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EC Pong (Ici Fondue) - An Interactive Game for RMAs

🕵️‍♂️ CLASSIFIED: The EC Pong Terminal

Welcome to the hidden breakroom. If you’ve stumbled onto this page, there is a high probability you are actively procrastinating on a Horizon Europe deliverable or waiting for the Funding & Tenders Portal to unfreeze.

You are in a safe space.

At Orientos, we manage EU grants for a living. We know the pain. So, we built EC Pong, a highly accurate, slightly traumatic, and entirely unofficial arcade simulator of the European Commission grant lifecycle. Take a deep breath, stretch your typing fingers, and take out your frustration on some Work Packages and Tasks.

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🕹️ The Coordinator's Manual (How to Play)

Your Objective: Keep the budget ball bouncing, smash through all the Work Package bricks, and survive the Reviewer Boss to get your project successfully funded.

The Controls:

  • Move Consortium Paddle: Mouse/trackpad, Left/Right Arrow Keys, or A/D.

  • Pause/Resume: Spacebar.

  • Boss Key: Press Escape to instantly pull up a dummy report!

Choose Your Set-Up: Before you start, you can adjust the parameters of your funded project, like the number of partners, work packages, and reporting periods. When it comes to the budget, choose wisely:

  • Actual Cost (AC): You must physically catch the falling timesheets and receipts with your paddle to claim your points. If they hit the floor, those costs are ineligible!

  • Lump Sum (LS): Points automatically score, but the stakes are higher. If you drop the ball (lose a life), the Commission revives several of your completed tasks. It’s all or nothing!

Bureaucratic Hazards to Avoid:

  • Audits (Red Drops): Avoid catching these at all costs! They will trigger a financial check and drastically slow down your paddle.

  • Defaulting Partners: If a partner drops out, your paddle permanently shrinks or develops a gaping hole right in the middle. There are no replacements—don't let the budget slip through the cracks!

  • The PO/FO Ceiling: The top of the screen isn't just a wall—it's your Project Officer and Financial Officer. Hit them, and they'll "catch" your budget ball for a mandatory review. After a frustrating delay, they will suddenly shoot it back out in a completely unpredictable direction!

  • The "Submit" Button Roulette: Be warned. Every time you click "Submit" in the menus, there is a 20% chance the portal will hit you with a hyper-realistic, completely unskippable administrative delay.

Good luck, Coordinator. The consortium is counting on you.

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