Now surrounded by a secure castle and stories to look back upon, Gildedguy has been inspired to invite more stories into his life. Stories from the many adventurers of Cier! And so, “DUELS!” is born, a fast-paced series of community-submitted works meant to entertain, showcase talent, and allow Gildedguy to engage in even more friendly battles.

The goal is a rotating gallery of stories that will be presented on the overlay during livestreams. Imagine a game-jam/art-a-thon vibe instead of a full blown film festival.

• Ensures regular exposure since they can be played automatically in future livestreams
  • They’ll pop in between song-requests like a commercial or story-time break.
• Short-enough to be produced without burn-out
• Each new story will have its own mini-premiere & themed in-game/gala items
• Depending on quality, Gildedguy may feature submissions on the YouTube channel in a compilation or shorts.

Story Requirements

• Preferred that a fight takes place between two characters
• Setting must take place at Gilded’s Castle or be within the neighboring area (Aegis Town). Doesn’t have to mention these locations by name, but the setting must be compatible.
• These stories are non-canonical to Gildedguy’s Stories unless coordinated with Gildedguy
  • You can feature Gildedguy characters, but the previous point still applies.
  • Please see the GG Canon-Friendly Tips Section for more info.
• Server content rules apply to submissions (No NSFW, hot/political topics, etc.)

Submission Format

For stories to be enjoyed as a shared experience (premieres), they will be formatted as audio-visual media: 

Written/Webcomic Submissions:

• Must include narration, but don’t worry – Gildedguy will help contract/provide voiceover
• Optional Voice acting & Sound FX
• Optional Images/animated clips
  • Must be in 16:9 or 9:16
  • Provide timestamps for when to show/hide each image/clip
• Narrated duration must be 2-10 minutes long.

Fully rendered video submissions are even better:

• You can submit your written story with the above requirements in video format.
• Include as much animation as you want
• If you can convey the story without narration (pure animation), you may do so.
• Animations must be at least 30 seconds long
• Use of copyrighted music is okay so long as it is not blocked on YouTube.

Hopefully this will allow writers, illustrators, & animators to all contribute how they wish. Stories can range from a paragraph of text, to a full minute-long animated fight. All will receive the Gilded Castle premiere treatment! 

Volunteers Appreciated

• Narrators
• Voice actors
• Sound Designers

Volunteers can offer their services to the community by making a post in the #duels-projects forum channel on the Discord server with the tag “Volunteering”.

Deadlines

To keep things on the light & fun side, production times will be quick (1-2 months). I want to focus on practice over perfection. 

We’ll have recurring submission points throughout the year:

1. The first deadline is April 4th (~2 months).
2. The following deadline will be 2 months later from that
3. The following deadline will be 1.5 months later
4. The following deadline will be ~1 month later (etc..)

If you miss one deadline, you can always submit for the following one. 

How to Participate

1. Decide what format you want to create your story in (written, illustrated, and/or animation).
2. Work solo or collab with other artists on your submission.
   1. Optionally post your progress in the event-channel in the Discord Server
3. Wait for the new submission form link to be announced and submit!
   1. This is not the same as the old form link (active until 2/14), which was created to survey interest
   2. Gildedguy will then review and reach out to you about how we’ll showcase your work.
4. Wait for the next premiere (a lil after April 4th) for your work to be shown on stream!

In addition to all this, Gildedguy will be privately handpicking duelists to personally fight for fun and story progression.

Gildedguy Canon Friendly Tips

Here are some character-design & worldbuilding tips that I factor into considering a story as canon-friendly to the Gildedguy Stories. These are not requirements for making a submission, but will increase the chance of having our characters cross paths.

• Stick figure anatomy
• Medieval/fantasy/martial arts combat
• Minimal to no references to pop-culture/media
• Characters should be distinct enough from GG’s featured characters
• Characters’ designs should not be overly adorned with equipment and clothing.
  • I.e. The Law of Cartoon Pants
• Characters should be depicted as being in a “general adventure” spot in their story arcs to allow for one-shot tales to occur. 
• Aim for the one-shot: Stories should be self-contained with a pretty clear resolution.

Questions? Ask them below! These guidelines are subject to change based on your feedback.

FAQ