So, we're getting close to the end of the year now, so I figure it's time to start discussing LOTY2016.
For those who weren't here or didn't pay attention to it - last year, at the end of the year we had a special "Level of the Year" contest, which rather than requiring a level to be made specifically for the contest, instead levels that were released during the year (technically, from December 2014 through to November 2015) were nominated for the contest; the prizes were also a bit bigger than normal.
I'd like to do that again this year, but before that, I'd like to offer a chance to give input into how it was run. What did or didn't you like about last year's format? Any changes you'd like to see? Etc.
One thing that was confusing during the previous contest was the exact eligibility rules. The rule was that the level itself, in its exact form, had to have had its initial release during the eligible time period. This could mean that different levels within a pack could have differing eligiblity, depending on whether it was re-used from elsewhere, or possibly even released in a demo prior to December 2014 even if the full pack was released afterwards. There was also initially a rule that a level that won a regular contest couldn't be nominated; only for this to later change and instead such levels got automatic nomination - one level that got in on such a nomination ended up getting 3rd place.
Thus, I'd like to simplify the rules this time. Ideally, I'd still like to lock out levels that have been around for a long time and got reused; but not lock out levels that were only released in demos. My first thought thus is to retain the 2015 rules, but with a special case: "Levels that are released as part of a demo (or single-level) previews for a larger pack do not affect the level's eligibility." The flipside to this would be - intentionally - that a demo released in 2016, but with the full pack not coming until 2017, would not be eligible (but would then be eligible for LOTY2017). There'd also be one specific exception - levels that were nominated for LOTY2015 can't be nominated again, if there are any that would be eligible again otherwise.