (3) Drive or carpool.
Train tickets can be found and bought on sj.se. It is generally a good idea in Sweden to pre-order tickets approximately 90 days ahead of the travel date for discounts. You can also buy tickets in many train stations or onboard some trains. Buying at the station is not recommended, because the tickets are more expensive there. It varies between companies whether you can buy your train tickets on-board. You can with some (Västtågen (e.g. Nässjö–Skövde)); while others (Skånetrafiken) do not allow so. (The companies that do not allow buying on-board will supply ticket machines at the station.) Especially note that SJ will not allow you to buy tickets on-board! If you plan on buying on-board, you will need SEK or a debit/credit card. The Västtågen will accept 'basically any card that isn't American Express' (quoted from the conductor on said train)
If you are under 26, please note you qualify for a youth ticket, which will save you money on the train.
Taking a train is by far the most recommended means of travel, as Skövde station is located very conveniently between the House of Culture, Nyeport and the hotel.
Long-distance buses, the second most comfortable option. You can either book tickets via swebus.se or on the site of the region you're departing from (Skånetrafiken (skanetrafiken.se) for the Malmö region, Stockholms länstrafik (sl.se) for the Stockholm region and Västtrafik (vasttrafik.se) for the Gothenburg region).
Finally, of course, if you're driving, you can offer to take people with you on your way, making the journey along the large, empty and slow Swedish motorways (flicky and the gang know what I'm talking about ;) ) more enjoyable. Skövde is located somewhat close-ish to the E20 Göteborg–Stockholm, if you're coming from either of those directions. From the South (Malmö, Denmark), the most convenient route is probably along E4 to Jönköping, taking route 26 from there. If you're coming from the North … seriously?
If you are offering carpools, please post saying so in this thread. I'll collect all offers and confirmed passengers in the second post. If you want to include a map of your route, that's much appreciated. Brits, remember that these guys drive on the wrong side of the road. Parking will likely be at Nyeport as they have a large, empty and free car park or at the Hotel if you are staying there.
Once at the station, getting to the House of Culture is as simple as crossing the road. Look for the Valhall entrance and walk in!
A Note About Money Finally, when in Sweden, remember that they pay using their very own moneys. Getting Swedish crowns is possible in a variety of ways: (1) just paying by card where ever you're going (2) using your debit/credit card in any Swedish ATM to withdraw Swedish banknotes (3) asking any bank in your country of origin nicely (4) using a bureau de change (5) if you are willing to pay in Euros, asking Alko, who will again open a mini exchange booth ;)
Options 1 and 2 will usually cost you some kind of being-abroad fee (1.5 % of the value paid/withdrawn for me). Option 3 can or can not cost you money, depending on your bank. Option 4 is generally the most expensive (to quote Poxnor: They'll charge you your left nut). For more information on option 5 open the spoiler ;)
My (Alko) bank is nice enough to me to give me Swedish Crowns without requiring an additional fee (however requiring me to exchange at least 150 € every time I do so). So if you have Euros and want Swedish Crowns, I'll be very happy to exchange some more moneys and pass them on to you (not restricted to more than 150 €; can also be less). Please shoot me a PM, if you are interested. Please note the deadline: Contact me by the 27th of May (one month before the event). Of course, I can only give you the money at the event itself, unless by chance we're taking the same train ;) )
We have an updated map for 2015 courtesy of Icedpingu x3
Explanation of Icedpingu's map: This should actually be pretty self-explanatory. Most importantly, it notes the Quality Hotel Prisma, the one we have our hotel deal with. Again note pizzas and knifes and forks are places where you can get food.
European Speedster Assembly 2015 is a speedrunning centered community meetup and marathon. The doors are open from the afternoon of June 26th until noon July 7th. The stream will be running between June 28th until July 5th.
This thread serves to collect all key information and threads into one place.
Hotel & Venue Information: Skövde Kulturhus Trädgårdsgatan 9, 541 30 Skövde Sweden
Quality Hotel Prisma Ekedalsgatan 2 54124 Skövde Sweden Phone: +46 500 48 80 00 q.prisma@choice.se
Hotel Reservations will be made by emailing the hotel or calling them. To get the discounted rate you need to make your reservation under the booking number/reference 92465. The discounted rate is 535 SEK / night for a double bedroom. Prices includes tax and gratuity. The hotel is not reserving any rooms, it's first come, first serve basis. Get your reservations in now.
Accommodation and Travel resources:
- Hotel and Room Sharing
- Mass housing thread - posted 2015-06-07
- Travel
Event Information and Resources:
- Payment - posted 2015-05-03
- First Round Cuts - posted 2015-04-01
- Second Round Cuts - posted 2015-05-15
- Schedule - posted 2015-05-30
- Sign-Up Information - posted 2015-03-16
- Game submission and Rules - posted 2015-02-05
- Pricing and Budget Thread - posted 2015-02-13
Equipment Information and Resources:
- Equipment - posted 2015-06-05
Volunteer Information and Resources:
- Volunteering - posted 2015-05-29
- Tech Volunteering - posted 2015-06-09
Misc. Information:
- Clarification About the State of ESA and Ludendi - posted 2015-02-10
Lead Organiser's Information:
If you have questions about the event, please contact any of us and make sure to follow ESA's twitter account!
Name: Edenal Job: Admin, Payment & Purchases Best contact option: Skype (fredrik.lidholt) / Twitter (@edenalsda) / Email: edenal@europeanspeedsterassembly.com
Name: Oasiz Job: Main tech Best contact option: SRL IRC (oasiz)
Name: flicky Job: Producer (!), Game & Schedule Best contact option: Twitter (@flickyish) / SRL IRC (flicky) / Email (flicky@europeanspeedsterassembly.com) / Twitch (flickyish)
Name: bangerra Job: Games & Schedule Best contact option: Skype (bangerra) / Twitter (@bangerrasrl) / SRL IRC (bangerra) / Twitch (bangerra)
Name: Grukk Job: Promotion & Website Best contact option: Skype (jonas.akered1) / Twitter (@Grukk_)
We have a number of others helping us as listed below! (May not be up to date). If you have questions about anything listed here, please contact the bolded person (for example, hosting questions, ask flicky)
Working with Edenal Crippe - Venue reservations, On site storage + more Niss3 - On site events (Melon gaming), On site storage + more
Working with Oasiz Ontwoplanks - Tech + Audio + Video AMVX - Tech + Audio + Hardware MaxieTheHatter - Tech + Video
Working with flicky & bangerra joka - Game + Schedule
Working with flicky Alko - Donations, travel Tompa - Donations
Robosparkle - Hosting Suzy - Hosting Phhillu - Hosting
MLSTRM - Underling Adam - Underling
Working with Grukk tdawg - Promotion Pac - Website + Promotion SpeedPainter - Graphical stuff Cronikeys - Game submission form
Also, we have to think of things for the following to do: Neviutz, Lotblind, Fatzke
