Spectator Tournament
General Information
Here, "spectating" refers to participating in our spectator tournament (note: its format isn't very tournament-like, but it's usual OCT nomenclature). You can of course passively spectate and watch the competition without partaking - we recommend joining our Discord if you'd like to be involved in the community (though you can also receive updates by following us on Twitter for major events like round prompts and deadlines).
Spectator tournaments are a relatively common OCT practise which enable those who (for whatever reason) aren't participating in the main tournament to get involved from round to round with less pressure. In this case, they have their own separate prompts, with spectator characters performing their own in-universe duties.
Format
Hyperspace’s spectator tournament will run concurrently with the main competitor tournament, featuring slightly shorter staggered rounds:
They’ll last 5 weeks and begin 4 weeks after each main round starts;
This means their deadline will be 1 week after the main round’s deadline;
If a main round receives a universal extension, so will the corresponding spectator round;
Submissions are to be made the same way as those to the main tournament - via email using the format on our How to Enter page;
Joining our Discord is required for spectators, too!
Spectator prompts are open to all characters in the setting except those competing in the main tournament (i.e. ex-competitors or spectator characters brought in by artists not competing in the main tournament are allowed).
Feel free to skip a round if you are unable to (or don't wish to) make an entry for it, the next round will still be there waiting as nobody gets knocked out in this format! Spectators are also welcome to join at any time - so if you find the OCT late, this is how you can get stuck in.
For various reasons (in- and out-of-universe), competitors in our main tournament are not permitted to participate in the spectator tournament at the same time.
As with competitors in our main tournament, two creators may team up to form a single “spectator”.
Characters
For spectators never involved in the main tournament:
Make an expedition team in accordance with the expectations set out on our Character Creation page;
Email them to us the same way a main tournament competitor would, and we’ll get back to you if any changes are needed;
The exceptions: spectator expedition teams may have only one member if you wish, and if you’re joining after round one you can choose your team’s colour (make it distinct enough from existing teams’ colours).
For those knocked out of the main tournament who wish to continue participating in the spectator tournament:
You may stick with your existing expedition team (no need for a second application / screening process) OR retire those characters and make a new one;
If you make a new one, follow the steps above for people who are purely spectating.
Prompts
Chronologically speaking, spectator prompts happen either during or between the in-universe Hyperspace tournament’s rounds. They will involve assisting the judge NPCs with tasks pertaining to the next round's preparation - so the audition spectator prompt is a teaser for the main tournament’s round one prompt, spectator round one’s a teaser for main tournament round two, etc. As for the final prompt’s purpose (given there will be no future main tournament round to foreshadow), you’ll have to wait and see!
Prizes
Each spectator entry counts for a certain number of “tickets” on a scale:
1 ticket = single illustration, written scene or equivalent;
3 tickets = single comic page (or brief set), written chapter or equivalent;
5 tickets = full comic, written part or equivalent.
2 and 4 tickets will be granted for entries which fall between the listed lengths / complexities. Additional tickets may be granted for entries which show a particularly high level of polish and would otherwise earn fewer than 5.
Each prompt will also include a small list of additional tickets to be earned through featuring specific things in your entry (e.g. featuring cameos of other spectator characters).
Spectators’ ticket tallies are shown on our Ticket Tracker which will be updated each round.
If an ex-competitor joins the spectator tournament once knocked out, each previous entry will be evaluated and assigned tickets accordingly.
At the end of the OCT, we will enter each spectator’s name into a hat once for each ticket earned. A few winners will be selected at random and given 10 shiny Pokémon from our pool. One spectator can win multiple shinies if random number generation happens to be in their favour!
Additionally, the spectator with the most tickets will win a coloured + shaded headshot of their character(s) by Haywire.