# 2007 Judge Selection



## Dextra (Feb 3, 2007)

The nomination forms are starting to trickle in, and now I'd like to open up a thread where people can ask Nominees their opinions/positions on certain topics.  Participation is completely optional, but  hope voters will use this is a tool, along with the nominee writeups- to help make an informed decision.

I've come up with a few questions to get things started, and encourage other voters to chip in with regards to what you think are the important issues at hand:

1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?
2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one?  Why?  How will this affect your ability to judge products?
3. How do you feel about PDFs?  Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?
4. Mutant or troll?


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## DaveyJones (Feb 3, 2007)

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?


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## crazy_cat (Feb 3, 2007)

8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?


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## Crothian (Feb 3, 2007)

I guess I'll be the first to tackle these  

1) Price is a factor but it is one of the last and least important factors.  Usually when compairing two books they have to be really close for me to have price make the difference.  There are the rare exceptions for something that is unusually cheap or unusually expensive though.  

2) I don't have a favorite system, but I'm still looking for one.  There are systems I like better then others.  Some systems just work better and are easier to understand then other systems.  Other times the system just does not do what the game is designed to do.  But my like or dislike of a system rarely makes me bias towards or against a game.    It can be hard and sometimes I have to set the book aside and clear my head for a few days to do it, but I really try to give each book a blank slate when I start to read it.  

3) I'm a fan of PDFs.  I review a lot and read even more.  But they are at a disadvantage but that has shrunk in the past few years.

4) Mutants.  

5) I perfer concepts to mechanics.  Concepts are what I build my own games on and mechanics are just how we do it.  But errors in either are going to be seen as faults of the submission.  In the past few years we have gotten more good books then bad so it is important to be a little picky and just nominate the very best.  

6) As much as I hate to say it, I have plenty of free time to be a Judge.  I've taken vacation days to get it all done before.  The first year I did this it basically costy me my girlfriend at the time (it was going to end anyway it just happened sooner because I was a Judge).   I'm a single guy with family and friends that understand there will be many weeks I'm not going to have time to talk to them.  

7) I give most of it all away.  My friends each get a few books or a small pile.  I give some away at Gamedays and at Gen Con for people that help us there.  I give some to Denise to help raise money to cover the costs.  The rest gets placed on selves and evtually traded away or kept until I can find a good home for them.

8) later, since it is not this year I don't have to worry about it.


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## trancejeremy (Feb 3, 2007)

9) Which is your favorite Beatle?


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## schporto (Feb 3, 2007)

10)  Software.  What role do you see for software in DnD?  Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?  Are minis more important than software?

I may not be asking this right.  And while this is a secondary thing - it is important to how I'd vote.  I use software in my game, and I consider it more useful/important than minis, or battlemats, or paper foldup models.
-cpd


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## Crothian (Feb 3, 2007)

schporto said:
			
		

> 10)  Software.  What role do you see for software in DnD?  Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?  Are minis more important than software?
> 
> I may not be asking this right.  And while this is a secondary thing - it is important to how I'd vote.  I use software in my game, and I consider it more useful/important than minis, or battlemats, or paper foldup models.
> -cpd




10) I'll start with minis first.  I am not one that usually uses Minis however the group I do does make use of minis.  I have found that they can aid the game and there are a lot of cool accessories to have fun with the battle mat and minis.  It's not my first choice of how to do things, but I can see why they are so popular.  

I don't use software but that is because I don't own a laptop and not because I dislike gaming software.  As a reveiwer and former Judge I have seen software that I would use if having a computer when I game was convient for me.  I don't see minis as being more important then software.  They kind of serve a similiar purpose of making the game easier and more fun for those people that like and can make good use of them.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 3, 2007)

Dextra said:
			
		

> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?




Pretty low on the list, like a tiebreaker at best.

It's not that I think price is not worthy of notice in my day-to-day life...it's just that unless there is a categpry like "Best Value" or something akin to that, I'm not sure I should be judging something based on it's it's sticker cost.



> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one?




I find that I cycle through about five "Favorite systems" a year on average. I think certain systems are better for modelling certain genres, other than that I don't really have favorites.

Most fo the systems I particlarly hate are long out of print (and deservedly so I should think )



> How will this affect your ability to judge products?




Well, my taste has always factpred into my judging, this year isn;t likley to be different.



> 3. How do you feel about PDFs?




I'm more a fan of content than chosen media...though I do wish .PDF's were published more often with an eye to taking advantage of their electronic strengths rather than just treating them like "print yourself" paper files.

  Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?



> 4. Mutant or troll?




Mutant.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 3, 2007)

DaveyJones said:
			
		

> 5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?




Concepts are what I buy products for. If something is truly awful in terms of errors and proofreading though (like where it starts affecting my ability to absorb the information and such), it will probably affect my opinion.

A miscalculatd Skill point and that kind of thing though? It won't ususally kill an otherwise good product for me.  



> 6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)




In my previous efforts as an ENnies judge I have never failed to complete the work. It becomes my first priority. My wife and family are understanding about this time of year for me, and my job is such that I have a _lot_ of free "reading time" during working hours.

Three times I've found it necessary to take time off from work to complete the reading, and have always done so.



> 7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?




I keep the stuff I like, give abunch away at Gen Con to EN Worlders who express an interest, distribute a bunch to local conventions as prizes, donate a bunch to the ENnies auctions for fundraising and---given the success of last years decision to donate a bunch to the library at Children's Hospital in Vancouver--I'll likley do some version of all four again.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 3, 2007)

trancejeremy said:
			
		

> 9) Which is your favorite Beatle?




A tie between John and Ringo.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 3, 2007)

schporto said:
			
		

> 10)  Software.  What role do you see for software in DnD?  Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?  Are minis more important than software?
> 
> I may not be asking this right.  And while this is a secondary thing - it is important to how I'd vote.  I use software in my game, and I consider it more useful/important than minis, or battlemats, or paper foldup models.
> -cpd




Well, we don't currently use minis in our game; but I certainly appreciate nicely sculpted minis from an artistic point of view. 

As for software, I make pretty good use of Campaign Suite and Dundjinni (Mostly for clix games)

Software seems like any other product in terms of quality...some I use, some I don't and some is just bad (and best avoided)


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## Treebore (Feb 3, 2007)

1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?

I'm just evaluating the product, its up to the individual to decide if it is worth their money, not me.

2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?

I think I play too many systems to say I have a favorite. I definitely have a "preference", but I know how many systems bring very many different strengths to a game. So I am the last person who will say any rules sytem is the best of all. 

3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?
I have a lot of pdf's. I like them but I still have a definite preference for print. I mostly like them for products I expect to need to print a lot from, like modules. Or "Mother of all Treasure Tables", things like that. However PDF doesn't keep me from buying a product, as Phil Reed and CMG Mark can attest. Le Games. Fat Dragon Games. Et Al.

4. Mutant or troll?

Definitely a Mutant.

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

Yes. I'm here to pick the cream of the crop. Well written mechanics and concepts are going to be key elements to separate the wheat from the chaffe.


6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

I am essentially retired and self employed (small farm). I have hours every day to spend on this. Health issues with my wife/kids/family are the only possible issues, but none that are foreseeable.

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?

Don't know. Definitely keep what I like and don't already have. The rest I may sell, give away, whatever I finally decide upon.

9) Which is your favorite Beatle?

The Rhino Beetle

10) Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?

I would like to see a lot more done for RPG's in the software world, thats for sure. I hope if I am elected a judge that I get to see a lot of cool new stuff that gets me excited about the future.


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## PapersAndPaychecks (Feb 4, 2007)

11.  Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?


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## Treebore (Feb 4, 2007)

PapersAndPaychecks said:
			
		

> 11.  Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?





Nope. If thats what it takes to become a judge I'm not interested.


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## PatrickLawinger (Feb 4, 2007)

PapersAndPaychecks said:
			
		

> 11.  Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?




I am totally not allowed to run for being a Judge, but in exchange for truly incriminating photos of Morrus .... hmmmm, we should talk. I mean, pictures of Morrus playing (the game which can not be named without derailing the thread--more--Okay, someone start another flamethread about FATAL to avoid tainting this one anymore-Hey,*I* didn't name a game, but comments like that makes FATAL happen...) would be worth quite a bit.

On that note, can we stop creating new questions and let the Judge candidates answer that have already been asked?

Thanks,
Patrick


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## PatrickLawinger (Feb 4, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> Nope. If thats what it takes to become a judge I'm not interested.




Crumb, I was going to vote for you but I want Judges that are easily swayed by money, gifts, and scantilly clad women. 

Sigh ...


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## Xath (Feb 5, 2007)

> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?




It depends.  When evaluating a product for personal purchase, I'll certainly look at the price and weigh it against the overall quality of the product and the use I think I'll get out of it.  However, when evaluating a product for an award such as the ENnies, price becomes an issue to me only if there seems to be a gross difference between the quality and effort put into the product, and the price they're asking for it.  It certainly wouldn't change my opinion on the quality of the product, but such a discrepancy would be worth mentioning on an evaluation.  



> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one?  Why?  How will this affect your ability to judge products?




I don't have a favorite system, nor do I have animosities towards a particular game.  To me, the enjoyment of a game has just as much to do with the group you play with as it does with the quality of the system.  While gaming has its serious sides, the overall goal is fun.  As long as fun is possible in a system (and seriously, when isn't it?) I have no reason to have a particular dislike of it.  I guess the only way that that would effect my ability to judge products is that I tend to try to find good qualities in everything.  So I might end up having to curb my glass-half-full outlook.  



> 3. How do you feel about PDFs?  Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?




I LOVE LOVE LOVE .pdfs.  I've played in groups where I've had to take mass transit 3 hours each way, and I've played in groups where I've had to walk upwards of two miles each way.  Not having to carry twenty books on top of my minis, battlemat, etc has probably saved my shoulders from a permanent slant. I admit that for books I reference more than 10 times in a game, I prefer to have access to a paper copy, but .pdf supplements are wonderful!  When they're bookmarked to have direct access to chapters and the details within, they're just as easy to use as a hard copy.   



> 4. Mutant or troll?




Mutant



> 5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?




It depends on the category.  Best Cover Design?  Certainly not.  Best Production Value?  Well, editing is a major factor in the production value of a product, so errors in mechanics and writing would certainly have to be taken into effect.  If I find one typo I will definitely not toss a product aside, but if errors begin to interfere with my understanding and enjoyment of a product, then I'll definitely have to take that into consideration.  



> 6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)




Having worked with the ENnies as a staff member, I have a pretty good idea of how much of a time commitment the judges put into making the ENnies work.  While I do have a full-time job, I just graduated from college in December which means a few things.  One, it means that I'll have much more free time than I'm used to to devote to the Ennies.  Two, it means that I'm really good at reading hundreds and hundreds of pages of diverse texts and keeping them in my mind in an organized fashion.  I am in a long-term relationship, but my SO is also a gamer, so that's not a problem.  I have no children, my parents are perfectly healthy, and I'm not getting married for at least two more years.  I will be starting a new job soon, but it's already been established that it will take up less of my time than my current job, so that will only give me more time to work on the ENnies.  Believe me, once I've made a commitment, I see it through.  I know the effort it takes to be an ENnies judge, and I would not shirk that responsibility.  



> 7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?




I may keep a few items for myself, but I'll probably be giving most of it back to the ENnies, to be used as swag for volunteers and as fundraising material for the awards.  



> 8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?




Eventually.  3.5 will eventually get to the point that WotC just won't be able to publish anything new for it, and as they are not a non-profit business, they're going to want to keep making things that people will buy.  I mean, we've already gotten to the point with 3.5 where spells meant to be cast by different classes, or spells of different levels have the same name.  If there are so many published spells that they can't even have their own names, we're getting closer to that point.


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## Xath (Feb 5, 2007)

schporto said:
			
		

> 10)  Software.  What role do you see for software in DnD?  Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?  Are minis more important than software?




I love software.  In particular, I'm an avid user of map-making software.  Aside from that, I tend to use other gaming software more in a PbP environment than I do in P&P games.  Online dice-rollers and character record software makes gaming in a PbP much easier and efficient.  It also really helps characters in pencil and paper games communicate over email between sessions.  

I also really enjoy using minis, but I wouldn't equate them as being more or less important than software.  After all, what good would my digitally rendered draconic lair with it's 1" grid be if I didn't have a Huge freshly painted red dragon to inhabit it?

I guess when it comes down to it, I really like gaming accessories.  Dice, software, minis, AoE templates; I love them all.  I'd be lying if I said that I don't carry around a set of emergency dice in my purse in case of spontaneous gaming.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 6, 2007)

> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?




That's an interesting question that I had not really thought about in the past... it's really not something I would think of as a factor when judging the quality of a product.  Though, price does do one of two things: it enables or inhibits.  That is, a low price allows many people to have access to a product and a high price cuts off individuals that (1) don't have the money to spend or (2) aren't willing to spend the money. 

In that sense, price does not have a particular impact on the quality of the product and, as such, doesn't have an impact on how I would judge the product.

Secondly, price can be an indicator of how much work went into a product which can, in some circumstances, highlight the overall quality of the production... which, in the end, doesn't always mean it's a good product.

All that said, I don't judge a product by its price.  There is no guarantee that a product's price says anything about its actual production quality.

And now I'm done saying that price isn't really a factor in how I judge in many different ways.



> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?




I am fond of systems that have vast capabilities.  For example, I love True20 because you can do _so much_ with it.  In the past year, I have had the opportunity to play in a number of Mutants and Masterminds games ranging from a Civil War with Aliens to run by The Universe to an all out, over-the-top, totally-awesome comic-bookery Supers adventuring with Pirate Cat.  The games were totally different in setting, feel, and player dynamic, but they were both resounding successes because the system allowed for diverse and moldable game-play.  The GMs for the games had totally different objectives in mind and were able to meet them with the unique mechanics of True20/Mutants and Masterminds.

And, tangentially, that sort of highlights what I think makes a good product - it fulfills its mission.  I recognize that, even systems that I don't enjoy playing (the one that springs to mind is ShadowRun), can be good, successful products because they do what they were set out to do.

In short, my current favorite systemis True20 (specifically Mutants and Masterminds) because I find that it does all the things I want it to do.  But, more importantly, it succeeded in creating a fun, comic-booky supers game.  And, in doing so, it provides a benchmark for sucess in judging other products.

All that said: My favorite system changes.  Before it was Mutants and Masterminds, it was d20 Modern/Past... and before that it was d6 Star Wars.



> 3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?




Well... I like 'em.  I like being able to immediately get a product that I want without leaving my apartment because I'm lazy.  I like being able to have sneaky access to products at work when I really should be doing something else.  I also like being able to transport many products on my jump drive from point A to point B without lugging around HUGE amounts of books.  Lastly, I like .pdfs that are text searchable because that cuts down on the amount of work I have to do when I really need to find something.

However, there is something special about cracking open a brand new book.  The smell, the feel... it's a pretty magical feeling that I'm sure all gamers relate to.  There's nothing quite like heading out to your FLGS to pick up that new book that you want SO BAD and rushing home and reading it cover to cover and having it sitting there all beautiful on your shelf.  That's a feeling so cherished that I have been known to wait to purchase a product until GenCon because I love feeling that feeling amongst "my people." (Does that make sense?  I could just be a raving lunatic...)

PDFs, because they are not on bookshelves at Borders, B&N, etc., do seem to be products specifically for the gaming community.  As such, there is an immediate drawback in that PDFs do little to "spread" the hobby... which, doesn't make them bad, it just makes them unique to people that are already gamers.



> 4. Mutant or troll?




Troll.  It's what's for dinner.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 6, 2007)

DaveyJones said:
			
		

> 5. Mechanics or concepts?  If you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?




Mechanics and concepts go hand-in-hand in my opinion.  The concept that drives the mechanics ought to work together to create an overall *feel* that permeates the product.  If the concepts and the mechanics don't jive, there is a disconnect that highlights a flaw in the product.

Errors in mechanics and writing are flags for me because they mean the product was (1) not play-tested enough or (2) not edited thoroughly.  In either case, it is something that takes away from the overall quality of the product.



> 6. Are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? How much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)




I am married and have a career.  However, when my husband asked if he could nominate me to be an ENnies judge, I knew full-well the time that it takes to be a good judge.  So, after some thought, I said that, if he so desired, he could nominate me and I would happily put the time and effort into it if the community chooses me to be a judge.




> 7. What are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?



I will keep what I don't have and pass the rest on to my 18 year old brother in law and his fellow high school aged gamers to keep the hobby going!


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## HellHound (Feb 6, 2007)

Since most people seem to be dodging the 'favourite system' question I've got one.

_*Question 12**
What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_



*(feel free to ignore question 11)


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## Crothian (Feb 6, 2007)

HellHound said:
			
		

> _*Question 12*
> What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_




I am currently running Eberron and Changeling.  I'm playing in Savage Tides

In the past year I've also played or ran:
Serenity
Exalted 2e
QAGs
Traveler
GURPs
Paranoia
Thieves World
Deleria
Adventure
Buffy
D&D 1e
D&D 3e


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## Xath (Feb 6, 2007)

HellHound said:
			
		

> Since most people seem to be dodging the 'favourite system' question I've got one.
> 
> _*Question 12**
> What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_
> ...




My current group is pretty D20-centric so most of the long term campaigns I've played in have been D20.  I'm currently in two D&D 3.5 campaigns, a 3.5 PbP, a Wheel of Time campaign, and a D20 Revised Star Wars campaign.  But in the past year, I've played Exalted, Hunter, Serenity, D20 Modern/Future, Paranoia, Mutants & Masterminds, Buffy/Angel, True 20, and probably a few more that I'm not thinking of right now.  

I was going to start playing in an Exalted campaign late last year, but that fell through, so I'm stuck with a super-sweet Exalted character and no game to play.  But I'm sure an opportunity will arise soon enough.  One of the great things about living in this area is that there is always gaming to be found if you know where to look.


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## HellHound (Feb 6, 2007)

You two have blown my mind. I'm a pretty hard-core collector and player of games, but I've only played a fraction of the games you guys have in the past year.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 6, 2007)

HellHound said:
			
		

> Since most people seem to be dodging the 'favourite system' question I've got one.
> 
> _*Question 12**
> What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_




M&M

D&D 3.5

WEG Star Wars

GURPS Space (For Firefly)

Warhammer FRP

Conan RPG

Angel

Spycraft

Feng Shui


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## Treebore (Feb 6, 2007)

HellHound said:
			
		

> Since most people seem to be dodging the 'favourite system' question I've got one.
> 
> _*Question 12**
> What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_
> ...




D20 Star WArs   (8 sessions)

Castles and Crusades (30+ sessions)

D&D 3E (9 sessions)

MegaTraveller (4 sessions)

HARP (3 sessions)

EPICrpg (2 sessions)

M&M 2E (3 sessions)

L5R 3E (1 session so far)

Shadowrun 4E (1 session)


All with my wife and 3 kids. It pays to have a gamer family.  

Plus I have been reading the rules to Runequest and Call of Cthulhu 6th edition in preparation to try them out over the summer. Plus we want to do more L5R, Shadowrun, EPICrpg, well, all of them. During the summer we play 3 or more nights a week.


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## Xath (Feb 6, 2007)

HellHound said:
			
		

> You two have blown my mind. I'm a pretty hard-core collector and player of games, but I've only played a fraction of the games you guys have in the past year.




I'm serious when I say it has to do with the area in which I live.  I can't even walk into my local Borders without bumping into a new area gaming group.  And this area is really fortunate to be infused with a large number of high quality local gaming stores.  My nerditude insists that I game at least once per week, but for the most part, my regular group can only meet about once per month.  So that leaves 3 weeks out of the month for trying new things. 

Though it seems as though a bunch of the people I game with regularly are also looking to try new systems, so we're talking of starting up a weekly "whoever can show up" night to try a one-shot.  So not only would I be able to game even more, but if I was a judge, it would be a great opportunity to see how the nominated products play.


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## Piratecat (Feb 6, 2007)

I'm in as a potential judge! So let's see if I can address some questions.

*1. Price factors.* Price has virtually no impact on a product's inherent quality. While it's sometimes useful to consider a product's price vs. value - a $5 pdf won't be trying for the same results as a $60 deluxe book - I believe each product should be judged on its own merits. Truth be told, I don't particularly notice the price.

*2. Favorite system.* Please see Q12 below. 

*3. PDFs.* The existence of PDFs lowered the cost barriers of entry into RPG publishing. PDFs allow great design to actually get seen. I think they're essential to innovation in the industry.

That being said, I hate to print them out in full; I read most PDFs on my screen or in printed sections.

*4. *Otyugh.

*5. Mechanics vs. Concepts. *I lean towards concepts, I suspect. I'm certainly familiar with mechanics evaluation, but it's the game's concepts that grab me. I'm also very sensitive to writing errors, and generally include those in my analysis.

*6. Free time.* I'm a computer game designer, and we ship the current game in about two weeks. This couldn't come at a better time in terms of my availability. I also a fast reader, which I know from experience helps.

*7. And afterwards?* My game shelves are close to full. Some things I'll certainly keep, and some will get distributed at game days. If you really believe in a product, you want other people to see it.

*10. software vs Miniatures. *Software's great, and an important part of game prep for me. I certainly use software tools - char gen, campaign tracking, and map-making - more than painted miniatures in my own game.

*11. Blackmail? *I have incriminating photos of Morrus. Cheap at any price!  (The photos, not Morrus.  Honest.)

*12. Games played in the last year.* Feng Shui. Paranoia. D&D. Call of Cthulhu. D&D. d20 Star Wars. Warhammer FRP. Spaceship Zero. Serenity. Mutants & Masterminds. Gamma world. Pulp Heroes. Adventure!. Deadlands. Sidewinder Recoiled. True 20. 

Good lord, I'm a game slut.   But this is what you get when you both hold your own non-D&D mini-con, and go to someone else's as well.


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## mcrow (Feb 6, 2007)

> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?



Not at all. I judge a game based on absolute quality. When doing a review, I comment on the quality of the product and leave it to the reader to decide if it is a good value for their gaming purposes. It just seems to work better that way, given that people have differing opinions of what makes a game a good value. 


> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?



I don't have any system that I would call my favourite, but I do have a few systems that I'm very familiar with and tend to use them more because of that. I don't have a dislike for any particular system. I enjoy trying out new systems as much as I can and for the most part I think that a lot of systems work fine. Some just shine more in certain game types. 


> 3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?



I like PDFs a lot. I think over past year about half of all of my RPG purchases hae been PDF. I don't like buying core books in PDF ,unless I already have the print version, because it is hard on the eye to read 300 page book on my laptop. I like the PDF version so I can search it and print out the chargen or charts for players. Shorter supplements make up most of what I buy for PDFs. Ones that i can print out cheaply if I want. PDF is also good for those that live nowhere near a gaming store and shipping cost are high making print books unaffordable.  


> 4. Mutant or troll?



Mutant



> 5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?



 typeos and bad editing will lose points with me. I'm willing to overlook a few mistakes, but if the book looks like it was run through a spell checker and then printed, I will be all over it. 

Mechanical issues tend to get me a little more irritated. A game should be very well playtested be for it is published and the rules should be clearly written. If the game lacks clear rules and/or mechanical problems I will make it known. 



> 6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)




I'm married, but we have no kids. We are both very healthy so I don't see any issues there. My job is Monday through Friday no weekends or holidays and I can work pretty much any hours I want. 


> 7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?



Keep what I like. Maybe donate some to ENworld auctions or something. 


> 8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?



I think sometime in the next year we will be told what the plans for 4e are. 


> 9) Which is your favorite Beatle?



Ringo


> 10) Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?



Well, I  like character generators, maping software, and all those types of things. I think as time goes on D&D will become more software oriented. Right now, I would say that minis are more important to most gamers than software. For me, software is more important since I typically don't use minis when I play D&D, though I do enjoy playing a totally 3D dungeon once in a while. 



> 11. Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?



 I'me greedy like a dwarf, will get  no kek or gold from me.   




> 12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?



I just finished up a Burning Empires mini campaign this week.  Other games I played over the past year have been:

Nebuleon
Roma Imperious
AD&D 2ed
D&D 3.5
Hero System
Savage Worlds
A Game of Thrones
GURPs
Vampire (OWoD)
Hard Nova II
FUDGE
and a few one shots as well.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 6, 2007)

Howdy folks. 

1. Very significant to me as a buyer. Of no consequence when reviewing/evaluating.

2. Favorite system has fluctuated over the years. I've had a lot of fun with HERO, WFRP, D20. GURPS, etc... My only bias is that I'm pro-elegant design and creativity.   

3. I find PDFS to be an awkward reading experience...but a great way for a small publisher to get his ideas seen. I tend to print out everything I intend to use.

4. Beware my rend attack, baby.

5. Poor mechanics = laziness, in my opinion. A sufficiently creative concept could overcome that, but it is a black mark in my book.

6. I work a job where I can spend part of the day reading.     I'm a voracious reader and don't anticipate any problems blazing through a mountain of submissions. 

7. I will hug it and squeeze it and call it George

8. Soonish, I would imagine.

9. John, of course.

10. Minis are more important than software to me. I'm a pencil and paper guy.

11. Morrus made me promise not to share the videotape...but I might be persuaded to buy a beer or two at Gencon.


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## Rasyr (Feb 6, 2007)

The ENnies want to be considered a industry-wide award, and Morrus has stated he would like the ENnies to be talked about on many forums. Yet, the only forum in which the potential judges are participating seems to be EN World.......

Dextra started a thread like this one over on rpg.net, but the first thing done in that thread was to link people back to this one. And I don't seem to see any encouragement for the potential judges to participate in those threads on other forums?

It doesn't matter how many threads get started on other forums, if the only real conversations are happening here, then the ENnies are going to end up remaining seen as just the d20 Awards (with a little color from other systems) since EN World will always be seen as the *World's Largest d20 Fan Site*, not an industry-wide award....

Just a random thought.....


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## GwydapLlew (Feb 6, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Just a random thought.....




What was your question for the nominees for ENnies Judge, Rasyr?


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## fett527 (Feb 6, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> The ENnies want to be considered a industry-wide award, and Morrus has stated he would like the ENnies to be talked about on many forums. Yet, the only forum in which the potential judges are participating seems to be EN World.......
> 
> Dextra started a thread like this one over on rpg.net, but the first thing done in that thread was to link people back to this one. And I don't seem to see any encouragement for the potential judges to participate in those threads on other forums?
> 
> ...




Threadcrap much?


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## vermicious knid (Feb 6, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> The ENnies want to be considered a industry-wide award, and Morrus has stated he would like the ENnies to be talked about on many forums. Yet, the only forum in which the potential judges are participating seems to be EN World.......
> 
> Dextra started a thread like this one over on rpg.net, but the first thing done in that thread was to link people back to this one. And I don't seem to see any encouragement for the potential judges to participate in those threads on other forums?
> 
> ...





Is this a trick question?

Yes, I believe the ENnies are the best industry-wide RPG awards. I'd be happy to answer questions on other boards if somebody points me towards them...but it makes sense to me that the potential *EN*nies judges are being interviewed on *EN*world.


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## Morrus (Feb 6, 2007)

vermicious knid said:
			
		

> Is this a trick question?
> 
> Yes, I believe the ENnies are the best industry-wide RPG awards. I'd be happy to answer questions on other boards if somebody points me towards them...but it makes sense to me that the potential *EN*nies judges are being interviewed on *EN*world.




However, should you prefer, you can do this at RPGnet, The Forge or TheRPGSite.


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## mcrow (Feb 6, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> The ENnies want to be considered a industry-wide award, and Morrus has stated he would like the ENnies to be talked about on many forums. Yet, the only forum in which the potential judges are participating seems to be EN World.......
> 
> Dextra started a thread like this one over on rpg.net, but the first thing done in that thread was to link people back to this one. And I don't seem to see any encouragement for the potential judges to participate in those threads on other forums?
> 
> ...




Well, I think it is more of a lack of other sites not taking part more than anyone here discouraging it. I post over on The RPG Site more than anywhere. If someone started a similar post there or any other gaming forum I'd be happy to answer the questions. 

but this thread is for asking the potential judges questions, not to try to drag the ENnies down.


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## mcrow (Feb 6, 2007)

I just started a similar thread on The RPG Site.  

Nominees, please stop by and check it out.

Just keep in mind that things are a little more rowdy over there than you may be used to here.   

thanks.

The RPG Site


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## Morrus (Feb 6, 2007)

mcrow said:
			
		

> I just started a similar thread on The RPG Site.
> 
> Nominees, please stop by and check it out.
> 
> ...




Thanks - I'm sure Denise will link to it from the Ennies website as soon as she sees your post.


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## Treebore (Feb 6, 2007)

When I have been posting about this on other boards one of the complaints I have been hearing that we may be able to do something about is:

Having to sign up for an ENWorld account to post.

So can a forum be created where guests can post without getting an ENWorld account? That way they won't have to join the "exclusive" club of ENWorld. Just come via a link. Identify themselves only if they want to within their post.

I imagine it would have to be regularly monitored for flames and troll type posts, but it will at least negate one of the compalints I have heard.

Unless clicking on a link might chip their nails.  

If you would like extra help I am willing to help monitor it. Or you can put a link at the top of the thread to let us quickly notify mods about flaming/trolling posts. That way we can all moderate.


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## Holy Bovine (Feb 6, 2007)

_Edit by Morrus - you know I have to do this.  Rise above it._


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## Morrus (Feb 6, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> When I have been posting about this on other boards one of the complaints I have been hearing that we may be able to do something about is:
> 
> Having to sign up for an ENWorld account to post.
> 
> So can a forum be created where guests can post without getting an ENWorld account? That way they won't have to join the "exclusive" club of ENWorld. Just come via a link. Identify themselves only if they want to within their post.




You do not need an EN World account to participate in any part of the ENnies process.  No matter how many times Rasyr says you do, on however many forums, it's simply untrue.  You do not even need to _visit _ EN World.  

There are duplicate threads to this on various messageboards, including discussion and judge nomination threads.  The judge nominations are posted on the ENnies website (www.ennieawards.com).  We're hoping that the judges end up being representaive of a number of boards and gaming styles.  The voting does not take place on EN World but on a separate voting booth.  The awards can be discussed on any board you like, and we encourage that as we want poeple talking about them far and wide.

At present, there are locations on:

EN World
RPGNet
The Forge
TheRPGSite

Nominations for judges, as indicated on each of those sites, takes place via a direct email to Denise Robinson via her ennieawards email address.  They are then placed on the ENnies website at enieawards.com, along with a brief note as to which boards the nominee happens to frequent (and thier usernames there). The judge votin will then take place in an independent voting booth.

I repeat - no matter how many times Rasyr says it, wherever he says it, you do not need to visit EN World to follow the whole process.

All this information is on the ENnies website and has been repeatedly stated.  Please do not believe the innacurate information being passed around by Rasyr.


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## Treebore (Feb 6, 2007)

Cool. Now I know what to tell them.


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## Owen K.C. Stephens (Feb 6, 2007)

This was asked over on The RPG Site, and I'd like to see an answer from the judge nominees who are only posting here:

Originally Posted by blakkie
Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?


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## vermicious knid (Feb 7, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> This was asked over on The RPG Site, and I'd like to see an answer from the judge nominees who are only posting here:
> 
> Originally Posted by blakkie
> Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?




My answer there was: I believe it shows good sportsmanship for them to allow smaller companies the chance to shine.

To clarify, I don't mean that 3rd party products are inferior. I just mean it would be difficult for a small company to compete with WOTC in terms of art, marketing, etc... I actually like Grim Tales more than anything WOTC has put out recently.


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## Treebore (Feb 7, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> This was asked over on The RPG Site, and I'd like to see an answer from the judge nominees who are only posting here:
> 
> Originally Posted by blakkie
> Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?





Good for the third party d20 publishers, because they don't have the resources, for the most part, to consistantly compete with WOTC on production quality. Especially product, after product, after product. Plus they put out so much, now including adventures, they could easily dominate the awards due to a "flood" of products to submit.

So I think its good, even nice, that they abstain from participating in the awards process. They really don't need the extra feathers in their caps anyways. Their name recognition is "the name" synonomous (sp?) with the biggest RPG in the market. 

So I think it was really considerate of them to step aside and allow a level playing field for the up and coming 3rd party companies to get better recognition in the d20 market.


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## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> This was asked over on The RPG Site, and I'd like to see an answer from the judge nominees who are only posting here:
> 
> Originally Posted by blakkie
> Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?




I'll re-post what I posted over there.  

It makes me feel like they're afraid they wouldn't sweep. (and they're probably right). Ever since Hasbro took over WotC, they've tried to make themselve 'the' RPG company to the exclusion of all others. Well before the stores closed, they took all non WotC-RPGs off of their shelves. They've made Winter Fantasy into a RPGA/Wizards con. Continuing to compete in the ENnies (and not sweeping) would force them to realize that other companies could compete. So they don't. It makes me sad. They have great products. I just wish they'd be a bit more willing to share their spotlight.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 7, 2007)

> 10) Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?




Software, like all gaming tools, is a matter of personal preference.  For example, I use an inititive tracker, some people don't.

In my world, Dundjinni is used regularly (though not by me, by my GM).  I'm also totally lost without Simpson's Character sheet thinger when making a character for Mutants and Masterminds.

In the end, software and minis don't fulfill the same purpose in my mind, so one cannot be considered "more important" than the other.  They're different.  Software is a tool for making the game easier... minis are a creative outlet because I paint my own (and dabble in some miniatures games). 

I get to bring my character to itsybitsy life by painting something that looks sort of like I invision it.  I get to coordinate the BBEG's shield symbol to match the symbol of his fraternal order.

Long answer made short: I think software is very important to the future of D&D.  I use some software in my gaming.  Minis and software, while both gaming accessories, are too different to determine if one is more important than the other.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 7, 2007)

> 12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?




The past year has been pretty d20-centric.  I've played in the following games/systems/settings:

D&D
d20 Modern
d20 Past
Mutants and Masterminds (1st and 2nd editions)
Warhammer RPG
Spycraft 2.0
Grim Tales
Iron Kingdoms
d6 Star Wars


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## xrpsuzi (Feb 7, 2007)

Thanks for answering all the questions and best of luck to all the potential judges.

And you are all making it very difficult to only vote for 5..... 

-Suzi


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## Dextra (Feb 7, 2007)

*Reminder to all would-be judges*

1. I post the list of the accepted nominations before I go to bed each night, so if you don't see your name up there, I didn't receive your complete application.
2. Don't forget to visit the other boards where discussions are taking place.  I'm linking to them as I find them from the ENnies site here: http://www.ennieawards.com/judgenominees.html
3. If there's a board with questions for the judge candidates that I missed, please let me know!  
4. On Saturday the 10th, aka the last day for nominations, I'm going out (anyone want to join us at a Ceili in Montreal?).  In other words, I probably won't be able to update the site with any entries that come in Saturday afternoon, so I'd suggest getting your nomination in by Friday if possible.  The final list of nominees will be posted the 11th, voting begins the 12th.

I'm very pleased to see the amount of participation going on here and elsewhere!


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 7, 2007)

As for Wizards not participating in the ENnies:

I think that it does give smaller companies a chance to shine and, in that light, it's a good thing.  

That said, I think I would prefer that all RPG companies participate because, when they produce ENnie-worth products, they ought to be awarded.


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## the Jester (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> It doesn't matter how many threads get started on other forums, if the only real conversations are happening here, then the ENnies are going to end up remaining seen as just the d20 Awards (with a little color from other systems) since EN World will always be seen as the *World's Largest d20 Fan Site*, not an industry-wide award....




By you, maybe. 

To the (prospective) judges: 

13. How long have you been gaming?  Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?

14. How much game design experience do you have?  I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing?  Have you created your own systems?  Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 7, 2007)

the Jester said:
			
		

> 13. How long have you been gaming?  Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?




I have been gaming since the mid-late 90s.  So, not long at all, but - then - I'm young (23).  

And, sure, that affects the perspective that I'll bring to the judging table... but everyone's individual experiences affect every individual's perspective.  My gaming experiences have been different that all of the judges and, while some of us have gamed for a long, long time, others have only gamed for a handful of years (I think Xath/Gertie and I picked up our first dice at around the same time).  

It is possible that, because I have not been gaming for decades, I have a fresher outlook or fewer tendencies to favor certain systems... but I don't know that that is true.  In the end, the important thing is what you've experienced in the time you've gamed, not the quantifiable number of years that you have been gaming.



> 14. How much game design experience do you have?  I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing?  Have you created your own systems?  Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?




I have designed an alternate history that spans the mid 1800s to the end 1950s.  It includes aliens, psions, and Hitler.  Personally, I think it's fascinating and creative and super fun to play in.  If you wanna know more, feel free to email me at d20blond at gmail dot com.

I've not created my own systems.

As for judging - the ability to create a system or world doesn't not imply one's ability to recognize a good system or a good world.


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## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

the Jester said:
			
		

> To the (prospective) judges:
> 
> 13. How long have you been gaming?  Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?




I first started gaming in '00, right after the release of 3.0.  Experience-wise, that means that I didn't get a chance to game some of the older systems when they were new.  (That doesn't mean I havn't tried them).  It does mean that I have fewer years of gaming to bring to the table.  This can be both a good or a bad thing.  For one, I might not be able to look at a product and say "Gah! This is a hack copy of blah-blah system published in '72!  I can't believe they'd try to pass this off!".  However, I also won't be able to say "Oh, this system reminds me of that old system, and I hated that old system so I hate this product too."  I think having a wide range of experience levels on a judging panel is important to represent as many people of the gaming community as possible.




> 14. How much game design experience do you have?  I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing?  Have you created your own systems?  Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?




I don't have a whole lot.  For the last two years, I've been working to design a near-future Earth based campaign setting focusing on the development of superpowers in the human genome.  Then Heroes came out.  So...I've put it on the backburner for a while.  

Of course it effects my level of qualification as a judge.  I represent the portion of the gaming community who has done little to no game design.  Does it make me an inferior candidate? I don't think so.


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

the Jester said:
			
		

> 13. How long have you been gaming?  Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?
> 
> 14. How much game design experience do you have?  I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing?  Have you created your own systems?  Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?




13) I started about 80.  I'm not locked away in nostalgia mode trying to relive the games of my youth.  We had fun back then but for different reasons then I do now.  

14) I've never been published.  I do have a homebrew that is about 11 years old.  I did create a system for a wild west style game and it was utter crap.  I think I burned it.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

Here are some questions for all the judges......

15) Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?

16) Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?

17) Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?

18) Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?


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## eyebeams (Feb 7, 2007)

I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.


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## hong (Feb 7, 2007)

eyebeams said:
			
		

> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.



 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.... 

_Mod edit: Brevity is the soul of wit._


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

eyebeams said:
			
		

> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.




Nope


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> 15) Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?
> 
> 16) Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?
> 
> ...




15) The rules really have not changed much in the past few years and I like them pretty much how they are.  They do need a little more definition but not so well defined it starts really excluding books.  Each year we get a few innovative RPG items that would not fit anywhere if we definitions that were like straight jackets.  

16) If we accept that d20 is the most popular game (and I've yet to see anything that says otherwise) out there then it stands reason that more fans of d20 would vote then fans of other games.  If the ENnies just walk away from EN World they will be cutting off their nose to spite their face.  There are connection between the two but I find it is not that bad.

17) The information should and I think is all on the website.  Discussion about the ENnies happens on many boards so forcing people to talk in only one place just isn't going to happen.  I know I'm currently following ENnie talk on a half dozen boards and I think that's a good thing.  

18) I feel the ENnies are mostly off of EN World.   They have their own site, they are talked about on many different places.


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## Umbran (Feb 7, 2007)

hong said:
			
		

> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...





I think the last thing this conversation needs is non-constructive twigging in the name of wit.  People are in high enough dudgeon as it is without this kind of thing. 

I am going to _strongly_ encourage everyone to reconsider anything they post in this thread in an attmept to be witty.  The management is running out of patience with all sides, here, and we are much less likely to take it with a smile.  I hope this is clear, because you may not get further warnings in this thread.

If you've got a problem or questions about this, please feel free to contact one of the moderators directly.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

17 -- retake -- I wasn't talking about forcing anybody to restrict conversations to a single place, but making the ENnies site itself the clearing house for the major conversations, and for the judge deliberations. As it stands right now, judges are forced to become EN World members if elected (heck, it is doubtful that a person could become a judge without becoming an EN World member and pimping themselves here) because all judge deliberations are held here on EN World rather than on the ENnies website (that is, IMO, where the judges should be having their deliberations) in a hidden forum.

Here is a question for Morrus and the ENnies board? Do the EN World Moderators have access to see the forum where the judges hold their deliberations? If the answer is yes. then why should select EN World Members (i.e. the moderators) be granted a special priviledge that others do not get? Can Moderators from other sites get to watch such deliberations as well? 

Second question for ENnie officials - Since allowing judge nominations from outside EN World, how many such nominations have come in, total? And of those, how many have actually been elected?


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## eyebeams (Feb 7, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Nope




Thanks. Anybody else?


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## Piratecat (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Here is a question for Morrus and the ENnies board? Do the EN World Moderators have access to see the forum where the judges hold their deliberations?



No. It's secure, and always has been; moderators can't even see it.


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> As it stands right now, judges are forced to become EN World members if elected (heck, it is doubtful that a person could become a judge without becoming an EN World member and pimping themselves here) because all judge deliberations are held here on EN World rather than on the ENnies website (that is, IMO, where the judges should be having their deliberations) in a hidden forum.




Either they are forced to become EN World member or they are forced to join a message board on the ENnies site.  This year Judge talk might happen on the ENnie site.  I'm not sure that has been decided yet.


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## mcrow (Feb 7, 2007)

> 13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?




I started in 1989 so 17 years, soon to be 18. I think it does somewhat affect my perspective because I have seen and played so many different games that a product has to be truely outstanding (IMO, of course) if I get excited about it. 



> 14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?



I have been homebrewing fromt the begining. I rarely use any published adventures or campaign settings, though I have bought and read them to steal what idea works for me. I have 3 systems that I have designed. One is d12 pool system, that uses only a d12. I also have a d20 variant geared to be used without minis. The last one is a percentile system, that is currently in developement.  I think tinkering with your own systems and settings makes you a better judge because you can understand the ins and outs of other systems better. The more you tinker, the more you understand why systems do what they do. This also helps with being able evaluate a system without playing it. Since there are so many games entered, there is almost no way a judge could manage to play all the games. 


> 15) Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?



I think it should stay the way it is now.  I think from year to year things can change quote a lot and to have a rigid set of rules on judging could cause problems. So as long as they are voted on each year, it makes sure that the rules are never outdated. 


> 16) Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?



Well, it might be that that EN World participates more than the other sites do in the voting, and since it is a primarily d20 fan site, it does stand to reason that d20 products have an edge. I'm doing my best to get the participation from the other sites up this year so that there is no question of whether or not the awards are d20 biased or not. Also, to be fair many of the past judges also played non-d20 games and I doubt they were out to get non-d20 games. 


> 17) Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?



The ENnies have their own site already. This just seems like a shot 2 the ENnies to me. 


> 18) Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?



 We will find out, but I think this year will have more voters than any previous year. 


> 19)I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.



Nope.


----------



## mcrow (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> 17 -- retake -- I wasn't talking about forcing anybody to restrict conversations to a single place, but making the ENnies site itself the clearing house for the major conversations, and for the judge deliberations. As it stands right now, judges are forced to become EN World members if elected (heck, it is doubtful that a person could become a judge without becoming an EN World member and pimping themselves here) because all judge deliberations are held here on EN World rather than on the ENnies website (that is, IMO, where the judges should be having their deliberations) in a hidden forum.



The deliberations have to be held someplace, does it really matter that it is done here?

Again, Rasyr this thread is for asking the ENnies judge Nominees questions that help people decide who they want to vote for, not for showing how much you dislike them.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Either they are forced to become EN World member or they are forced to join a message board on the ENnies site.  This year Judge talk might happen on the ENnie site.  I'm not sure that has been decided yet.




Right. My point was, if a prospective judge was not a d20 fan (first and foremost, or even slightly), which is MORE FAIR to that potential judge? 

Making him register on a site devoted to something that he does not prefer/like (EN World/d20) 

*OR *

making him register on a site dedicated to something that he is attempting to participate in (The ENnies)?


It doesn't matter if Morrus WANTS conversations regarding the ENnies to take place everywhere, if all of the most meaningful conversations ARE happening HERE, doesn't that at least *imply* to potential judges that they have to at least register here to even be considered? 

For those nominees that are already registered here, this is not an issue, but might it possibly be an issue for those from other sites or for those potential judge nominees who might not like d20?

(Note: for the record, while I have some issues with what I see as limitations in the system, I do like d20, I just happen to prefer some other systems more.)

And yes, the above questions are for all judges...


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## Morrus (Feb 7, 2007)

> My point was, if a prospective judge was not a d20 fan (first and foremost, or even slightly), which is MORE FAIR to that potential judge?




The judges are inconvenienced significantly throughout the year, with all the work they need to do.  They kindly volunteer their time and effort.  While I'm sure all the potential judges are deeply moved by your concern for thier well-being, I believe it is up to a judge to decide if they feel they are being treated "unfairly" in some way. 




			
				Rasyr said:
			
		

> For those nominees that are already registered here, this is not an issue, but might it possibly be an issue for those from other sites or for those potential judge nominees who might not like d20?




Sorry - are you referring to potential judges who feel that reading 100 d20 books is fine, but registering on a d20 site is against all that is good and holy?  Why should an "objective" judge care where private discussions take place?

I would request that any judges who are biased to that extent make their bias known. 

To beome a judge does not require visiting EN World.  To vote for a judge does not require visiting EN World.  To see the judge informaiton does not require visiting EN World.  To vote for the products does not require visiting EN World.  To see the winners does not require visiting EN World.  To attend the awards ceremony does not require visiting EN World.  To find out about the ENnies in general does not involve visiting EN World.  

Everyone, in the interests of accurate information, please be aware of the above.  I'm seeing too many people believing otherwise on various boards.  If you see it being mentioned elsewhere, I'd appreciate it if people could spare a moment to provide accurate information - thanks!


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Right. My point was, if a prospective judge was not a d20 fan (first and foremost, or even slightly), which is MORE FAIR to that potential judge?




I don't consider myself a d20 fan first and foremost.  I just have had primary D&D groups for the past 10 years.  After being a judge there is quite a bit that is not fair.  But on the flip side there were a few things that totally rocked.  IMO registering to a site is a very small inconvenience at best.  This year I've registered to a few more sites just to keep up with all the talk, so it isn't like this is the only place some potential judges have had to sign up on.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

mcrow said:
			
		

> The deliberations have to be held someplace, does it really matter that it is done here?




It can matter... It depends on the image that the ENnies wants to project. Image does not always follow reason...



			
				mcrow said:
			
		

> Again, Rasyr this thread is for asking the ENnies judge Nominees questions that help people decide who they want to vote for, not for showing how much you dislike them.




I do not dislike any of the judges, nor do I dislike the ENnies. I think that there are some POTENTIAL problem areas and I would like to see them addressed publicly since these are supposed to be a fan-based awards, the fans SHOULD have the chance to give their input.

My questions for the judges (and thanks to P-kitty for answer the one about the Mods) are meant to specifically to elicit their opinions and thoughts on things that I think are important regarding the ENnies, as opposed to some of the silly questions asked. I assure you that I take the ENnies very seriously and have a great amount of respect for them. I just happen to think that they can be even better. And since I am not a stake-holder this year, I feel that I can fully and freely express my opinions in order to ask those in charge to make things better overall and fairer to all.

More questions for judges....

Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?

Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?

(Note: granted each judge would put their own significance to each point, but at least they would all be covering the same points?)

Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?

Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?


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## mcrow (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> For those nominees that are already registered here, this is not an issue, but might it possibly be an issue for those from other sites or for those potential judge nominees who might not like d20?
> 
> (Note: for the record, while I have some issues with what I see as limitations in the system, I do like d20, I just happen to prefer some other systems more.)
> 
> And yes, the above questions are for all judges...




I do post here some, but I primarily post @ The RPG Site. I think there is some "meaningful" conversation over on The RPG Site. I fully admit that d20 is not my primary system, though I do tend play it a d20 campaign every year. As far as people having to register here, personally if it is to much work to register here or you have so much hate for this site that you won't register to be a judge, then maybe you should not be a judge. I think the people who are voted in should be people who really want to do it.


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## mcrow (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?



I think as long as they(the rules) were reviewed on a yearly basis, it could work. 


> Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?



It think that some very general points to judge games on would be a good idea.

(Note: granted each judge would put their own significance to each point, but at least they would all be covering the same points?)


> Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?



Yes, if a game has outstanding art , rules, and writting it should be able to be entered in all three. Truely outstanding products should be recognized. 


> Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?



Yes, but no hard rule, just a general guideline.


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## Dextra (Feb 7, 2007)

*Plea*

Please, everybody, lets limit this thread to questions to the judge nominees ONLY and their answers.  If you wish to ask questions about the ENnies in general, make suggestions, rant or rave about them in general, do so elsewhere.  The discussion herein is supposed to be only for the conversations between the judge nominees and those asking them questions.

I'm goiing to ask the moderators to move any off-topic posts from this thread to somewhere more appropriate.  Thanks, everyone!


----------



## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Here are some questions for all the judges......
> 
> 15) Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?




Both.  I think that the ENnies should establish a codified set of rules for judging categories, but I think those rules should be subject to review each year by the new judge panel.  That way, we have a list of criteria to give to publishers so that they know how they will be judged.  But since the rules would be revised each year, it could prevent abuse of the system.  But I believe that there should be a trump card that rules over all of the other rules: common sense.  



> 16) Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?




Maybe.  But if you notice, every judge nominee so far visits multiple RPG sites.  The Board of Directors is intrinsically linked to the site, but they run the business aspect of the awards, and don't really decide the voting policy.  And even the board is not D20-centric.  I

I mean, everyone everywhere has a bias towards something and RPGs are no exception.  The jobs of the judges are to try to put their bias on a shelf while they're judging.  I think that over the past three years, I've watched the ENnies make remarkable progress towards moving away from being D20. 



> 17) Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?




Here's the thing.  Everyone who works with the ENnies is a volunteer.  Which means, we're only capable of doing the things that we have volunteers for.  Michael Morris does a great job at doing the coding we need when he can, but setting up a completely independant system takes time and effort.  The ENnies made a great start this year by getting their website hosted off of the ENWorld server.  They're even trying to get the code for judge voting operational.  But again, this takes time.  I'm sure that if you'd like to front the money to hire a programmer to code us a state-of-the-art website that can handle all of the things that the ENnies needs to do, that would be greatly appreciated.  But while we're operating on a volunteer basis, you need to have some patience.  



> 18) Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?




Not if we continue to pimp it on every RPG messageboard we can find.


----------



## Piratecat (Feb 7, 2007)

Additional answers:

*13. How long have you been gaming?* I've been gaming since 1979-80, and I'm a fan of dozens of different systems. I expect that helps with comparative analysis when comparing game presentation and rules. It also allows me to make boring, long-winded rants about how we used to walk up the hill both ways in the snow to pull pips out of a cup because they hadn't invented dice yet. Hey, everybody wins.

*14. Game design experience.* I'm a video game designer by trade nowadays, and I've done both professional and personal game design (RPGA adventure writing, personal adventure writing for cons, and homebrewing). I've also done some unpublished board game and card game design. The design experience definitely affects how I look at a product. It also means that I understand more subtleties of game playability and balance than I do of graphic presentation.

*15. ENnies Rules.* Having unchanging and strictly defined rules that persist across years would seem to rob the awards of flexibility. The RPG industry continues to change and morph; I believe that the ENnies stays pertinent by responding to those changes in products and categories. A good example of this is last year's Special Judges' Award for Innovation, won by Dread.

*16) Potential bias.* I've been a judge twice since the awards began, and have MCed the awards ceremony several times. I've never seen any sign of bias, and non-d20 games have typically been given equal scrutiny to d20 games. I'd say this is evidenced in the awards; take a look at last year's winners and note the number of non-d20 games.

*17) Should all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location?*I'm neutral. It doesn't partiocularly matter to me where the judges' discussion takes place. I have no problem with the discussions happening here, though.

*18) Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?* I can't see how it would.

*19. Have done paid games industry work?* Yes. I wrote _Of Sound Mind_ in 2001, I've written some text in a Scarred Lands supplement, and I've edited both _Skull & Bones_ and _Grim Tales_. I don't believe this has affected my impartiality in the past.


----------



## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?




It could if phrased properly.  



> Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?




With the current system I feel that the judges and most people understand what is meant by Best Rules for instance.  I don't feel we need a specific list of criteria as there are alkways things RPGs will do that go beyond the list.  And then we'd have to add criteria for every book and the list could get out of hand.  



> Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?




Yes I do.  I think we could argue what is a main category and there are RPGs these days that try to put everything in one book.  I don't think we should punish books that try to do that.



> Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?




They need to have a description, but not a percentage standard.  Judges last year got over 200 books.  They do not have the time to go through all of them and determine the percentage of setting verse adventure verse monsters verse whatever.  Plus publishers don't make it easy by only have the setting material in one place.  They like to have setting information in monster descriptions and stuff like that.


----------



## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

eyebeams said:
			
		

> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.





The closest I've ever come is working WotC Retail for 3 years.  At one point, our store was pegged to try to develop a new RPG league (not the RPGA) to encourage people to play RPGs inside the store under controlled circumstances.  I was put in charge of the project, but it took too much space, money, and employee time, so it never went anywhere.


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## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> More questions for judges....
> 
> Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?




I think it can.  In fact, I said something to that effect in an answer to question 15.



> Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?
> 
> (Note: granted each judge would put their own significance to each point, but at least they would all be covering the same points?)




Of course the judges evaluate products with the same points.  That's why before they start judging, they create a list of criteria to evaluate by.  



> Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?




Well first off, what do you define as a main category?  I'm going to assume that you're once again bringing up Shackled City.  Yes, I feel that on a vote, a product should be allowed in more than one category.  But it cannot be arbitrarily put there.  The reason there are 5 judges is so that there can be no ties on issues like this.  If the judges, as a unit, feel that a product should be allowed in more than one category, they should be able to enter it.  But maybe for this year, they should require that decision to be unanimous instead of a 3-2 majority.  



> Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?




I think setting a hard-line like that would cause more problems than it would solve.  I prefer to use common sense.


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## GwydapLlew (Feb 7, 2007)

*Questions*

Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?

What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?

Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?


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## vermicious knid (Feb 7, 2007)

the Jester said:
			
		

> By you, maybe.
> 
> To the (prospective) judges:
> 
> ...




13. 26 years. Yes, absolutely. I've seen MANY games over the years and I like to think a have a solid understanding of what does and doesn't work.

14. Worked on development of Cyberstorm 2 and Starsiege. MTG deck designer of some small infamy in the late 90's (check credits of Jay Schneider articles). Have been homebrewing since I played my 2nd or 3rd D&D game. I think the perpective of having actually tried your hand at design absolutely makes you more qualified as a judge of design work.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 7, 2007)

eyebeams said:
			
		

> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.




RPG design work? No. I was paid to work on computer strategy games for a while, and I spent some time running the gaming side of a couple of retail shops in Eugene, OR. I also made a little bit of money playing Magic and buying/selling cards.


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> *Questions*
> 
> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?
> 
> ...




I kind of playtest things, it depends what it is.  I usually at least make up a character or two for every game system we get so I can see how the rules work.  

I don't even remember.  It probably sounded like fun and I wanted to see what it was like.  It turned out to be a lot of freaking hard work, but it was oddly fun.  

I don't read a lot of Industry pages to know what they think about a product.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 7, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> *Questions*
> 
> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?
> 
> ...





Yup, as much as it is practical to do so. I can't promise that I'll play a 1st-20th level campaign all the way through.   

I love games.

No, not at all. Industry people are just geeks that got published.


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## mcrow (Feb 7, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> *Questions*
> 
> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?




As much as possible. Since there will be a couple hundred or more books, there is just no way to playtest all of them while reading them as well. Even if you had 8 hours every day, I doubt you could playtest them all. Some of the enteries i may have played already, so that might help. 


> What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?



Well, it sounded like something I would like to do. I like to read PRGs a lot, and review them. I had heard that some people feel that the awards  are too d20 centric. Since d20 in not my primary system I thought it might help to have someone non-d20 players can be sure has no bias towards d20. Not that I think the past judges were biased ( I think they hav been very fair), but there is that perception since the judges have mostly been from EN World. 


> Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?



Nope.


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## Xath (Feb 7, 2007)

> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?




Of course.  



> What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?




I've been working as a staff member for the ENnies for the past year, and I'd like to become more involved; as a judge.  



> Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?




No.  Statements by people effect my opinions of people, not products.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Yes I do.  I think we could argue what is a main category and there are RPGs these days that try to put everything in one book.  I don't think we should punish books that try to do that.




But what about the converse? If you don't want to publish books that try to do more than one thing, doesn't that have the possibility of punishing those that don't?

For example, look at Shackled City, it wasn't even trying to be a setting book, the publisher didn't include it in Best Setting as a submission, the *judges decided* to do that, and in in the judges decision to expend the scope of that book, it knocked another book out of the running, one that did not try to be more than it was. Was that fair to the book that was knocked out?

Now I had been under the impression that the judges ability to move products around was meant to correct errors in submissions, not to put up a book for more awards than the published had submitted them for. In short, it got nominated through a loophole, through an unclear rule that only became clear after the fact.

Question:
If a publisher does not submit a product for a given award, why should judges be allowed to add that product to the list of possible nominations?

In short, by moving products into categories for which they were not submitted, that basically gives the judges a large amount of power to control what may or may not get the awards in the end because they could possibly put in a product that is marginally associated with a categroy to knock out one that is fully suited  to it?

Is it FAIR to the publishers for the judges to have such power?

Would it be better if there was some sort of submission committee that determined category suitability prior to hand off to the judges?

Shouldn't the publishers be trusted to know what categories they want their products in?



			
				Xath said:
			
		

> Well first off, what do you define as a main category?  I'm going to assume that you're once again bringing up Shackled City.  Yes, I feel that on a vote, a product should be allowed in more than one category.  But it cannot be arbitrarily put there.  The reason there are 5 judges is so that there can be no ties on issues like this.  If the judges, as a unit, feel that a product should be allowed in more than one category, they should be able to enter it.  But maybe for this year, they should require that decision to be unanimous instead of a 3-2 majority.




I define a "main category" as a category that judges/evaluates the product as a whole, as opposed to judging/evaluating only a portion (i.e. rules, art, writing, etc.. only looks at a specific aspect, not the WHOLE product). And any descriptions for such "main categories" should, IMO, include the word "majority" since it is meant to describe the ENTIRE product.

Question:
*Why* should judges be allowed add products to categories other than those that the publisher submitted the product for? 

The question does NOT refer to the judges REMOVING a product from a category to which it was not suited in order to place it in its correct category. That is fixing an error, the question is in regard to judges putting products up for awards that the publishers did not ask for.....


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## Piratecat (Feb 7, 2007)

*This is not the venue to discuss policy, Rasyr, as I'm sure you know. There are other threads far better suited for this.  Please stop trying to do so under the guise of posing judge questions. *


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## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> For example, look at Shackled City, it wasn't even trying to be a setting book, the publisher didn't include it in Best Setting as a submission, the *judges decided* to do that, and in in the judges decision to expend the scope of that book, it knocked another book out of the running, one that did not try to be more than it was. Was that fair to the book that was knocked out?




If everything in One book is better then one specific thing book in the one specific thing book's area, then it is fair.  We want the best in each category.  Now it can be argued to death which is better, but that's the judge's call.



> Now I had been under the impression that the judges ability to move products around was meant to correct errors in submissions, not to put up a book for more awards than the published had submitted them for. In short, it got nominated through a loophole, through an unclear rule that only became clear after the fact.




As I understood the rule for the past 4 years the Judges can freely move things around as they sit fit.  There is no loop hole they have the ability to do it as they see fit.  I have no idea how a Judge would know what an error in submissions would be.  We aren't doing the submitting and we have no idea the intent of the publishers.  But we did ask publishers if there was any category they did not want the book to be considered for.  I think you are placing motives on the Judges that are not there.  We didn't do it so it would win more awards.  We did because we felt it fit in the category.  



> If a publisher does not submit a product for a given award, why should judges be allowed to add that product to the list of possible nominations?




They are not.  The judges can only judge products that are submitted.  It should be noted others besides the publishers can submit product though it has never happened to my knowledge.

Now if you mean submit to a category then ya the Judges have that ability.  So far I've only heard from one publisher who's product was moved and they felt that was a negative until they won. 



> In short, by moving products into categories for which they were not submitted, that basically gives the judges a large amount of power to control what may or may not get the awards in the end because they could possibly put in a product that is marginally associated with a categroy to knock out one that is fully suited  to it?




Publishers can pick what categories they don't want it entered in.  But if you really don't trust the judges to behave accordingly I think you need to say so.  Becasue this is not what happens.  



> *Why* should judges be allowed add products to categories other than those that the publisher submitted the product for?




Yes.  Because the read through everything and can determine if certain books fit in certain areas.  It happens very rarely, last year I can only think of two books that it happened to.


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## Umbran (Feb 7, 2007)

Crothian, I thought P-cat made it perfectly clear that this is not the proper venue for discusson of the policies.  You do not help matters by continuing the discussion.  So, please, don't respond to Rasyr any more in this thread.  Thank you.


----------



## Crothian (Feb 7, 2007)

Sorry, it was a long post and I was writing it before PC's response was made.


----------



## fusangite (Feb 7, 2007)

*How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?*
I am highly unlikely to factor price into my evaluation of a product unless a designer finds a way to offer stunningly good value for money through innovation. Otherwise, I do not plan to factor price in at all. Charging too high or too low a price is its own punishment for a gaming company. 

*Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why?*
Absolutely. However, my favourite systems are, for the most part, homebrewed or out of print. Generally, I tend to be what those who study such things term as “simulationist.” I especially enjoyed 3rd Edition Runequest and Harn in the 80s for just this reason. I like D20 and OGL fine and probably do most of my actual gaming in these systems but this is more for ease of compatibility than a strong endorsement of the system.

*How will this affect your ability to judge products?*
I hope not very much at all. Everybody brings their personal preferences and biases to the table. What matters is to be cognizant of these things and rise above them when selecting products. When I GM, I often have a variety of players with different gaming tastes and priorities but I seek to balance these sometimes divergent wishes and deliver a game that is fun for everyone. My approach to the awards will be similar: I will look at each product and evaluate how well it meets the needs of those who enjoy the gaming style for which the product has been designed.  

*How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?*
I think PDFs have really opened up the industry and enabled a lot of creative people to reach the gaming community unmediated by big companies. As a result, I think there is a wider range of quality in PDFs, both high and low – sometimes things get to the virtual shelves short some proofreading and playtesting; but sometimes someone’s specific and brilliant vision can be realized without harmful interference inherent in a corporate production process. 

That stated, PDFs are not my preferred way to buy gaming materials. I have a lot of loose paper in my life. More than I can handle. The prospect of printing off gaming materials holds little appeal for me personally – but that’s just a lifestyle choice. 

*Mutant or troll?*
Troll. Second edition Runequest Dark Troll, to be precise.

*mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?*
Absolutely. These are not the sci-fi/fantasy literature awards nor are they the First Draft Awards. I am looking for an integrated whole when I judge a product – the basic art of RPG writing is to create an integrated whole wherein concepts, flavour text and mechanics function as a single mutually supporting structure. Similarly, I mark sophomore college students’ work for a living so, on the one hand, I will be tolerant of a fair number of typos (given how this work has beaten my standards down); on the other hand, when poor writing gets in the way of clarity and meaning, I am quite prepared to mark a product down.

*are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time?*
No.

*how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)*
Well, I have chosen to run this year specifically because I will just have finished my comprehensive exams and will be at the pre-dissertation phase of my program. So, between April and July, I will have a very flexible schedule and considerable free time.

*what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?*
Keep some. Give some away. 

*4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?*
I think 4E will come out when WOTC has gauged that the community is ready for it and there is real demand for the product. I expect that this will be sooner than some people imagine. 

*Which is your favorite Beatle?*
George. I liked his work for Bangladesh and his decision to help create Hand Made Films, my favourite movie production company of all time. Plus I’m one of the guys who actually liked the sitar music.

*Software. What role do you see for software in DnD?*
That is sort of dependent on GM and player style. I think we are well-served by game systems that are versatile and modular enough to work well with pen and paper but can also be souped-up or made easier with software if that is what people are into. I think it would be a disaster if D&D, at some point, did with computers what it did with minis in 3rd edition and began operating on the assumption that computers were going to be used in character generation, for instance.

*Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?*
No.

*Are minis more important than software?*
I wish they were not but, objectively, they certainly are in D&D’s current incarnation. It is my hope that future editions of the game will make gaming without minis easier.

*Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?*
I’ll be too busy signing up the homeless and getting them to vote at the public library.

*What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?*
Two OGL homebrews, Warhammer, Dogs in the Vineyard, Runequest, Traveller, D&D and True20.

*How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?*
I think it is probably a good move. It is kind of analogous to the Roman Catholic Church’s decision to sit only as an observer at the World Council of Churches.

*How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?*
Since 1981. I think that experience with a variety of gaming group dynamics gives me a sense of perspective on the social aspects of gaming and how systems and people can fit together in different ways. But I don’t think it is a big factor. As Thoreau said, “age is no better an instructor than youth.”

*How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?*
I have designed homebrewed rules for three of the last five games I have run. I think this experience has given me an appreciation of the challenge of designing clear, self-consistent systems. It has also convinced me that there is no universal system that is going to work with every setting, every campaign or every group. I tend to view the rules of the game as the physics of the game world but I will keep this perspective at bay when I judge systems like the Indie-RPGs games which are differently premised.

* Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category?*
I have just got through hashing out this issue in a non-profit advocacy group on whose board I serve. Currently, Fair Vote Ontario is evaluating various models of voting systems that are being presented to a government-mandated commission that is reviewing the province’s voting system. Many people thought that scoring these models through a complex point-based system would make the project of evaluating and ranking them easier. The reverse has happened. 

While a lot of these point systems look good on paper, in practice, they tend to produce strategic voting by judging panels (mix/maxing in gamer terms) and tend to deliver middling scores to all products, regardless of actual merits. So, no – I am not a fan of such an approach. 

*Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year?*
I don’t think the practice is to vote on the rules each year. I think there is a bit of tradition involved at this point. But yes. I prefer an evaluation process that gets the judges to behave honestly, fairly and co-operatively.

*Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?*
First of all, the ENnies are not “so intimately tied” as they once were. Denise Robinson has been working with Peter Adkinson for the past several years to broaden the awards. And their work on this front has been a resounding success. Any scan of award recipients over the past few years demonstrates conclusively that her efforts have been a resounding success. Non-D20 products have won major awards several years in a row.
*Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?*
I would hope that every major RPG forum has a thread like this. I think it would be most foolish for the ENnies to seek to limit discussion of the awards to one site and attempt to shut down EN World, RPG.net or any other forum’s discussions.

*Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?*
No. I believe it will increase the number of voters. Last year, moving the awards voting off the site resulted in a major turnout increase.

*Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?*
I inevitably will but do not intend to do so systematically. Obviously there would not be time to do so.

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*
My work with the ENnies judges, board and staff over the past two years. This is a fun project and a great team of people. Now that I have finished work on reforming the voting systems for the awards, I would like to continue being a part of the project.

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*
Nope. The only statements that will matter to me will be those in the published material.


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> *This is not the venue to discuss policy, Rasyr, as I'm sure you know. There are other threads far better suited for this.  Please stop trying to do so under the guise of posing judge questions. *





Not the venue to discuss policy? I have been told that the judges are the ones who vote on and set policy each year for the ENnies. Doesn't it make sense then to ask them their opinions on the policy issues that I am concerned about, to find out their views and opinions on those policy issues?

To me, it would seem that this IS the thread for asking the potential judges questions of that nature. Or is it that you prefer them answering idiotic ("Mutant or Troll?") or trivial questions?

Please let me know? Are serious questions about the judges' views on policies valid questions or do you want to keep the questions trivial? Wouldn't that be akin to not being allowed to ask a presidential candidate his position on foreign policy?



			
				Umbran said:
			
		

> Crothian, I thought P-cat made it perfectly clear that this is not the proper venue for discusson of the policies.  You do not help matters by continuing the discussion.  So, please, don't respond to Rasyr any more in this thread.  Thank you.




Right! Apparently asking questions on their policy viewpoints is a forbidden topic, and the judges are only meant to answer trivial questions....

So much for the fairness and open-ness of the d20 awards... excuse me, I mean the ENnies....


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## Rasyr (Feb 7, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Sorry, it was a long post and I was writing it before PC's response was made.





Sorry for getting you in trouble Chris...


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## Piratecat (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> Right! Apparently asking questions on their policy viewpoints is a forbidden topic, and the judges are only meant to answer trivial questions....
> 
> So much for the fairness and open-ness of the d20 awards... excuse me, I mean the ENnies....



*Allow me to quote from The Rules.* (emphasis added)
However, please don't be offended if, in a given instance, the moderator doesn't agree with you. I can assure you that all of the moderators here do their best to be fair and frequently talk issues over. With that in mind, we do have a couple of rules when it comes to moderators, and we ask you to abide by them:

1) We appreciate that sometimes you will disagree with a moderator's decision, or feel that a request from a moderator is unfair or unjustified. With over 32,000 members, we're not going to be able to keep everyone happy all of the time, so we settle for trying to keep most people happy most of the time. Whether or not you agree with a moderator's stance, we do expect you to abide by their decisions and requests.

*2) If you really, really disagree with a moderator's position on a [moderating] issue, please don't argue about it on the boards. That means no calling out of moderators, no challenging their decisions in the thread, and certainly no attempts to go over a moderator's head. The moderators all discuss such things amongst themselves, and no moderator or admin is ever going to override another. If you honestly feel that you have been treated unfairly, please contact the moderator in question privately and discuss it with them. The end result may not be the one you were seeking, but we will do our our best to be fair.*​*These apply to everyone, Rasyr, and this thread is no exception. Please email me if you wish to discuss the issue. I'd be happy to do so.*


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## Morrus (Feb 7, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> So much for the fairness and open-ness of the d20 awards... excuse me, I mean the ENnies....




That's *enough*, Rasyr.  You've had an instruction from Piratecat.  You are bound by the rules of EN World.  You do not challenge moderators publically.   I know that banning you wil play exactly into your agenda, but you are one inch from it, agenda or no.  You're not that important; don't think you are.  Last chance.

Feel free to make the obligatory "censorship" protests on other boards* (we've been there a million times before with better than you; trust us, it won't phase us) but do not break the rules of this messageboard again.

*[Edit - ah, I see you already have!  Good on you!  You're quicker off the mark with the TEH TROOOOF!!11!! BEWARE THE SHINING LIGHT OF MY BLINDING TROOOOOOOFFF!!11!! posts than even Chatdemon was, and he _invented_ it!  Well done, man!]


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## Rasyr (Feb 8, 2007)

Morrus said:
			
		

> That's *enough*, Rasyr.  You've had an instruction from Piratecat.  You are bound by the rules of EN World.  You do not challenge moderators publically.   I know that banning you wil play exactly into your agenda, but you are one inch from it, agenda or no.  You're not that important; don't think you are.  Last chance.
> 
> Feel free to make the obligatory "censorship" protests on other boards (we've been there a million times before with better than you; trust us, it won't phase us) but do not break the rules of this messageboard again.




If you ban me for my above post, that is YOUR choice, cause I did break the rules by talking back to the Mods. I realized it after I posted, but I am a strong believer in not editing my posts after the fact if I can help it, that I decided to let it stand and take the consequences. If I get banned it is for break the rule, not for censorship.

And I did actually post over in another forum and I did state that the above post may have gotten me banned (for talking back to the Mods), and I copied the post there, cause I was also afraid that would get deleted.

In any case, P-Kitty didn't answer my question about what sort of questions are valid, and I am not emailing him privately about that because I also believe it is something that should be answered publicly. I won't repeat the questions again, but they do need to be answered...


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## Morrus (Feb 8, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> In any case, P-Kitty didn't answer my question about what sort of questions are valid, and I am not emailing him privately about that because I also believe it is something that should be answered publicly. I won't repeat the questions again, but they do need to be answered...




You'll use email if he intructs you to.  What you "believe" is, no doubt, fascinating to you, but irrelevant to the rules.  You're a big fan of codified rules, right?  Or just those which don't conflict with what you "believe"?

Three days.  Next time it's permanent.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 8, 2007)

* Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category?*

The ENnies, in my experience, are constantly evolving.  Each year, things are changed and adapted to fit with industry innovations and (hopefully) gamer's likes and dislikes.  And, I think that's the way it should be.

Moreover, I think that gaming products are simply too subjective to be judged on a point-based scale.

*Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year?*

I think the current system has worked out quite well.  

*Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?*

I think that the results for past years speak for themselves: d20 products are not favored.  The winners come from the entire RPG spectrum.

*Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?*

Discussing the ENnies on many forums, while a bit of a struggle for the judges, is a fine way to talk about the awards.

*Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?*

fusangite said that moving voting off of ENWorld increased voting... and I believe what he says.

*Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?*

I have already warned my gaming group that they will be my subjects!  *evil laughter*

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*

It was actually The Universe's idea.  He said, "you'd make a good judge.  Can I nominate you?"  And, after careful thought, decided it would be a fun, interesting thing to do.

More importantly, I think that having women running is very empowering... and having a woman on the panel would be even more empowering.  So, I'm hoping, by having Xath and I in the running will increase the chances that a woman's voice will be heard on the ENnies panel.

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*

No.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 8, 2007)

Hi!

I've got a stack of answers to post, but this thread has been moving a lot and I need to sort out the order of the later questions. So, here are my answers to the earlier questions, and I'll be posting again tomorrow (it's nearly 2am here. Blue Wizard needs sleep badly.)

_1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?_

As a consumer, very much. As a judge, only if it is one of the criteria, or if the price is somehow disproportionate. I also have a lot of respect for people who are willing to make professional-quality games and not charge for them.

_2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?_

I don't have a single favourite system, because I don't have a single preferred style/genre of gaming. As for systems I dislike - I rarely dislike an entire system, unless there is something I find _offensive_ about the product (on a FATAL or RaHoWa scale - I'm not easily offended.) I do dislike (sometimes irrationally) parts of systems because they I think they bring down the rest of the product. I deal with this by noting down what I don't like, so I can forget about it while I read the rest of the game. Then when I go back to the things I don't like, I'm reviewing them in the light of the other stuff.

_3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?_

I think they're great for publishers and consumers. More choice, easy distribution, some products become viable that wouldn't be on paper. I want to be able to use PDFs and books, not just one or the other.

_4. Mutant or troll?_

Regenerating mutant. Go munchkin me!

_5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?_

Either or both. If it's both, the mechanics and the concepts should be a good match for each other. "Too many errors" - for me - would be the point at which  the errors would detract significantly from the fun of the game, so I would fault the submission.


_6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)_

I have a non-gaming SO, but she's already cleared me to participate   I will spend as much time as it takes - and I am a public servant with a lot of leave entitlement and a boss who is actively encouraging me to use it.

_7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?_

I already have more books than I need, so I will only keep stuff if it bumps something else of my shelf. Anything left over will be disposed of charitably (which may include giving it to people I like.) This will be a non-profit exercise for me. I live in the UK, so I won't be sending anything back, sorry.

_8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?_

When it’s ready: More helpfully: I think that 3e was a significant improvement over 
2e, and 4e would also have to deliver significant improvements to justify the effort. Opening up the d20 license has reduced the need for an “official upgrade”; if there is a particular itch you want scratched, odds are it’s covered somewhere. Having said that, I would like to see a leaner, meaner set of 4e core rules as a more flexible base for people to add their own favourite options. But I don’t _need_ that, because I can do that for myself. Ultimately, it’s a decision for the publisher to make, based on feedback from their customers.

_9. Which is your favorite Beatle?_

Any except Paul.

_10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?_

For D&D, chargen software and that’s about it – but I’ve played other games in IRC. For me, software is good for making tasks easier (chargen, randomising, bookkeeping), or for extending what is possible (internet gaming, multimedia). For face-to-face play, I find it easier to use books, dice and minis; the laptop gets in the way (and is less spill-resistant!) Neither is intrinsically more important than the other.

_11. Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?_

Nope.

_12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?_

Now: Most of the time, my best friend’s homebrew campaign. It used to be 1st edition AD&D, but has evolved over the last 12 years into something very different. It’s very comfortable, like an old sock with lots of holes in it… also a fun little 1st Edition Spycraft campaign, using the corebook only.

Past Year: Most of my gaming time is spent in the campaigns above, so very little – I’ve run a few one-shot games (The Pool, Capes, a work-in-progress of my own devising that I won’t plug here) to give my friend a break from the GM seat; however, as I tend to pick shared-authority games, it’s not that much of a break!


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2007)

Now that I've thrown my hat into the ring again this year...time to catch up. 

1. For me, price only factors when I'm buying a product. When it comes to actually evaluating it, though, it doesn't enter my mind.

2. I don't really have a single favourite, but I do lean towards some more than others. d20 Star Wars and d6 Star Wars are two I seem to come back to a lot, but its mainly because I'm a Star Wars geek to no end. I haven't really run across a system I don't like, and I do my best to play in as many different ones I can get a hold of.

3. I love PDFs. The fact that it lets people with great ideas get printed in a sense isn't a bad thing at all. For me, the only real downside to PDFs is they usually don't have much art, though that's really not a big thing at all.

4. Mutant (Who doesn't love the X-Men?)

5. I lean a bit more towards concepts than hard mechanics. I'm not a big numbers person, and though I have a firm grasp on many different rules systems, I'm not afraid to bend things to go for a feel of an idea rather than the hard fast rule. As for errors in mechanics and such, a small amount can be expected, but when it becomes too much it just gets in the way of the enjoyment.

6. While I am a college student, I am on the end of the spectrum with far too much free time on my hands to devote to the ENnies.

7. Keep a few of the ones I like and give most of them away.

8. 4e will come when it comes. I'm in no rush for it, but I won't be screaming to burn WotC down when it does get announced.

9. John

10. Minis and software both depend on the game I'm playing or running. For D&D, I usually use software ahead of time to help prep for a game, and minis in game, but never the software while running it. I feel like it slows down play too much. I rarely use software for other systems, and minis is an off and on thing that I think is still very optional for even D&D.

11. Do incriminating images of P-Cat count? Used to have threads of those and I can probably dig one up...

12. Currently running two Star Wars d20 games, a D&D 3.5e Homebrew. I'm also playing in a Shadowrun game that just got started a couple weeks back and a year long Mutants and Masterminds game.

In the past year, I've run a d6 Star Wars game, a GURPS Discworld game, a few Paranoia games, and one d20 Modern game.



Hmm...seem to have lost the numbering system. So I'll just start quoting here.



> Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?




I think its a good idea. While I don't mean to slight against the 3rd party publishers, and really they've gotten a great deal of my love over the last couple of years, WotC just has more money and resources to put into their products than most other companies have available.


And...back to the numbers...

13. I've been gaming for eight years now. Its less than a lot of the other judges, I know, but most have a few years on me as it is(only 21 here). But I feel like in that time I've played in a variety of game systems to have a lot of exposure to things. I also think being younger will bring a different perspective to the ENnies judges. Not all the gamers these days have been playing for 20+ years. 

14. I've been homebrewing since I started playing. Right away, the idea of creating my own world to play games in struck me and it hasn't left since. Its always been limited to world creation, but I'm not afraid to create rules here and there that are specific to the setting. But I have to agree with others and say that you don't have to be able to make your own world or system to identify a good one.

I've also never been published or really attempted to be.


Going to avoid the policy type stuff considering the last few posts and don't want to get that heated stuff going again...so...



> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?




A couple of my groups have been alerted to this possibility. Obviously, can't playtest all of it, but would definitely like to try giving some of it some play.



> What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?




I ran last year mainly because of just wanting to see what it was like and to try to be a part of things. I didn't really expect to get many votes, but ended up the 6th highest, right behind the 5 that were chosen.

This year, its pretty much the same reason. Though now, more so than before, I'm sure that I have the time to commit to this.



> Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?




Nope.


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

I've been answering a lot of questions so, rather than invent the wheel, here are all of the questions and answers I've provided (including answers to many of the questions here).

I answer questions on RPG.net (including some of these)
http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=6897845&postcount=26

I answer questions from theRPGsite:
http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=73122&postcount=43

I answer questions on The Forge:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23250.msg229785#msg229785

Want to know more?  Check out my reviews on RPG.net.
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?reviewerName=Christopher W. Richeson

Edit:
And for those that don't want to click, here's everything you'll find on those sites:

RPG.net:
1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?

Price is one consideration among many that must be taken into account when evaluating a product. A really great book priced at $60 may not hold up to a good book priced at $30, all other factors being equal.

2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?

My favorite system is variety, I change up systems with frequency and love learning new ones. There are plenty of systems I'm not too keen on, mostly older systems that involve tables and multi-step resolution.

3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?

PDFs offer convenience in a variety of ways, including the ability to print off key sections to use at the gaming table and the ability to make the laptop the only thing a person needs for game night. On the other hand, they have no resellability and reading from a computer screen is less enjoyable for many participants.

4. Mutant or troll?

I'd rather be a troll. I'd have my own bridge.

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

I like both. A game with really slick mechanics or particularly awesome concepts is a wonderful thing. If I had to pick I'd come out on the side of mechanics, as a game with neat ideas but bad rules is often just an idea book.

Yes, I will fault a submission for errors in editing.

6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

I'm a law student, and that takes up a good amount of free time. However, I'm an extremely efficient reader and have been a very reliable product reviewer for a wide variety of publishers. More than that, by participating I have a responsibility to see the project through. I take that very seriously.

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?

Put it on the shelves.

8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?

Later.

9. Which is your favorite Beatle?

No preference.

10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?

Software is a useful tool that cuts down on prep time. For online play it makes the whole attempt easier. For me, minis are more important than software but I don't make extensive use of minis OR software.

12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?

Past year? D&D 3.5, World of Darkness, Mage: the Awakening, Don't Rest Your Head, Spirit of the Century, Zorcerer of Zo, BESM 3rd, Conan d20, With Great Power..., Mutants & Masterminds 2nd, Faery's Tale, and others.

13. What are your 3 favorite RPGs?

It fluctuates. As of right now I'd say Faery's Tale, Spirit of the Century, and Zorcerer of Zo.

14. What is your favorite genre to play in and/or run? Are there any you genuinely don't like playing in and/or running?

I have a general preference for near future transhuman settings, modern cyberpunk basically. I don't get too excited about playing in modern games with no "twist."

15. Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?

I don't have an opinion. It's a work in progress and having an evolving system based on the individual judges seems useful. On the other hand, hard rules may aid consistency in evaluating products from year to year and may be more useful to fans.

16. Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be slightly biased towards d20 products?

Yes.

17. Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have)? Why or why not?

It doesn't matter to me, own website or not it's clearly connected with EN World. Which makes sense.

18. Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters? (Comment: They have already been moved off EN World, we will see what happens - Turjan)

I guess we'll see!

19. Are you a person who prefers crunchy bits or fluffy parts? Is there a ratio of crunch to fluff with you?

I enjoy both and have fun reading high crunch and high fluff products.

20. Where can I find links to your reviews or publishing credits?

Right here!

21. How broad of an RPG background do you have?

Moderately broad. I've only been playing for 10 years, but I've managed to play a very broad variety of games. Reviews and regular participation with RPG.net have greatly increased the breadth of my background more recently.

22. Some RPG books (or mechanics) are better, or at least different, when played rather than just read. Without playing them, is there any way for a judge to reach a judgment about the products utility without actual play experience? If so what are they?

I sure hope so, otherwise a lot of time has been wasted. More seriously, people who are exposed to lots of RPGs and play lots of RPGs develop a head for mechanics. Those who are really into reviewing will build sample characters and/or conduct mock combats in their head or on paper to get a better feel for how the mechanics sync up with the play experience.

23. What is it that you are looking for when judging the worthiness of a product?

A broad variety of factors, starting with art and editing and ending with fun and overall enjoyment.

24. Different doesn't necessarily mean better. Agree or disagree?

Agree.

theRPGsite:

Which do you prefer, Amber or Nobilis, and why?

I'm a Nobilis fan. Amber didn't do it for me for a variety of reasons, including difficulty translating the books into an RPG and the "bidding" system of character generation. I also like the general writing in Nobilis better and find it to be a game with much more varied elements for characters to explore and engage.

I know this makes me the devil.

Which do you prefer, nWoD or D&D 3.5, and why?

nWoD because it's easier for me to run, task resolution is faster, and because it tends to reflect game concepts that interest me more.

Do sales figures reflect quality, why or why not?

Sales figures reflect a variety of factors, and while there may be a correlation between sales figures and quality there is no causation.

If a game sells like hot cakes I'll certainly have a look at it and see what's up, but that's just the very beginning of checking a product out.

How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?

I don't care. I failed their evaluation to become a comped reviewer (they have PR people search you and examine your works) so I'm sure they don't mind me not reviewing their products.

What is it that you are looking for when judging the worthiness of a product?

The same broad factors I look for when reviewing any product, from editing and art to fun and innovation. If you want a clear idea, check out my RPG.net reviews.

Different doesn't necessarily mean better. Agree or disagree?

Agree.

What is the difference between writing a gaming product and playing one? Is there a noticeable difference between the two where RPG products are concerned? If so, what are they?

Writing a game product (hopefully) makes the person more aware of game mechanics, layout concerns, and generally makes them appreciate RPG design more than a person might who just plays. It's going to really vary from person to person, however.

Some RPG books (or mechanics) are better, or at least different, when played rather than just read. Without playing them, is there any way for a judge to reach a judgement about the products utility without actual play experience? If so what are they?

Sure. Folk who are commonly exposed to a variety of RPGs often develop a head for mechanics. Building characters and running sample task resolutions can strongly indicate how something will flow in play, and the same can be said for just crunching out probabilities of success.

At the very least the person could accurately judge every element of the RPG *except* the mechanics and would have to make an informed guess as to how the game handles in actual play.

This may be related to what OHT is asking but I noticed that two of the awards are for "Best Writing" and "Best Rules". First, how would you distinguish these two categories? Second, what in your opinion is good writing for an RPG? What makes good rules?

Writing is going to encompass fiction, flow of language, word choice, and general readability concerns. Editing would also be a big deal. Rules will encompass game mechanics, stat blocks, and other things of a similar nature. Good writing is when I leave the book with a dozen ideas, entertained by the product. Good rules is when I leave the book with lots of character build ideas in my head and a general desire to fiddle with the mechanics.

How important is innovation in deciding if rules are good?

Somewhat important. Sticking with classic RPG design is good, it's a tried and true method. Attribute + Skill + die roll isn't very exciting, but it's easy for people to understand and simple to teach to others. If a game is innovative in a good way, that is it offers something new and it does what it sets out to do well, then that's going to be a solid mark in its favor. I don't want to play the same game system, or a simple derivative, for the rest of my life. I want to try out new stuff.

Which RPG would you recommend to your mother, and why?

Faery's Tale from Firefly Games. It's simple, cute, fun to read, and offers a wealth of adventure.

Question (3-part): Free extra online content and customer support; do you feel these should be considered as part of a product for the purposes of evaluation? Under some qualifications and conditions? If so which?

I consider easily accessible errata to be a slight mark in favor of a product, but I generally assume that the average customer will not get online and hunt down errata. Still, when a company like Paragon Games goes out of their way to put out an entire free chapter for Secret of Zir'an it helps make up for their mistake a bit.

What´s your opinion on Palladiumbooks products, like Rifts?

I think it's an old game system that desperately needs a substantial update. I think a lot of Palladium products have really cool ideas, though.

TheForge

* Is a game without supplementation "dead" and if so, what does that mean for your opinion of the game?

It means it's a game without supplements.  "Complete" and "dead" may both be accurate terms.  In general, I like games that come in just one book as much as I like games with a variety of supplements.

* If a given game approaches a basic task of role-playing (task resolution, advancement, combat, GMing, session pacing) in a totally different way than prior role-playing games, are you inclined to see that as positive or negative?  Why?

I *like* totally new ways of doing things.  I get tired of just seeing yet another Attribute + Skill + die roll system.  That said, sometimes new ways of doing things just aren't very good.  Either they're not intuitive, or they're cumbersome, or they just don't work.  Finally, sometimes simple ways are the best ways and I wouldn't fault a product for sticking to tried and true RPG design decisions.  I *would* enjoy a product more for doing something I consider innovative, however.

* How much do production values (art, layout, etc.) matter in your assessment of games?

Quite a bit.  Good art and editing help to evoke a specific mood that draws the reader into a product.  That doesn't mean the game needs top artists to do well.  Zorcerer of Zo and Spirit of the Century, for example, have good art but aren't on a level with the latest full color visual extravaganza WOTC has put out.  White Wolf's products tend to closely match art with text, so while they tend to avoid full color production this attention to mood goes a long way to increasing the overall presentation of a product.  If you'd like to see me evaluate the production values of a product, just check out my reviews on RPG.net here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?reviewerName=Christopher W. Richeson

* How many different role-playing systems have you played this year?

Over a dozen, including such wonderful games as Spirit of the Century, Don't Rest Your Head, Zorcerer of Zo, With Great Power..., Faery's Tail, and others.

Finally, there was a question here about RPG design.  I have never designed an RPG except for various homebrew modifications, and tinkering with mechanics makes me aware of how everything fits together.


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## GwydapLlew (Feb 8, 2007)

C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> I've been answering a lot of questions so, rather than invent the wheel, here are all of the questions and answers I've provided (including answers to many of the questions here).




Excellent! I'll have to go register at a couple of those forums and read up on them.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

Hi everyone!

I'm one of those late applicants, so I'll take this opportunity to get known by the most people that I can.

*1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?*
If price is proportional to the quality of the product, then it's fair. It's when you get less than what you paid for that you have a problem.

*2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?*
I have fond memories of good and bad systems. I remember when the critical hits of Rolemaster affected the nerves of my left hand. Now that I am more experienced, I tend to prefer coherent game systems. So no specific favourite nor dislike.

*3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?*
I'm okay with them but still prefer games in dead-tree format.

*4. Mutant or troll?*
Mutant, especially from Fallout.

*5. Mechanics or Concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?*
Concepts! Are you asking if a book that contains many glitches should have the same note as a book with a better proof read? Of course it shouldn't.

*6. Are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)*
Totally free. I'm guessing I'm going to spend 20 hours per week for 8 weeks. It's going to be one hell of an experience! 

*7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?*
I will donate most of it to my local gaming convention.

*8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?*
Later.

*9. Which is your favorite Beatle?*
The Blue Beetle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beetle

*10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?*
Since I own a decent amount of DwarvenForge stuff, I do consider minis more important than software. The only software that I use is Ms-Excel. I keep a list of people encountered by my group in that format. I also have totals to say how many of X race and what percentage that represents.

*11. Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?*
How did you know about the fling between Morrus and me? He's such a big mouth!

*12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?*
Mutants and Masterminds - Currently playing
Dnd & Arcana Evolved set in Ptolus - Ended (lasted 2 years and a half)
Werewolf : The Forsaken

*Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category?*
No. Guidelines are always welcome, but skip on the firm set of rules.

*Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year?*
At least this way each year are sure to have there surprises.

*Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?*
It probably helps a little, but the good products that won last year did it because they were spectacular.

*Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?*
Only if they would save something on the hosting fees.

*Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?*
If it's deadly and horrible, you can bet that I will torture my players with it.

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*
I want to be a judge because I want to know what is out there. I want to help people know about the excellent books they are missing for whatever reason.

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*
Hell no.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> Excellent! I'll have to go register at a couple of those forums and read up on them.




Knock yourself out, though registration isn't required to read any of those threads


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

Is that all? No more questions? Is it really the kind of stuff you want to know from the would-be-judges? Come on, let's ask some really hard questions!

Such as our opinions about the differences between 3E and 3.5E. The kind of changes we would like for the upcoming *hopefully way later* 4E. Do we prefer d6 Star Wars or d20?

Edit: Feel free to send me private messages if your questions are not appropriate for this discussion.


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## Xath (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Edit: Feel free to send me private messages if your questions are not appropriate for this discussion.




Ditto.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.





Magic of Incarnum. Poor execution and terrible, terrible art concepts(in my opinion). Blue glowing bling? YUCK.


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## fusangite (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.



I have not regretted a single RPG purchase I have made in the past year. I rarely buy products without doing my homework before heading down to the store because I do not make much money at my current job. Of the 7 RPG products I have purchased in the past year, I have yet to regret a single purchase.


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## GwydapLlew (Feb 8, 2007)

This feels like a Spotlight thread from Circvs. 

Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?

Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)

Will you be at Gen Con?

What about gaming appeals to you?


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

*Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?*
I am not that familiar with the nWOD. I like the idea behind a unified theory of the World of Darkness... but I guess that I won't be selling my collection of oWOD anytime soon. I started playing Vampire:The Masquerade in 1992. Damn I'm old.

*Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)*
It depends. I am strongly narrativist and gamist. I like game mechanics and always dreamed of designing a mafia larp with boardgames inspired geopolitic rules. The simulation or historical aspect of it is very secondary.


*Will you be at Gen Con?*
Yes. Planes tickets are already bought. The Hotel has been reserved. 

*What about gaming appeals to you?*
The social aspect. Gaming is an excuse for me to see my friends. I'm also quite fond of larping. I'm currently planning my second Delta Green scenario called "D2-D4 Momento Mori".


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## mcrow (Feb 8, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> This feels like a Spotlight thread from Circvs.
> 
> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?



Old World of Darkness. The New World of Darkness just does not give me that cool vibe I got from OWoD. The rules in NWoD are better though. 


> Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)



 I don't fit into just one. I would say that I'm mix of narrativist and simulationist. 



> Will you be at Gen Con?



More than likely, whether or not I'm a judge.


> What about gaming appeals to you?



They creative and social aspect. Designing my own games and setting is my creative outlet and gaming is one of my main social activities as well. Then there is also the chance for escapism as well.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2007)

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.




Like fusangite, I'm on a fairly limited budget so I try to do my homework. Because of that, I made sure to get things last year that I would use and would enjoy, and managed to do a good job of picking things that fell into that catagory.



> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?




I prefer the Old World of Darkness...but that's mainly because its what I played. I've not actually had a chance to try out the New one, but there's a bit of attachment to the old stuff for me.



> Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)




Honestly, I don't consider myself any of them. I'm not a fan of labels like that since I feel like we all end up doing most all of it. If I had to choose, though, I'd likely lean more towards narrativist.



> Will you be at Gen Con?




I can't say for sure just yet. I'm going to do my best to, and, honestly, being selected as a judge would help push me to getting there. 



> What about gaming appeals to you?




The fact that its a great way to get together with friends and have a lot of fun. Beyond that, I love the worldbuilding aspect of running games and the ability to innadvertantly tell a good story with some games.


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## mcrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.




The only one I can think of this year that I didn't like was Metamorphosis Alpha: 4th Edition. It wasn't what I thought it was and on top of that it was disaster in organization and layout. Of course I can admit that some of this was personal preference and others might think differently. Still, it wasn't very good.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

I would even dare say that I prefered the Old World of Darkness before the Sabbat got explained. This ultra-secretive sect of crazy people was just funnier when their motivation was unknown.


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## jenschoonover (Feb 8, 2007)

Hello, I'm throwing my hat in late, but even if I don't get into the nomination list, I thought I'd answer the questions anyway.

*How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?*
I think price does affect me in that I expect more if the product is pricier. But with a high price I expect more usable stuff. The price is not as important to me as how useful the product will be.

*Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why?*
No. There are systems out there that do not seem to meld as well with a particular concept or setting, but all in all, I've not had a problem. If anything, I prefer system-lite to system-heavy, only because the less I have to calculate the better I am.

*How will this affect your ability to judge products?*
If a product explains itself well enough, I shouldn't have a problem with any set of rules out there.  

*How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?*
PDFs are a great way of getting products out there to people. I personally have to print out products, because it is easier for me to read off print than on screen, but have found it convenient to reprint a map right from the PDF when the cat or child gets a hold of the older one. I'm not a collector of RPG libraries, so it doesn't matter to me whether a product is print or PDF.

*Mutant or troll?*
Mutant. No wisdom teeth.

*mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?*
If an error in the mechanics exists, I'd consider how much it affects gaming before I go off on a product. If the game's unplayable, then of course I'm going to mark it down. As an editor, I notice writing errors, but if the game is really fun and cool, then it won't count for much. 

*are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time?*
Nope. 

*how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)*
I'm willing to rearrange my schedule, with the blessing of my family to see this through to the end. My SO's in college full-time so he can't bother me; my parents live with me, so they babysit my only child, who is four; and my job is in front of the computer... editing RPGs. My brother lives with me as well, and he'd be my playtesting group. It all works at my house. 

*what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?*
Some I'll keep; some will become future Birthday and Christmas presents for my husband's brothers. 

*4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?*
From my estimate, it would be for WOTC to hold off a bit and see how the new influx of other games works for others. But, shrug, they've got a better idea of the market than I and if they released it now, I'm sure they'd be fine.

*Which is your favorite Beatle?*
George. I grew up with MTV in the 80's and "I've got my mind set on you" haunted me for years. 

*Software. What role do you see for software in DnD?*
I'd like to see more software for settings and GM assistance. I haven't been up-to-date on the various products out there, however.

*Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)?*
No.

*Are minis more important than software?*
Well, I personally would play with minis before messing with software, but I lpayed with a dollhouse growing up and love creating scenery that way.

*Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?*
I don't drink beer. And who's Morrus? 

*What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?*
CoC, My homebrewed Chaos University and BarQuest, Arkham Horror, and I tried When Darkness Falls.

*How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?*
Cool.

*How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?*
Since 1982. No, except I've been involved for a loooooong time.

*How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?*
About ten. At WEG I tried to create an alternative universe with the President's blessing. Didn't work out, but that was an experience too. Since then I've created three of my own systems and produced a ton of material. I think this does affect my level of qualification because I've seen firsthand what it's like to have everything come together in a glorious fanfare and the drive to promote that feeling to other people. I've also seen and felt what it's like to have someone stare blankly at you and say, "I don't get it." I understand the tightness in the stomach and that nudging feeling of, "What if they hate my baby?"

*Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category?*
I'd have to playtest it first.

*Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year?*
Sounds like it would be more appealing to more judges if they were personally involved and that they'd work harder to make it work.

*Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?*
No. I first heard about the Ennies on RPG.net. I know there are at least two other sites involved. 

*Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?*

Probably not.

*Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?*
Some. Won't know what's playtestable on the fly until I see the material. Probably anything that's traditional I'll leave out, but anything new or innovative I'll playtest.

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*
I was over at RPG.net looking over the thread about the Ennies made there and I leaned back too far in my chair, fell out, and cracked my head on the filing cabinet. Woke up with this insane urge to try. Seriously, I just figured, "why not?"

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*
Nah. Been there, done that.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.




That I bought?  Secrets of Xen'drik, at least not if the person wants information on Xen'drik rather than an encounter / GM prep book.


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## tadk (Feb 8, 2007)

*A question for the Judges*

Good day to all the judges
Yes only posting this question on here

My question is more subjective than objective

Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?
Which one were you totally happy to plunk down money for.
In my case the absolute most memorable is the old adventure for the Living Steel system titled
KVSR Rocks

What is yours?

TK


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## mcrow (Feb 8, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Good day to all the judges
> Yes only posting this question on here
> 
> My question is more subjective than objective
> ...




AD&D 2nd Ed PHB. It is what got me into gaming and I can still remember the big smile I had for a full week after getting it.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't really have memories of how I got things (except perhaps buying Ultimate Power at GenCon '06, but it wasn't anything exceptional). Only how I used them. One of the most memorable adventures that I bought was Freedom (set in Dark Sun). This kind of adventure was very new to my players. The whole "oh you're kidnapped and you're now slaves" really got me on their bad side.


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## Crothian (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.




That's a tough one.  I usually don't buy something unless I know I'm going to like it.  I rarely buy the hot new releases waiting a few months after the release to figure out what it is and if I'll like it.  

*Second Sight* for nWod.  The book is for the mortal horror game and it presents options to give character psychic abilities and powers.  The book IMO tries to hard with the descriptive text and sample stories.  I didn't think it read all that well and it just seemed more about giving characters a power boost then exploring the horror of the powers themselves.  I've been impressed with the nWoD books till this one it just did not feel that much like a book for a horror game.


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## Crothian (Feb 8, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?




oWoD just because of the worlds.  But NWoD is slowly making that tough with better rules, better mortal support, and Promethean was awesome!!  



> Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)




narrativist I guess.  I've never been up on what the specific defintions were as they seem to change depending on who asks.  



> Will you be at Gen Con?




I hope to but it is not known at this time.  



> What about gaming appeals to you?




The people and the creativity.


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## Crothian (Feb 8, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?
> Which one were you totally happy to plunk down money for.
> I




The year was 1986.  I was just starting to read a series of books and we played D&D weekly mostly killing gods and other silly things pre teens did with the game.  I was at the Mall and I saw the series of books I was enjoying was an RPG box set.  I think it cost a months worth of mowing lawns but I love my *Thieves World Box Set*.  It was the first licensed product I bought but more then that it was the first one I'd been aware of.  It never dawned on us to mix RPGs with books and comics for whatever reason.  And because the way the game was done it opened our eyes to other RPGs though they never seemed to be for sale anywhere I knew of.  

I still have that sitting on a self.  I liked it so much I bought two others off of e-bay years ago just in case something happened to one.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Good day to all the judges
> Yes only posting this question on here
> 
> My question is more subjective than objective
> ...




For me it would have to be the old WEG d6 Star Wars game. I had been playing 2e D&D for a few months, and as a huge Star Wars fan, was only vaguely aware of the d6 game's existance. Eventually, I tracked it down at a local game store that I'd gone to for years for comics more than anything.

Letting me combine my love of Star Wars with the new-found love of RPGs was it for me. That nailed me into gaming for good.


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## Nareau (Feb 8, 2007)

What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?

Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?

And a meta-question:  Is there any chance somebody might be willing to compile the answers in these (and other threads) to create a voters' guide?  Would the candidates be willing to, say, pick 10 of their favorite questions/answers and put together their own profiles?  This is a lot of stuff to go through, and I'm afraid I'm not going to remember most of it when the time to vote comes around.

Nareau

[Edit to add second question]


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

Re: Most memorable gaming purchase.

Dark Sun boxed set.  Took it home on a very rainy day, read the whole thing and loved every moment of it.  Probably my most memorable RPG purchase.

Re: Past awards I disagree with.

Do you mean products the judges selected or how the fans have voted?  Most of the selections have seemed pretty reasonable to me (often showcasing the "big name" products for that year).  As to final votes, I don't think Shadowrun 4E is anywhere close to M&M 2E in terms of being best rules.


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## mcrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?
> 
> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?
> 
> ...




I don't particularly like the way Shackled City was handled. I think a game should only be entered into one product type contest (ie. Best Adventure or Best setting), not both. By the logic used last year all campaign setting should be eligible for best adventure and all adventures should be allowed in best setting. 

I have not been an ENnies Judge before.


----------



## Crothian (Feb 8, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?
> 
> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?





As a Judge I never did like Best Publisher.  I'm glad Denise moved it to a fan only award with the fans  nominating who they like and everyone voting on that list.  There are just too many companies that one never really comes in contact with enough to really give them the thorough look that as a Judge I believed I needed to do.  It is hard to tell which has the best Fan support, which ones clear up errata fast, or are good with customer service if one is not a fan and watching the companies.  

And if you can't tell from that statement I have been a Judge before.


----------



## Xath (Feb 8, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.




I didn't.  I just finished being a poor college student, so I generally do a lot of research into a product before I plunk down the cash for it.


----------



## Xath (Feb 8, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?




 The only new WW product I've gotten a chance to actually play is Exalted.  I only have the old WoD books.  (for now).  



> Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)




That's a toughie.  But I'd say a Narrativist.  I get the most enjoyment out of creating a really good story when gaming.  



> Will you be at Gen Con?




If I have to walk there and sleep in a card-board box.  



> What about gaming appeals to you?




When I first started gaming, it appealed to my escapist personality.  Now gaming appeals to me because it's gaming, and I'm totally addicted to it.


----------



## Xath (Feb 8, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?




I don't.  Even if there were some nominations that I disagreed with, it was the public that made them winners.  



> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?




Nope.


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

Questions from GwydapLlew:

Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?

I prefer the mechanics of nWoD but ultimately enjoyed some of the fiction and feel of oWoD more.

Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)

I don't find GNS to be a particularly useful description.

Will you be at Gen Con?

If I'm a judge, yes.  If I'm not a judge, possibly.

What about gaming appeals to you?

The social aspect.  I enjoy the communal storytelling aspect and comraderie.


----------



## Doug Ruff (Feb 8, 2007)

Wow, lots of questions. Here are my answers to the rest of them (1-12 are upthread). I've included some answers to early questions by Rasyr becasue they are already posted on RPG.net, and because the other judges have answered these as well. I've left the rest because I don't want to send this thread off on another tangent.

_13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?_

25 years, and it means that I’ve seen and played a lot of different games. I think that previous experiences (gaming or non-gaming) will always colour our perceptions. I don’t think that having gamed for long gives me a privileged perspective, but it should mean that I have a lot of _knowledge_ to draw on.

_14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?_

I’m always tinkering, either with other people’s systems or writing copious notes on my own designs. Apart from my Game Chef entry in 2005 (“The Dinner Party”), and a free PDF (called “Brag, Boast and Screw”)  I put on the web quite a while back, I’ve never created something that I would consider to be a complete game (and I think both the games I have finished are flawed; I’m still tinkering).

I also follow other people’s tinkering, and have spent a lot of time on “indie” sites discussing game design with other would-be (and several published) designers. I think it shows that I care about the subject, without being a formal qualification.

_15. Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?_

There should be rules, and the judges should stick to them. However, I also think that “judges decide what to award prizes for” is a perfectly acceptable rule, as long as that rule is clear at the outset. I’m a great believer in setting clear objectives at the start of a task, to reduce problems later.

_16. Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be slightly biased towards d20 products?_

I’m finding it hard to answer this question as written because it feels a bit loaded, I think because of the “so intimately tied” clause. So I’ll respond by saying that all voting pools are biased, in favour of the opinions of the people who can be bothered to vote. The best way to deal with this (if you want to deal with it) is to try and engage as many people as possible in the voting process – and I think that the organisers have already demonstrated their commitment to doing just that.

_17. Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have)? Why or why not?_

_17 -- retake -- I wasn't talking about forcing anybody to restrict conversations to a single place, but making the ENnies site itself the clearing house for the major conversations, and for the judge deliberations. As it stands right now, judges are forced to become EN World members if elected (heck, it is doubtful that a person could become a judge without becoming an EN World member and pimping themselves here) because all judge deliberations are held here on EN World rather than on the ENnies website (that is, IMO, where the judges should be having their deliberations) in a hidden forum._

My answer to either version of the question is that the fact that the process is happening over the internet makes the whole issue somewhat irrelevant. It doesn’t matter which site is the “centre” of the judging or nomination process, because the nomination process is happening in the open across several sites, and the judging will happen on a closed forum. For the record, I certainly don’t feel inconvenienced by having to register with a gaming site in order to talk about judging games.

_18. Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters? (Comment: They have already been moved off EN World, we will see what happens - Turjan)_

Haven’t a clue. I believe that opening up discussion of the ENnies across lots of other sites will increase voter participation. Let’s find out.

_I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever._

In the interest of full disclosure, I was a credited playtester for Capes (Muse of Fire Games) and Tony sent me a comp copy of the game. I haven’t done any paid industry work, ever.

_Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?_

I’m going to buck the trend here and say no, even though I agree with other posters that playtesting is the best way to evaluate a game. The thing is, I know I won’t have enough time to playtest all of the material. So I feel that if I playtest any of it, I’m no longer operating on a level playing field. I’m allowing other factors, such as how entertaining my friends were or whether we were all feeling tired that evening, to influence my judgement of the game. That won’t stop me running through potential actual play scenarios in my head or considering what the product would be like in actual play, but as for real playtesting, no. 

_What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?_

I read a thread about it in Story Games, and followed the links. I really enjoyed being part of the judging for GameChef 2006. Plus, I’m one of life’s natural volunteers.

_Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?_

No more than a statement by anyone else would. For example, if I’m talking to someone about a game and I say, “this game really ought to have rules for fatigue”, and they say “it does, they’re on page 23”, then their statement may cause me to change my opinion! It doesn’t matter who the other person is.

_Since this is all about fair and fun competition, I would like to ask a question to my fellow would be judges. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommend people to buy. And why._

X-Crawl. I picked it up at a clearance sale at Forbidden Planet, so it was a bargain for the £1 I paid for it. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone at the cover price. I found the setting (urban fantasy meets Roman Empire gladiatorial meets sports league alternate-timeline history) somewhat jarring, and it turned me off of the rest of the book.

_Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?_

oWoD for setting, nWoD for mechanics. If I had to choose one, oWoD because I’d houserule it. The oWoD felt more epic to me, even if it was spoiled a bit by some of the munchkin characters in the sourcebooks.

_Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist?_

I don’t consider myself any of these. When I first joined the Forge, I found the whole GNS thing fascinating, but I’m glad Ron shut that part of the forums down. I’m not going to critique the theory (I probably don’t understand it well enough, Ron is much smarter than me), but I think it’s far more productive to talk about _what I like to do when I play_ than labelling myself as an “-ist” of any description. I love tactical games, I love collaborative storytelling, I love getting “under the skin” of a character and trying to view the world (real or imagined) from someone else’s viewpoint. I don’t try and do all of them at the same time.

_Will you be at Gen Con?_

If I’m picked, yes. It’s a long trip, and I need an excuse to drag my SO with me halfway across the world instead of going to a con somewhere nearer (because there’s no way she’s going to let me go to America without her!)

_What about gaming appeals to you?_

I’ve partly answered this with my response to the previous question: the tactics, the great stories, exploring different landscapes. Also, the people: I have met many of my closest friends through gaming, and people who can let their hair down and just have some fun together are great people to know.

_Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?_

The first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Warlock of Firetop Mountain. I got it from the primary school bookclub, and we’d never seen anything like it before.

_Which one were you totally happy to plunk down money for._

Weapons of the Gods. I found out about the game on the internet before it came out – then again, because of the publishing delays, I think nearly _everyone_ knew about it before it came out   I’ve never been so eager to part with my money for a game, and pre-ordered it as soon as overseas orders were eligible. I wasn’t disappointed, either.

_What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most? Why?_

I can’t say that I strongly disagree with any of the awards, but given my earlier comments about X-Crawl, I’m surprised to see how many times it was shortlisted in 2005.

_Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?_

No.

_And a meta-question: Is there any chance somebody might be willing to compile the answers in these (and other threads) to create a voters' guide? Would the candidates be willing to, say, pick 10 of their favorite questions/answers and put together their own profiles? This is a lot of stuff to go through, and I'm afraid I'm not going to remember most of it when the time to vote comes around._

If someone does offer to do this, I’ve got all the Q&A I’ve responded to in Word (with the BBCode formatting typed in!) and I’ll be happy to mail it to them. I’d prefer to see all of the answers in one place together, rather than edited highlights; I think it would be neat to see each question, with all of the judge’s answers next to them.

Regards,

Doug


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

Questions from GwydapLlew:

Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?

Nope.  Sometimes material gets playtested anyway, but only because my gaming group gets interested in it.  I consider playtesting to constitute a minimum of 5 sessions or 20 hours of play.

Will I build some characters or run some combats?  Sure, I regularly do that in the course of my reviews.

What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?

My pride in being a reviewer and desire to take it to the next level.  My desire to broaden the ENnies to include more folk from outside ENWorld.

Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?

To check out a product initially, sure.  When it comes to reviewing a product?  No.  I'm open to reconsidering my stance on a product when errors in my reasoning are pointed out, but I stand my ground even under criticism.  This can be seen clearly in review threads attached to my reviews.

Feel free to have a look! http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?reviewerName=Christopher W. Richeson


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 8, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?




Nope!


----------



## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 8, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?




I don't feel comfortable answering this one mainly because I didn't have access to all of the products the judges had when they decided on the nominations from all of the submissions. Beyond that point, its in the hands of the voters and not the judges.



> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?




Nope


----------



## Kaladhan (Feb 9, 2007)

*What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most? Why?*
I agree with the relative _mess_ that was Shackled City in Best Setting and Best adventure. I don't agree with the logic behind that decision. 

I have never been a judge. But I do hope on becoming one.


----------



## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?
> 
> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?
> 
> ...





Can't say that I've strongly disagreed in the past. I don't have a personal stake in the outcome, and tastes differ.

Nope, never been a judge


----------



## Paka (Feb 9, 2007)

Hey Contestants,

Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 9, 2007)

Paka said:
			
		

> Hey Contestants,
> 
> Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.




Sure, take a look at my Faery's Tale Actual Play on my LiveJournal (one session)

http://cwricheson.livejournal.com/tag/actual+play


----------



## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 9, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Good day to all the judges
> Yes only posting this question on here
> 
> My question is more subjective than objective
> ...




I've got to say, my most memorable gaming purchase is my first set of dice.  Before my senior year of high school, I had always borrowed dice, but my boyfriend (now husband) drove me 60 miles to the nearest game store in Sioux Falls, SD... the store was small (and is now closed), but they had a huge dice selection and I just stood there for what seemed like hours trying to pick out the perfect set.  They're purple and beautiful.  

A close second is my Iron Kingdoms books at GenCon.  I was SO excited to own them... and to this day, I treasure them and the feeling of rushing into the dealer hall to buy them.


----------



## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 9, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?




I've been happy with essentially all of the past winners.




> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?




No, sir.


----------



## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 9, 2007)

Paka said:
			
		

> Hey Contestants,
> 
> Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.



 A few months back in one of the Star Wars d20 games I run, the players managed to get to the BBEG earlier than I'd planned. They were lower level than I had hoped they would be when they finally went after him, and they knew it, but still decided to get him while they had the chance.

So, they started shooting at the guy aboard a luxury airspeeder that was flying over the planet's ocean. The firefight moved down the corridors of the ship and up the lift tube(they climbed and shot the whole way) until it eventually reached the exterior of the ship. 

Then, on top of a moving airspeeder with a ton of room to work with and having to make checks to stay up as the wind was hitting them extremely hard, the resident Jedi of the group proceeded to get into a lightsaber duel with the BBEG, who was a good 6 levels higher than him. The rest of the group was busy hanging on to the outside and fending off the BBEG's multiple guards when the Jedi managed a lucky roll and used the Force to throw the BBEG off of the ship.

It was great up to that point...but then it got even crazier. This BBEG had already tortured them enough, and so the Jedi wanted to make sure it ended. With the rest of the group yelling at him, he jumped off after the falling BBEG to finish the job.

The other PCs got to a smaller speeder and managed to catch the Jedi before he hit the ocean and also before he was able to catch up to the BBEG. Absolutely crazy and I loved the look on everyone's face when the Jedi's player said to me, "I'm going to jump after him."


----------



## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 9, 2007)

RE: A Rockin' Moment at My Game Table

My current D&D character, Zara "Desert Rose" Rainkeeper, is a fearsome pirate!  Yar!

Recently, our party escaped a burning island, possessed by the powers of an ancient, once-dead god and boarded my ship (The Retribution).  However, just getting off of the island (infested with Hellhounds, fallen angels, and other nasties), wasn't the hard part!  You see, the admiral didn't want anything getting onto of off of the island so he set up a HUGE blockade.  Zara captained the ship (undermanned) out past the admiral's blockade with catapults and ballistae firing away!!

The Retribution sustained a bit of damage, but she's the fastest Tuathan (elven) Corvette this side of the Sea of Stars and so we managed to out run the admiral's fastest ships...

And, just as we sailed into what we thought were safe waters, the winds began to pick up and the waves started to churn... We dropped anchor and weathered one Hell of a hurricane!

It. Was. Awesome.


----------



## jenschoonover (Feb 9, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Good day to all the judges
> Yes only posting this question on here
> 
> My question is more subjective than objective
> ...




Heh, well we recently found the old D&D boxed set in Salvation Army's... other than that, I bought Arkham Horror, no questions asked, and Heroes for Hope, a universal-systemed volunteered book I helped work on for the Tsunami victims.


----------



## jenschoonover (Feb 9, 2007)

*What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?*

I've never really paid attention up to this point. 

*Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?*

Nope.


----------



## jenschoonover (Feb 9, 2007)

Paka said:
			
		

> Hey Contestants,
> 
> Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.




I was demo-ing at DexCon in NJ, and I had a group of players doing CU at a table, and one of the players had brought back his character from the year before--a big burly man who was cool and collected in the most upsetting of situations. So I had these guys in an old abandoned factory (long story short, Mr. and Mrs. factory owner were using the factory to hide their illegal operation of grabbing corpses and sending them to Haiti for zombie making). Anyway, They're nearing the end of the session and are fighting Mr. and Mrs., having missed the second floor where a surprise had been waiting for them. Basically, these vodoun practitioners had come up with "Zombie Glue," a substance that can put back together zombies that are apart and keep the reanimation firm. In fact, you don't even need the right head attached to the right body for it to work. So they had experimented with a bunch of body parts, put together a mutant zombie with way to many legs and arms and stuff, and left it upstairs.

Well, this guy had telepathy and he read the mind of Mr. Factory Owner to check for these images and I showed the player what he had done with this poor violation of human flesh, crawling slowly along the floor. 

The player went _ballistic_, let alone the character. He screamed in fury announced he grabbed the factory owner by the throat and starting to squeeze. The other characters finally called in assistance and convinced the character that it wasn't worth it. In the end the player announced that his character burst into tears and left the building.

Then the player congratulated me for actually breaking his character. He had gotten three other tables' worth of people to turn and listen in when this happened.

It was cool.

The only other cool thing that happened was that the last night I was there, I did one more game demo at midnight, after 36 hours of demos. In the middle of the game a player asked me a question and while I answered him I closed my eyes to work out what was happening to his character...

...And fell asleep. Still talking. Shook myself awake and said , "Right." The guy looks at me and asks, "Did you just fall asleep?" I said, "Yes, but was I making sense?" "He assured me I had, "And I said "Oh, good," and continued on with the game.


----------



## Master of the Game (Feb 9, 2007)

If you don't mind, I'll start by posting my responses from the similar thread on RPG.net, then I'll edit in the questions from here.

----

*1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?*
A price well above the industry standard is an issue, as much as a price well below industry standard might make some products more appealing. I'd say it is a factor, but hardly the most important factor.

*2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?
*Hard to say if I have an actual favorite, though I do love Shadowrun, GURPS, and d20. I have yet to actually play Burning Wheel, but I enjoy it as well.

*3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?
*In general I like them. I buy quite a few, even copies of books I own, because I find them very easy to use in play. I do think they are inherently less valuable than books, and regret that there is no good way to loan them out, but so long as they are priced less than a corresponding print edition, I think they make up for it.

*4. Mutant or troll?*
At the moment, mutant... I'm on a scifi kick.

*5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?*
Hmm, I'm most likely to buy a book for interesting mechanics, but a game without a world and underlying theme kinda feels like it doesn't have a soul.

*6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)*
Well, I'm married and have two kids, but it doesn't stop me from running three games a week, mostly because my job (except once a month or so) involves me sitting behind a desk waiting to see if something bad happens (I own a security company). If it doesn't, which is most of the time, I work on my games.

*7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?*
I'd love to take the books with me to GenCon, get as many of them signed as possible, then sponsor a local game day (we never seem to have them in Austin) featuring the games, giving my copies away to those who participate.

*8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?*
Later.

*9. Which is your favorite Beatle?*
I lean toward jewel beetles, but my son loves Mrs. Spider's Sunny Patch. Oh wait...

*10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?*
Being a laptop-using gamemaster, I find software to be very valuable, but I do love me some minis (though technically I use magnets).

*12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?*
Currently:
GURPS Old West
Mega-Traveller
DnD 3.5
Legend of the Five Rings
Shadowrun 4E

In the last year add:
Fading Suns
Spycraft 2.0
Fireborn
MRQ

*13. What are your 3 favorite RPGs?*
I'll go with my initial reactions above... d20, GURPS, and Shadowrun 4E.  For d20 I should add that I prefer games that depart significantly from D&D (Thieves' World, M&M, Grim Tales...).

*14. What is your favorite genre to play in and/or run? Are there any you genuinely don't like playing in and/or running?*
I loves me some medium/hard scifi, but honestly, it's pretty fluid.  Generally I want to play whatever I'm not currently playing.  *sigh* the hardships of being an ADD gamer 

*15. Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?*
I think certain rules should be in place, there was a comment about a game being listed as an adventure and a campaign setting, and I think that should probably change.  Other than that, I'll admit my ignorance on why rules are chosen the way they are, and say that I think needs and criteria change, as do peoples' perspectives, so I don't have a problem with the rules changing, so long as there is a written set that participants can browse available somewhere.

*16. Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be slightly biased towards d20 products?*
So long as the majority of voters come from ENWorld, a lot of votes will be in favor of d20, but so long as most gamers play d20, the majority of votes will be d20.  I do think that it's ok as long as a reasonable effort is made to include the entire online community, which I believe is being done.

*17. Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independent website (which they already have)? Why or why not?*
Probably, but as has been noted, this has been done.  I think that it's important to people outside of ENWorld that there be a semblance of impartiality.

*18. Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters? (Comment: They have already been moved off EN World, we will see what happens - Turjan)*
No idea, but I doubt it.  Most of us follow links to get to the voting page anyways.

*19. Are you a person who prefers crunchy bits or fluffy parts? Is there a ratio of crunch to fluff with you?*
I do love mechanics, but absent from fluff they lack flavor.  I'd say that I buy products for rules, but read them for the fluff.  I like books that have around 20%-30% crunch I guess.  For core books I like them to be mostly crunch, but on supplements, I could deal with much more fluff.

*20. Where can I find links to your reviews or publishing credits?*
Honestly, I have only done one review, and I have never written in the industry.

*21. How broad of an RPG background do you have?*
Well, I have been gaming since 1982, and GMing since 1985, though the first _real_ game I can remember (where we made a concerted effort to follow a story rather than just build characters with whatever we wanted and start killing stuff) started with _City of the Gods_ around Christmas of 1987.  Since then I haven't stopped gaming for more than a few weeks at a time to work on a new campaign, move, get married, that sort of thing.

I played a whole lot of DnD out of the out of the red/blue/teal/black/gold boxed set, then moved on to Ad&D and 2nd Edition.  I also ran all three editions of GURPS in the old days (just switched to 4E), some Classic Traveller, Runequest, and Arduin, and fell in love with Shadowrun around '89 or '90.  Then it was on to Earthdawn, which was the first time I realized the sheer volume of games available to play.

In the early '90s I did a little World of Darkness and ran the local VLARP.  I also started wargaming and boardgaming in there, and picked up a nasty 40k addiction that I still struggle with .  The mid-90s brought me L5R, Fading Suns, d6 Satr Wars, and Torg.

I was bit hard by the d20 bug, and bought much or what came out in 3E, and still buy all the varient stuff I find interesting (Iron Heroes, Thieves' World, Arcana Evolved, M&M, the three Trinity volumes, True20, Spycraft, Modern, and the like), as well as keeping my D&D collection up to date.  I also stay current on Shadowrun 4E and GURPS 4e, while picking up the occasional other title that appeals to me (Burning Wheel, Exalted 2E, etc).

I guess that's about it, sheesh.  Too much?

*22. Some RPG books (or mechanics) are better, or at least different, when played rather than just read. Without playing them, is there any way for a judge to reach a judgement about the products utility without actual play experience? If so what are they?*
If they are built on a system you know (like d20) I think you can get a basic grasp of what they are aiming for.  Otherwise it's very difficult.  I play three games a week, and my players love trying new stuff.  If I become a judge I will make every effort to run everything I possibly can.

*23. What is it that you are looking for when judging the worthiness of a product?*
Value, interesting concepts or rules, avoiding too much need for errata, reasonable presentation (easy to read, no pictures that make my eyes bleed), above all, fun to play.

*24. Different doesn't necessarily mean better. Agree or disagree?*
Strongly agree, but a willingness to try something new definitely wins bonus points.

----

*Questions from here:*
*Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?*
Their choice of course.  It's a pitty really, but there are plenty of other great products out there that might have gotten overlooked, that will now get a better chance to shine.

*13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?*
Very nearly 25 years.  I think it gives me an appreciation for various systems, and maybe a little more insight as to what is possible, and what has been done before.

*14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?*
For our group, yes I have created systems and worlds.  Nearly every world I have played in for any length of time has been more or less my own, though elements of other worlds I like have always been a part of them (all the way back to the map from Sword of Shanarra that I used to run my game in junior high  ).  I don't know if it makes me more qualified though.  World-building is highly subjective, and I build the world that _I_ want to play in, not necessarily those that would appeal to a mass market.  I use tricks and hooks that I wouldn't dare to use with a group I didn't know as well as my own.

*I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.*
Nope.

*Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?*
As much as humanly possible.  I run three games a week, and will dedicate at least two if not all (two of my players _only_ play d20, and I wouldn't cancel their game to make them play something they don't like) to playing through whatever I can.  Most of my players love to try new systems, and they will enjoy this as much as I do.

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*
It's something I've always wanted to do, to be a part of the larger community and do something truly "neat".  Also, this will be my first year at GenCon since Mecca, and I won't know anyone outside of my group.  It'll be a chance to meet some new people and be a part of something.

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*
Not at all.  My opinions are my own, and those of the people I will playtest with.

*Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy.*
Hmmm, I'm usually pretty careful about what I buy these days, read reviews, give a good look at the FLGS, that sort of thing... I can't think of anything really terrible, but I don't think I'd recommend GURPS Space.  It's not bad really, there's just not much in there that's as valuable as the similar stuff in GURPS Traveller:Interstellar Wars.  Plus, IW has nifty ship-building rules.

*Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?*
New.  I played Mage, Vampire, and a touch of Werewolf in the old rules, but it was never really my thing.  For my Halloween game last year, however, I decided to try out the new rules, and ran a horror game using just the core book.  It was a heck of a lot of fun, and the system was easy enough for my group to grasp that they played without ever reading the rules (of course, we play a lot of Shadowrun 4E, and they're very similar).

*Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist?*
I guess gamist.  The rules are part of the fun for me.

*Will you be at Gen Con?*
Barring some misfortune.  My group and I have already started working on logistics and putting together a carpool fund.

*What about gaming appeals to you?*
What doesn't?  Hanging with the friends, telling stories, rolling dice.  I like the whole shebang.  There is a wargamer buried deep inside me that loves the minis and the tactical aspect just as much as the storyteller in me loves worldbuilding.

*Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?*
Well, if it's just something _I_ bought in the last year, I'd say Megatraveller.  Obviously it's a lot older, but I just got it.  It's memorable to me because the day I got it I showed it to my players at the game and explained character creation.  We had to immediately halt our other game just to build characters using it's lifepath system.

Edit:  Oops, you said overall.  I'll go with AD&D 2E.  I think I was at the hight of my GMing ability back then.  The best games I ever ran were 2E before family took over and kids were running around my feet while I played.

*What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most? Why?*
I don't know that I have something I really disagree with, I mean the taste of fans is relative, I imagine that's why judges aren't given the final say.  Like I said above, however, I don't know that I like the same product being in two conflicting categories.

*Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?*
Nope.

*Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?*
Sheesh, that's a hard one, since I find most gametable moments to be "You had to be there" events. I will say that a few weeks ago I had a GM moment that tickled me.  We started our game in a space faring civilization, but otherwise not much higher tech than Earth.  Halfway through the first game the group noticed nukes going off in the distance, and shortly thereafter saw cylon raiders descending.  One player's jaw dropped to the floor and he said something to the effect of: "Aw Hell, we're playing Battlestar Galactica, and we don't even have a ship..."

Like I said, you had to be there.


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## jenschoonover (Feb 9, 2007)

Darn.

On a second read-through in which I was finally able to really read the rules, I may not qualify. Although I wish it were otherwise... I'm not affiliated with one publisher; I'm affiliated with most publishers in some way, shape, or form. 

Kinda figured that removed the bias.

Oh, well.

Had fun with the thought, though.


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## fusangite (Feb 9, 2007)

*Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?*
The new one is better. The gaping holes in the rules and the problematic social contract rendered OWoD virtually unplayable.

*Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)*
However, my identification as a simulationist should not be construed as endorsement of GNS or the Big Model. 

*Will you be at Gen Con?*
Yes.

*What about gaming appeals to you?*
Many many things: I like the subculture; I like the imagination; I like the social camaraderie inherent in the game; I like the story genres; I like being a grownup and still playing "let's pretend." I really don't know where to stop. Gaming has played a great role in my life. I have made new friends; I have deepened existing friendships; I have laughed a lot; I have found relief and a chance to unwind in tough times.

*Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?*
The first one. Buying D&D in 1981. Nothing has ever matched the incredible sense of discovery and excitement I experienced when I first came into contact with the idea of an RPG.

*Which one were you totally happy to plunk down money for.*
Almost every game I've owned I've been really happy about. As a gaming consumer. I'm really cheap and take a lot of time to think about my purchases.


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## fusangite (Feb 9, 2007)

*What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?*
I've never given the matter any thought. And I have no incentive to giving it any now that we're in an election campaign, however small and lame it might be.

*Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?*
Nope.


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## Treebore (Feb 9, 2007)

*Why did I decide to throw my hat in for a judge slot?*
Let me quote myself from another messageboard:

"...I like the desired goal the ENNIEs board has, and I hope it is succesful in its move in that direction, without losing credibility with the fans of the RPG industry. Plus gaining credibility with the fans who have yet to learn about the awards and how it works. 

I don't pay attention to the Oscars, Emmy, Grammy's, etc... but I pay attention to this award because it is the closest I have seen to being truly a "fan" award that has wide industry recognition. 

Anyways, I think it is a worthwhile award, otherwise I wouldn't even put my hat in the ring to be a judge, and I think it is a great pat on the back of publishers able to win any of them because they know it was fans, their customers, saying "You did a great job with this particular product in this particular way." 

I only got to talk to maybe a dozen or so publishers last year at GenCon, but they all said they like the awards because of who it is telling them their product is great, the fans. 

So I support that ideal. This year I would like to be directly involved in the process above and beyond voting and winning auctions to help fund them."


*Will I be at GenCon?*
 I sure plan on being there!

*Have I ever been a ENNIES judge before?*

No.

*Past ENNIEs Awards I have disagreed with?*
Plenty. The products I liked and voted for didn't win. Which is another reason why I would like to be a judge this year, so I can know every product that is nominated, and see how much I agree with the voting of the fans when it is all done. I want to see if intimately knowing every product will give me a different perspective on the final votes, and see if I can determine how much differently I would vote this year compared to past years because I would be familiar with every single nominated product.

I don't like seeing a product listed as a nominee and have no idea what it is when I cast my votes. There has usually been one or two in several categories that I had never even heard of, let alone read or played.

Even so, when my fav products didn't win I could see why the other product was chosen as being better by more voters.


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## Beckett (Feb 9, 2007)

I've tossed my hat in, so here are my answers (I think I've found all the questions asked in this thread)

1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?

I don't think it's a major factor.  It might affect my buying habits if it lifts something out of my price range, and in a review I might comment on the cost per page.  But if I'm trying to decide what is the best product, the cost isn't going to matter. Just because a book costs $100 doesn't mean it's good or bad.

2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?

D20 is the system I play the most, and so I'm most comfortable with it.  It's the main game my group is interested in.  But, it's not the only game I play.  I've always been open to trying new systems, so I hope that openess counters any bias I might have toward D20.

3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?

I like them. While it is nice to have an actual book in your hands, PDFs are typically cheaper and can be searched without having to look at the index or page through the book.  PDFs have also made it easier to get out products that might not have been profitable in hardcopy, such as older items or ideas to specialized to appeal to a wide audience.

4. Mutant or troll?

After X-Men 3, I'm siding with the trolls.

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

Both. Who would want to play with a bad concept just because the mechanics are great?  And the greatest concept won't get you far if the mechanics are too poor to want to play with. Yes, either can be taken out and ported somewhere else, but then you don't really have the best product; you have a good product, except for the setting/system.

The impact of errors depends on how significant the errors are.  Typos are fine, unless I find myself spending more time spellchecking than reading.  Mechanic errors vary with how much they disrupt the game.  An extra point of armor class or 3 extra skill points are errors that won't even slow down most games.  If the errors render the game unplayable, then that will be a factor.

6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

I work 40 hours a week in a low stress job with no overtime. The crunch time for reading looks like it will come after the school year ends, so it shouldn't  be a problem to take time off to finish the reading.

My wife is a gamer. I explained to her what being a judge would entail, and her only question was, "Can I help playtest the stuff you're evaluating?"

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?

I'll freely admit one of the reasons I want to be a judge is so that I'll be exposed to lots of material I wouldn't have bought on my own.  I'll keep those items that interest me the most, and give away or send back the rest.

8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?

Later or never. By the end of 2e, my group had given up on the game. The game felt stagnant, and was drowning in it's own weight. 3e cleaned things up.  It still seems new, and some of the recent WotC releases show that there are still new ideas for it. But, there is room for improvement, and some of the major fixes would require a new edition.

9. Which is your favorite Beatle?

John.

10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?

Minis have always been a part of my gaming experience; whatever game I've played, we've almost always had figures to represent the PCs and NPCs.

I would love to see the role of software expand for D&D (and other systems could certainly benefit from it).  Character creation where everything you need is in the program, so no more searching through books for that one feat you need.  Other programs could keep track of monsters and experience, or generate dungeons on the fly.

12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?

I am currently running two D&D games- one using the Savage Tide adventure path, and one using a modified version of the Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde.  I'm also running a Pendragon game (the actual play of it is on RPG.net). In 2006, I played or ran: Shadowrun 4, Exalted, Warhammer Fantasy, D&D and other D20 settings (A Game of Thrones, Warcraft)

13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?

I've been gaming for 20 years now. I have fond memories of the games I played then, but I'm also fond of the games I play now. I've always been willing to try something new.

14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?.

My system creation is limited to my younger days when I'd look at a rule set and think I could do better.  I mostly tinker now, finding the spots in games that bug me and figuring out fixes, or stealing the fixes from other games.  I think this helps my qualifications as it has helped me evaluate rules to find what works.

15) Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why? 
I think the rules need to be fluid.  Guidelines that work one year might be outdated or ineffective the next.

16) Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general? 
From what I've seen, efforts are being made to spread word of the ENnies to many of the other major RPG boards.  Even on ENworld, D20 is not the only system embraced.  I think the market share that D20 games hold would be the bigger factor in the awards being biased in that direction.

17) Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not? I think it's good that they have their own site, as it shows the ENnies have grown beyond just ENWorld. I also think it's good that Dextra recognized that reaching out to the varied RPG boards was the best way to get in touch with people.

18) Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?
I think the opposite.  On ENWorld, the awards are more easily dismissed as being just  for D20.  On their own site, I think a wide variety of gamers will come to vote.

19. Have done paid games industry work?
No.

20. Do you plan on playtesting any of the material? 
Yes.  I'll enlist my group as time permits, and at least roll some dice on my own to see how the systems work.

21. What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies? 
I've been looking for some way to extend my hobby beyond just my table.

22. Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product? 
No.  If a designer I respect says to check out a product, I might look at it a little more closely, but just becase he or she says it's good doesn't mean I'll agree.

23. Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?
I admit, I haven't looked into the NWoD.  What I've read about it is encouraging, as it sounds like a big improvement.  However, my group has never meshed well with White Wolf games, so I've concentrated my efforts on games they aren't already biased against.

24. Will you be at Gen Con?
It was actually going to be my honeymoon spot, but various issues sprung up.  If elected, I'm pretty sure I can work things out to be there.

25. What about gaming appeals to you?
The chance to use my imagination and to share my ideas with others without making them read a novel or screenplay I'm working on.  The chance to hang out with friends in an activity that we're all active participants in.  Oh, and the chance to slay dragons.

26. Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?
It was a flea market at an air force base in Germany.  One table had several issues of Dragon and many adventures for sale. My parents allowed me to pick one.  I looked around, and chose Against the Cult of the Reptile God.  I took it home and attempted to run it for my younger brother, using Legos as miniatures.  That didn't go so well, but I would later run it twice using 2e, and again with minimal conversions to 3e.  I guess you never forget your first.

27. Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?
No

28. Name me a product that you bought in the last year that you don't recommand people to buy. And why.
I'm another who looks before he buys. The closest I've come to being disapointed with a purchase is the four Displacer Pack Lords I drew from War of the Dragon Queen DDM packs.

29.  rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
Two events come to mind, both from parts of my Pendragon that have not made it to my actual play thread.
The first is the shocked looks on my players' faces when I told them that according to the GPC, they were all dead.  I gave them each one chance to save themselves, and each one succeeded.

The second was when my wife's character, a female knight disguised as a man, finally revealed her gender to her lord.  There was some great role-playing there as she admitted to living a lie for almost a decade and why she had done it, and he came to grips with one of his best knights being a female.


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## Bront (Feb 9, 2007)

I'm a little late to the party, but here's my Q&A.  I'll cross post it too.

*How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?*
Very little, if at all.  Barring a "Best Value" category, the products merits are fairly independent of its price.  It is still something to note however.

*Do you have a favorite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?*
I tend to use the D20 system for the most part because I find it flexible, and detailed enough for me.  Generally, I don't like rules light systems because I find the lack of rules tends to get in the way of play more than having to know more rules, which I've never really had a problem with.  That being said, there are merits to any system, and in the hands of a good GM, almost any system can be enjoyable.

*How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?*
I like PDFs, and wish they came with books.  I find searching them is easier, and they are good for general browsing or looking up rules.  However, hard books are easier to curl up with and read, and you don't need a computer at the gaming table to use them during play.

*Mutant or troll?*
Mutant

*Mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?*
Both.  A good concept can be killed with bad mechanics, and vice versa.  The best ideas are concepts with strong mechanics to back them up.  Errors in mechanics can be overlooked if small, but large noteworthy ones, or clunky mechanics can interfere with the enjoyment and use of a book.

*Are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)*
I could potentially be moving this year, and my wife does not game.  However, she understands that gaming is important to me, and has let me make some time in my life for it and has been very understanding.  My job often gives me some down time where reading, writing, or other pursuits can engaged in.

*What are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?*
I will likely keep what I like, and offer other stuff as contest give always, offer some to the Ennies Fund Raising auction, or offer it at the auction and donate some of the money to charity.

*4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?*
It's likely in development at some level already. I think it will probably be around in the next five years.

*Which is your favorite Beatle?*
Paul

*Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?*
I don't use much software beyond Microsoft Office and PDFs.  I can see it being useful for some people, but I've not found any software that has suited my fancy as something I'd use in a regular game yet.  Minis can be very useful, but dice on a battlemat work quite well, are cheaper, and don't detract from the game.

*Games played in the last year?*
D&D
Mutants and Masterminds
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Dragonquest
7th Seas

*How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?*
I think it's probably better for the industry to allow smaller companies to be recognized for their products.

*How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?*
I've been gaming for most of my life, 23 years.  I think it will help give me some perspective and deeper understanding of products available.

*How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?*
As a NASCRAG judge and play tester for many years, I have been a part of a group module design.  I've also done some work for a homebrew system some friends of mine and I put out in PDF, as well as done some homebrew work for several living campaigns.  I think being a part of the game design process allows one to detach fluff from crunch better, and allows for a deeper understanding of rules and mechanics, along with their intent.  Having done large scale public things like the living campaigns and NASCRAG stuff gives me a good overview of what others who game look for in a product, setting, or adventure.

*Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?*
I am unaware that the rules of the ENnies have changed significantly, only that the execution of the rules.  However, I think that because RPG products are already widely varried, having set rules will be more a hindrance to the awards than a benefit.

*Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?*Potentially, but the market seems a bit biased towards D20 products in general as well.  However, Enworld does also have a following of other non-d20 products, and while not as many participate, the discussions are still as spirited as they might be at any broader site.  But, as the ENnies are being separated from the site, I don't see it as a big issue.

*Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independent website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?*
I think that's a fantastic idea, but since the RPG audience is spread out across several different forums, asking them to visit yet another site for all ENnies stuff exclusively is very narrow and likely to limit the awards reach and appeal.  The ENnies are one of the premiere awards in the industry, and you can't limit discussions like that to just one locale.

*Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?*
Potentially, but increasing exposure to other sites could increase the number tremendously.

*Have you done payed game industry work ever?*
My friend published a game I helped work on under Shield of Faith Studios, but I never received anything beyond a free PDF for that.  I also helped TheLe in the ENWorld rules forums (A public forum) with ideas for how to implement several ideas, and he sent me some free stuff, but that's about it.  So, not really.

*Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?*
I think that too many set rules will bog down the ENnies.

*Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?*
I think that having points could lead to "ENnies" products, designed to hit each point and aim to win an award, instead of aiming to simply be a good product.  The ENnies should be organic, and something awarded to a good product, and not an award where people create products aimed at earning one.  There are plenty of awards that don't offer a basic set of rules, and things like the Grammy’s and Oscars are quite popular.

*Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?*
If it is appropriate.  This is what the judges are being elected for, to make calls such as this.  I don't see it as something that is likely to happen, but I can see it potentially happening.

*Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?*
As I mentioned before, I think too many rules will bog down the ENnies.

*Do you plan on play testing any of the material?*
If possible, I will play test as much as I can.

*What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?*
I've involved with gaming for 23 years, and thought that it might be an opportunity to give back to the hobby I enjoy so much.

*Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?*
If I were looking for a product to buy, reviews by peers as well as those "in the industry" would help guide me.  However, once I have the product, my opinions on its merits are mine.  I rarely close my mind to any product though, as sometimes  its value is not readily apparent at first reading or usage.

*Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?*
I've not dealt much with NWoD, but I have enjoyed the Old World of Darkness.  I'm not particularly attached to the system, but I've always found it worth a read just for the background and fluff.

*Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? * 
Probably a combination of a Simulationist and Narrativist.  I enjoy the story, but I also enjoy some of the mechanical and tactical part of gaming as well.  This is likely why I tend to prefer more detailed RPGs.

*Will you be at Gen Con?*
This will be my 17th consecutive Gencon.

*What about gaming appeals to you?*
I enjoy the opportunity to leave myself behind and flow into the fantasy world for a little bit.  I enjoy the rewards, the trials, and the journey of an RPG game.  I enjoy the fun of letting loose with friends and gaming, be it a board, video, or RPG game.  I enjoy putting a smile on someone else's face with a great line, drawing in someone else with a brave action, or making someone nervous as I risk my character's life.  There's something special about departing yourself and becoming someone else.  In many ways, it's like acting, but with rules and imagination instead of a script, director, and special effects.


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## BiggusGeekus (Feb 9, 2007)

Question for the Judges:

I've noticed that products nominated for "Best Writing" often contain a great deal of flavor text and 2-page short stories.

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*


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## mcrow (Feb 9, 2007)

Paka said:
			
		

> Hey Contestants,
> 
> Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.




For me, it was not so much what was happening in a game, but what a I realized during a game. 

Playing Buring Empires & Conspiracy of Shadows really opened my eyes on the subject of Indie/forge games. There was a point where I had a less than favorable opinion of these types of games, but in having played them I have learned a lot. It was sort of like an RPG epiphany.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 9, 2007)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> Question for the Judges:
> 
> I've noticed that products nominated for "Best Writing" often contain a great deal of flavor text and 2-page short stories.
> 
> *How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*




Does it flow?  How connected to the product is it?  Does it draw me in or stimulate the imagination?  How is the editing?



> *How do you plan to evaluate writing when applied to game mechanics?*




Clarity of communication, use of examples, and general flavor considerations are all important.



> *When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*




I consider the former from a more utility oriented perspective - how useful is this to the end reader.  I consider the later from more of an entertainment perspective - how enjoyable is this to read and does it inspire the reader?  Those are generalizations, however.



> *When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*




Word count is one of many factors that should be considered in a product.  However, clear and concise writing is far superior to just a big dump of text.  More writing may be a good thing, but it must be balanced by the quality of the writing.


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## mcrow (Feb 9, 2007)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> Question for the Judges:
> 
> I've noticed that products nominated for "Best Writing" often contain a great deal of flavor text and 2-page short stories.
> 
> *How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*



I guess I evaluate it the same way I would any other short story. Are the characters interesting, the plot entertaining, the writing style good and most importantly do I want more.  


> *How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*



For mechanics it is more about how clearly written and well explained they are, though a little hummor or personality doesn't hurt either. 


> *When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*



As stated above, clearly written mechanics/rules are just as important as good fluff. So if a game is mostly mechanics the writing will be judge mostly for the clearity and well explained things are.  If it includes a detailed setting and fiction, then it will be judged on plots, creativity, characters, and writing style. 


> *When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*




In this case, I would first try to determine the purpose of the product. So say the are both adventures, the 20 page one is just a single module and the 400 page one is mega campaign that takes you fron 1st to 20th level. I'm not going to ding the single adventure for being exactly what it was meant to be a single adventure. OTOH I'm not going to give the large book extra points for being huge. I will primarily judge based on the quality of material included, no matter what the page count. 

One exception would be if the 20 page book was missing something it should have no matter the page count. If something is missing that is fundamental to that type of product, a low page count is not an excuse.


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## fusangite (Feb 9, 2007)

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*
My main criteria for flavour text will be how well it meshes with the mechanical aspects of the game and is directly relevant to the game. I am not interested in reading flavour text if it is simply a digression so that the writer can sharpen up his prose style in anticipation of a future novel. I'm not looking for the short stories and vignettes of frustrated writers. I am looking for text that tells me about things in the world. 

The worst thing flavour text can do, in my opinion, is to describe situations that the rules are incapable of mechanically representing. If I'm reading something with a D20 or True20 damage mechanic, I do not want to hear about people losing limbs, for instance.

What I really want to see in flavour text is text that deepends my understanding of the setting by detailing things like customs, cultures, history, theology or ecosystems.

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*
My first priority here is, overwhelmingly, ease of comprehension. Any language that gets in the way of understanding through lack of clarity, wordiness, etc. is language I do not want to see. Good writing is writing that tells you both the mechanics and the underlying priniciples on which they are premised so that you can understand the overarching system into which the rules fit. For bonus points for scratching a particular itch I have, I would love to see some game rules that explain how the rule is understood by people in the game world as part of the physics of their world and how this is the same or differs from the physics of our world.

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*
Well, those that have a high percentage of game mechanics are going to be judged, for the most part, by the standards I have for how to judge mechanics: clarity and focus; those that have a low percentage are going to be evaluated primarily on quality of prose style.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*
The only question for me will be what percentage of the writing is good and what percentage of it is necessary. If a book is 400+ pages but doesn't need to be, that will hurt it; if a PDF is 12 pages but needs to be 20, that will hurt it. If the writing is necessary, then I will evaluate it based on the standards I outlined in previous answers.


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## Xath (Feb 9, 2007)

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*

Is it well written?  Is it applicable to the surrounding text?  Does it compliment or detract from what the book is trying to say?

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*

I look for clear, concise, and understandable mechanics.  If I can read a section and understand the rules the first time through, it's very well written.  

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*

Best Writing isn't so much about the game mechanics.  It's about the style and quality of writing used throughout the product.  Good writing is something that holds my interest, is understandable, and is well edited.  

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*

When evaluating the "Best" of something, I look at quality over quantity.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 9, 2007)

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*

Does it capture my imagination and really pull me in? More importantly, does it fit in well with the overall feel and point of the book.

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*

It needs to be clear and in plain English. Examples are always good as long as they don't take so long to explain the point that you get lost in them.

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*

For both, really, the less typos and errors the better. Some can be gotten away with as long as it doesn't distract. But, to me at least, well written mechanics can flow into and with flavour text in a way that you get both clearly and understand the mechanics.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*

Just because something is longer doesn't mean its better. If a 20 page PDF is more evocative and gets its point across clearly and the 400+ hardcover just rambles on, well...the PDF did it job. Of course, the converse is just as likely, so to me its not as much about page count as it is the actual writing within.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

Paka said:
			
		

> Hey Contestants,
> 
> Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.




I was running the game. The players needed to retrieve some items from a necromancer...and they decided to just knock on his front door and ask for them. Repeatedly. Then they started shouting to get his attention.   

By the time they made it to his lab he had spent a good 5 minutes summoning undead and setting up barricades. At the end of an epic combat all of the bad guys were dead and one party member was left standing...1 HP from dropping.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> This feels like a Spotlight thread from Circvs.
> 
> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?
> 
> ...




I haven't played since the new version of WOD came out...so old by default.   

Gamist. My old wargaming and MTG habits die hard.

Yes.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> What about gaming appeals to you?




I enjoy the social aspect, the competitive aspects, the fantastic themes, and the opportunity to flex creative muscles. Everything, in other words.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 9, 2007)

_ Could you talk about a rockin' moment that happened at your table this year?_

Sure thing. This may take a while:

This is from the homebrew campaign I’ve been playing in for over 10 years. I need to tell you a few things about it, to explain why this moment rocked so much. Firstly, we reset the game a couple of years ago after we lost one of our players. More on that later. We put all of our characters away, tweaked the rules and started in a new area of the map with a new story. 

Also, we regular run more than one character at a time, and each player has a “stable” of up to half a dozen characters in their folder at any one time. All of the play is based around a single city and the outlying settlements, so parties form and disperse from session to session and many of the characters know each other through former association or by reputation.

So, for the last few sessions we’ve been investigating some attacks on one of the nearby villages, and it looks like we’ve just hit across the advance guard of a sizeable dark elf army (the first time this race has been introduced to the campaign). In the session before this one, we took a party deep into some underground passages, and we ended the session resting in an area we had just cleared out.

This session, we’re taking another party, with different characters, to investigate another dark elf sighting. This also leads to an underground network of caves, and we start getting our butts kicked by some nasty hit-and-run attacks and magic we’ve never seen before.

We press on, and after some more of the same the GM asks us to make some perception checks. He tells us that there’s a small force just ahead of us, we don’t know what, but they don’t appear to know we’re there. Can you see where this is leading?

At this point, we pretty much realise (as players) that the other force _might_ be
our party from the last session, we’re underground, lost and we’ve been attacked virtually every inch of the way.

So, naturally, we charge. Straight into the other party.

What happens next is what rocked for me. Recently we’d been a bit protective of our characters; not wanting to take too much risk, getting a bit upset (as players) if anyone’s character had screwed anyone else’s character over (with large numbers of characters per player, each with their own agenda, this happens fairly often and is usually accepted as long as no-one kills anyone else).

So we’re in a situation where we may be facing not one, but _two_ total party kills, because the characters in each party don’t know the other party very well and the dark elves have been hiring mercenaries.

Except this time, we go for it. We’re actively conspiring with each other and with the GM to come up with reasons why the characters might not realise what’s going on. We’re attacking each other’s characters, we’re attacking our _own_ characters, we’re having a blast.

Then the GM tells me that one of my characters, a priest in the second group who has been hanging back (no combat skills) that he recognises some of the guys in the other group and we’re fighting the wrong guys.

What happened next was a different sort of rocking, but it wasn’t as good as what happened when we remembered that we’re playing a _game_, that it’s OK if things go wrong. _It’s even OK if someone dies. The rest of us will move on._



I've never written it down like this before. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to do so.

Regards,

Doug


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## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Good day to all the judges
> Yes only posting this question on here
> 
> My question is more subjective than objective
> ...




Recently? I'd say Tome of Battle or Grim Tales. Historically I'd say my first Champions rulebook.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 9, 2007)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> Question for the Judges:
> 
> I've noticed that products nominated for "Best Writing" often contain a great deal of flavor text and 2-page short stories.
> 
> ...




1. Creativity of content and fun generated by reading it.

2. Clarity, clarity, clarity. Extra points for managing to make the rules fun to read.

3. The products would obviously have different design goals. I'd evaluate them based on how well they do what they set out to do.

4. No difference. Well written is well written.


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## The Red Priest (Feb 9, 2007)

What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?

How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.

If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?

What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?


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## freebfrost (Feb 9, 2007)

A few questions for the potential judges:


*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*

*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*

*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*

*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *

Thanks for all your input so far!


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 9, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




It's RPG material like any other RPG material.  Whether a game line is in print or not isn't important to me.



> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.




First, some aspects of a product can be evaluated no matter what.  Clarity of discussion, editing, art, and other factors are universal.  Second, I have a very broad experience but so do the other judges.

If it's a system I can teach myself with only a moderate amount of effort (say, nWoD) then I'd be inclined to get ahold of the core rulebook and do that.  However, where that's not an option for whatever reason I'm more likely to defer to the judgment of other judges (who do know that system) on that particular item.  I just don't see any other solution there, but I'd be open to suggestions.



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




When I write reviews I try to review every product on its own merits, and I'd be doing that here.  A poor core book could certainly have a fantastic supplement, especially where lots of writing is being farmed out or different teams are working on different products.  I'd definitely pay a little more attention to my biases and what other judges are saying in that case, however, and would ask myself "Am I really being fair to this product?"

Sure.  Adventures have a certain organization and flow, from how they introduce plot hooks to how they anticipate player actions and weave events together.



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




I certainly don't intend to play test every submission and would be stunned if someone, somehow, managed to do so.  What I do play test will occur based around my gaming group's current schedules.  I anticipate I'm most likely to playtest products where I suspect the play experience is likely to be substantially different from the reading experience.  With Great Power..., for example, is a game that really comes alive in play in ways that the text just can't communicate.  You get to feel the players make choices, and it's a lot of fun.


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## Treebore (Feb 9, 2007)

*What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?*

I'm thinking of OSRIC while answering this. I am very well aware of OSRIC. I have even bought a few of the modules and a couple of pdf products for it. So in OSRIC's case I would have a very stong familiarity. So for me it would be no different than if I judge products from other game lines that I am familiar with.

As for those I don't know about, it will be no different for me than in judging totally new products. I'll do what I have to do to understand the rules system. That is where familiarity with other game mechanics will help judges. It will help them to see how the various systems work faster, and hopefully with a higher level  of comprehension due to similiarities with how other systems work.

So the fact that so many of the judges, if not all of us, are familiar with so many game systemswill be a big help.

For instance, I have never got into any of White Wolf's World of Darkness books or the system. I am not into Exalted. So a couple fo the other Judge nominees are knowledgeable in these systems, so they can help me get up to speed fast.

Hopefully I will return the favor on systems like L5R, Shadowrun, Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM), EPICrpg, and others.

So that is how I am going to approach judging OOP's, and systems I don't know.


*How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.*

Part of my answer to the previous question applies here as well. I am going to rely on my fellow judges to bring me up to speed. I am familiar, and even own products, from most of the systems that have been around for 15+ years, such as Call of Cthulhu, RIFTS/Paladium, etc.... With White Wolf, my fellow judges will have to help me understand the rules. Which I believe I will be able to do quickly, because from what I have heard about the mechanics, it sounds like other systems I have played.

*If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?*

I am not aware of systems I do not like. I like systems others "hate", such as Synnibar, RIFTS, Castles and Crusades, Mega/Traveller, BESM, L5R, etc...

I think a big part of that is because when I look at systems I am looking for what does work. What I think doesn't work I make work to my satisfaction.

There is no system that I "hate", so that will not be an issue for me. 

*What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?*

Time is the barrier. Plus playtesting is not a "requirement" of judging. I just know that as a judge, and other nominee's have said this as well, I/we will playtest as much as we can. Will we will have time to playtest everything equally and to our satisfaction? Highly unlikely. 

We will just do the best we can, and hope it is good enough.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 9, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> *What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*






Strong: Lots of review experience.  Lots of experience judging products thanks to active participation in RPG.net's Gaming Index.  Thanks to law school training, ability to accurately absorb large amounts of information in a short time.

Weak: My qualifications are clearly different from those of other judges, the biggest being that I don't frequent ENWorld and likely have less exposure to d20 products than some other judges.  This will be my first year at GenCon.  As a law student I have less free time than some other judge nominees, though I do have a history of using that free time to regularly write reviews.



> [*]*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*




I believe (but am not certain) that I have broader reviewing experience than the other judges (except, of course, for Chris Gath).  Don't hold me to that, as the final list isn't up yet 



> [*]*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*




Finishing up my second year of law school has resulted in my ability to keep to a schedule, read lots of material, and criticize what I read.

I love comic collections, and especially enjoy watching animated super heroes (Batman: TAS, JLU, etc.), but I don't see how those would play into judging products.  I suppose enjoying reading makes me more aware of what constitutes well written short fiction.



> [*]*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *




It's at least moderately important.  Good artwork evokes the mood and feel of a product in a fantastic way, when done properly.  It can communicate a lot of additional information, inspire the reader to play the game, and entertain the reader all at the same time.  I generally consider covers to be a little less important than interior art, however. 



> Thanks for all your input so far!




Thanks for taking the time to ask questions!


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 9, 2007)

*What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?*

I think its great. How much of this would be seen entered to be judged I honestly have no idea of, but as I've said more than once...I'm a huge Star Wars fan, and even though I love the new d20 game, I still have players that won't play anything but the old d6 system. So even though that's long OOP, new things to help out are just great(and definitely around if one can scour the internet well enough).

*How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.*

When it comes to things with which I have no experience, the only way I can see to truly fix this to evaluate is to learn the system. This isn't too hard for me, as I'm a bit of a system whore and love to get setting and rules books for things that I'll probably never play anyway, just to see how they work and for a good read. I'm also pretty good at picking up on concepts and rules at a quick pace so it wouldn't be taking up a huge amount of time.

*If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?*

There aren't too many systems I don't like, but if there is something I don't like, I can only try to evaluate any supporting products as best as possible. There are gems in mechanics in most all systems if you pay attention. When it comes to adventures, well...to me, those aren't at all system specific, even if they say they are. I've never had a problem adapting adventures to a completely different system, so yes, I do think bad systems can have good adventures.

*What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?*

The biggest barrier is time, with the second being my gaming group. There is only so much that can be playtested, and it would be a lie to say everything submitted could be in the time given. My game groups have been warned of this possibility and are ready to try out new things if it comes to it, but it definitely won't be everything as that's just not possible.

** What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge? Weak point(s)?*

I consider my experience with multiple systems and my openess to new things to be a very strong point.

At the same time, it could be said that my openess is also a weak point as I have no problem floating from one game system to another.

** What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*

I think my age, being younger than most of the other judges, gives me a different perspective. I don't have a strong attachment to a particular system through nostalgia and, while I've played older versions of games like D&D, definitely wasn't playing it at the time. Not everyone's been playing RPGs for 20+ years, and that isn't always represented in the judges selected.

** What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*

I'm a huge comics fan(mostly Marvel), play a ton of video games(yay, Wii), and I read far too much(just started my yearly reading of Dune this week).

I'd say all of these have provided me with a very broad selection of ideas and inspirations to bring into my gaming. While some use it as an insult, there are, in fact, some things tabletop gaming CAN take from video games(not all, of course, but some). And a broad exposure to other geek pop culture aspects can help to identify the inspirations for certain aspects of new tabletop games and supplements.

** How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *

As I've said before, I'm still a college student. My Major is Fine Art, and I've been drawing and painting for longer than I've been playing RPGs. One of the big things that drew me into D&D, in particular, was the artwork, which still inspires me and amazes me beyond just what could be done in game, but with turning myself into a better artist.

So, to me, art is a major factor. Art isn't the only factor, of course, and a book with horrible art and wonderful ideas or mechanics wouldn't necessarily be snubbed by me(the reverse is also true), but I definitely keep a keen eye towards the artistic edge of most all products.


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## The Red Priest (Feb 9, 2007)

CW, Treebore and Ankh, thanks for the thoughtful replies.


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## Crothian (Feb 9, 2007)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> *How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*




Read through it and see how well it is written and how well it shows what the game is about and what the game can do.  

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*

It is how well the mechanics are explained and how easy they are to understand 

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*

I read and judge what is there, it is all I can do.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*[/QUOTE]

Like above you judge by what is there.  Books with more text and with more writing have a chance to really shine but also have more of a chance for something to not be right.


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## Crothian (Feb 9, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




Well, If it's new material for out of print games I don't really see them as OOP anymore.    But I get the the point of the question.  I love to see new material for old favorite games.  I've really been digging this 1e revival for instance.  



> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.




I go out and buy the book or borrow it from a friend and I learn the system.  Two years ago White Wolf entered 3 big splats and one small splat for Exalted.  I knew nothing of exalted, so I went out bough t a few books and for one weekend I was back in college preparing for a final.  I had to do the same thing for HERO and Deleria and others.  It can be the toughest part of being a Judge because no one knows everything out there.



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




Yes, there are good adventures for bad systems.  Or I won't call them bad system, but systems I'm not a fan of.  I own modules for some systems that I never want to play but the modules are good.  And getting over one's own personal bias is another tough thing about judging books.  



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




Time.  You never have enough of it.  Luckily, I know of some of the books that are going to be entered or I'm pretty sure will be entered and already have them and have played them.  So one of my Contingencies was to start in October not knowing if I'll be a Judge or not.  It is fun to do a great way to actually play a lot of the new games.


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## mcrow (Feb 9, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?



I think it is great. There are a lot of OOP games that still have a following. Its good to see some of those OOP game getting some attention. Of course this is much more easy to do these days with PDF, low overhead no inventorey for publishers. 


> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.



Well, if you are talking a supplement that is entered for a system I'm not familiar with, I would try to borrow a copy from somone. If I can't get my hands on a copy I would ask one of the other judges for an explanation of the rules if they have experience with it. I think it would be unreasonable to expect the judges to know every system, but I think in the case you don't know it you should make every attempt to understand the basics. 


> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?



 A supplement should be largely judged on what it adds to the core rules. So in my book even if I don't like the system, it is entirely possible that the supplents for it could be very good. Supplements should expand on the core rules and/or setting. Besides that, they are judge as normal. 


> Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?



Heck, yeah. Since the best parts about adventures are personalites and plots. As long as the adventure is true to the setting and of good quality. 


> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?



Its clear that there will be no way possible to playtest them all. Not only that, but many times I don't think a playtest is needed to judge the quality of a game.  Hopefully some of the games I have played over the last year will be entered and that will make things easier. I will playtest as many as possible. Otherwise I will review them via reading and making characters. I might run a mock combat or something if I'm haveing trouble groking the system.


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## Crothian (Feb 9, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> *What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*




A strong point is a love of gaming (we all have this) and a familiarity with lots of gaming systems.  I keep a library of core books of many of the games we are likely to get so I can go back and reference the core books when needed.  I'm also very familiar with the PDF side of gaming.

I think a weakness of mine might be the PDFs.  I seem to be a bit biased for them against the more popular print books.  


[*]*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*

I review a lot of books so I'm able to read a RPG book like a novel with no problems.  And I'm used to reading things critically.  


[*]*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*

I read mysteries and other fiction.  Once spring hits I'll be hiking and spending time out in my gardens.  Burnout after reading a couple hundred RPG books is a reality and one needs to be able to do something that leaves it all behind if only for a little while.  


[*]*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *

They are important, so important they have their own categories.  The cover is always the first thing you see of a product.  But one has to look past the factors that are not in the category the product is being judged on.  But for the overall categories like Best product these play an important role like all aspects that make up a book.


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## mcrow (Feb 9, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> A few questions for the potential judges:
> 
> What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?



Strong: 17 years experience in RPGs. I buy, read, and play a lot of games. I have been writing reviews for about two years now. I'm unbiased, I play d20, non-d20, indie/forge games and all sorts. I have been designing my own settings and campaigns for most of my gaming life. 

Weakness: maybe I'm a little overly analytical sometimes. 



> What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?



i don't know the other potential judges @ all, but I think that I have seen an played more RPGs than most of them. I have the ability to a completely fair and unbiased choice despite what systems and games I like. (i'm not saying non of the other can do that, just that I think I'm really good @ leaving bias behind)



> What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?




Reading Sci-fi, Disc Golf, Movies, Gaming, Studying history and religions. 



> How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products?



Well, if i'm judging a game for a category that is art specific, then it is the only thing that matters. 

Otherwise I use it as a tie breaker. If I have two games that are of equal quality in every other way, I tend to break the tie with the art. The one exception is if the art is very bad, then I might ding it for that because it makes the book look amaturish.


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## Xath (Feb 9, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




I love it.  Some of my favorite games are out of print, and I truly appreciate any little tidbits that people produce for them.  



> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.




I'd go back and read the core book(s) before evaluating the product.  In my opinion, a supplement shouldn't rely on any books but the core.  If I have to go back and read 15+ years of books to understand one supplement, than that supplement isn't really accessable.  



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




I've never met a system I truly disliked.  So...that's not an issue.  And I do believe there can be a good adventure for a bad system.  



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




Well, I'm pretty sure that there will be too many products to play-test every single one.  So I'll try to playtest systems I'm not familiar with first.


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## Rystil Arden (Feb 10, 2007)

Here's an interesting one:

One thing that must be on everyone's mind this year is the possible submission of Ptolus.  Answer either if you have read Ptolus or have seen enough of it to know the relative allotment of content--If Ptolus was entered, for what categories would you consider it eligible for nomination?


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## Xath (Feb 10, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> [*]*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*




Strong Points: I've been working with the ENnies for over a year now, so I'm familiar with how the process works.  But since I've never been a judge before, this gives me a fresh perspective.  I'm an avid gamer in a gaming household, so I'll have plenty of time to devote to the ENnies.  I give my 100% effort to everything I commit to, and the ENnies are no exception.  

Weak Points:  I've only been gaming for 7 years, so my range of experience into older systems is limited.  



> [*]*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*




You know, as much as I'd like to think of myself as a special and unique snowflake, I'm going over my list of credentials and seeing them reflected by at least one other nominee.  

[*] Young Gamer - Ankh-Morpork Guard 
[*] B.A. in Theatre Arts - Beckett
[*] Recent College Graduate - QueenD
[*] ENnies staff - Fusangite

So I'll go with a more personal aspect and say that my personality makes me a good ENnies judge.  I work well with others, have a good sense of humor, am totally devoted to my commitments, and love love love to game.  That might not make me unique, but it will make me a good judge.    



> [*]*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*




Outside of gaming, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, traveling, camping, hiking, biking, martial arts, fencing, sewing, painting minis, computer games, volunteering and even the occasional TV shows *cough* Heroes *cough*.  Everything that I do gives me more and more diverse experience that I can apply to everything else, including judging.  



> [*]*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *




It's important for the namesake categories and for the "main" categories.  While mechanics may make a system, good writing, artwork and cartography make a game.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 10, 2007)

Some more answers for you. This may be the best - and hardest - job interview experience I've ever had!

_How do you personally evaluate flavor text?_

I like flavor text to give me a feel for what the setting of the game is all about; if it’s well written, I can show it to other players and we’ve all got an idea of what will work well in the game, without having to read the whole book in detail. Or it can be used for an instant “what if…” plot hook.

_How do you plan to evaluate writing when applied to game mechanics?_

As others have said, clarity is key. If something is complicated, an example of play is usually a plus.

_When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?_

I don’t think I’ll be considering percentages at all. Is the writing clear, relevant, interesting? How will it enrich my gaming experience? Granted, the methods employed are different, but the goals are the same.

_When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in? How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?_

Each approach has different strengths. It’s easier to maintain a standard of writing across 20 pages; on the other hand a 400+ book should have a greater quantity of good writing in it. I’d be keeping this in mind when trying to compare the two.

_What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?_

As a gamer, I approve heartily; these games are still played even if they are out of print. As a judge I think it’s irrelevant to the review process.

_How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience? What if any of those systems are highly complex? That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years._

That’s a good – and hard – question. It’s relatively easy to see the intrinsic merits (good writing, interesting material) of a supplementary work without knowing the core material it’s based on, but evaluating how well it meshes and expands upon the core is really tough. I think that being able to network effectively with the other judges is a key skill here, as well as being able to research and assimilate new information quickly.

_If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?_

For supplements, by focusing on how well it meshes with and/or expands upon the system (at least I’m familiar with the core material this time!) I’ll also admit to the other judges that I dislike the system it’s based on and why. For adventures, see my next answer.

_Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?_

Absolutely. I steal stuff from published adventures and convert them regularly. A good adventure is well written, full of interesting situations and contains meaningful choices. None of these elements are system dependent.

_What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?_

I’m not planning to playtest, for reasons stated earlier in this thread.

_What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge? Weak point(s)?_

Strong points: I have excellent comprehension skills, am good at stating my case as well as appreciating other people’s positions. Above all, if I realise I’ve made a mistake, I’m willing to admit it. A large part of my job involves reviewing procedures (including legal guidance) so I have a trained eye for detail.
Weak points: When I read gaming material, I can get distracted by thinking about what I would have done instead of what the writer(s) actually did themselves. I promise to keep this under control if I’m selected.

_What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?_

I don’t know enough about the other judges to answer this. Although looking at the pictures so far, I think “pattern baldness” my be my own special quality. I’m quite shiny when viewed from above.

_What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?_
I have plenty of other cultural interests, such as literature (much of which is sci-fi), theatre, philosophy, as well as just crashing out in front of the TV (currently watching: first season of Ugly Betty.) Not sure that they make me a better judge, beyond giving me a wider experience to draw on when I’m reviewing.

Oh, I also go to a karaoke bar with my friends once a month, so I’m used to public scorn and ridicule.

_How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products?_

Well, if I’m judging a product for best artwork, it’s pretty key! If we’re talking about a general “best in show” type of award, I’d rate artwork in the same way as flavor text. Is the art well executed, does it enrich the setting, does it inspire me? If so, I’d bump up my evaluation of the product as a whole.

Good night,

Doug


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## mcrow (Feb 10, 2007)

Rystil Arden said:
			
		

> Here's an interesting one:
> 
> One thing that must be on everyone's mind this year is the possible submission of Ptolus.  Answer either if you have read Ptolus or have seen enough of it to know the relative allotment of content--If Ptolus was entered, for what categories would you consider it eligible for nomination?




I don't own it, but have read plenty of reviews of it and have paged through it @ the store.

From that I would say it qualifies for :

Best Campaign/Campaign Supplement 
Best d20/OGL Product 
Best Writing
Best Production Values
Best Cover Art 
Best Interior Art
Best Cartography

I'm just listing ones that it could be entered in, not that I think it could win or be nominated for any of the above.

It most definitely should not be listed in both adventure and campaign, like Shackled City was last year. If that situation came up again this year, i would do my best to keep i from happening again.


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## Bront (Feb 10, 2007)

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*
Flavor text needs to be interesting, comprehensive, inspiring, and also go along with the mechanics and setting.  Great flavor text that is just out of place in the material as presented is almost as bad as poorly done flavor text.  Ideally, flavor text should start your wheels turning, and still give you enough flexibility to adapt it to your purposes.

*How do you plan to evaluate writing when applied to game mechanics?*
Game mechanics should be fairly comprehensive, clear, ideally concise, and functional.

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*
You look at the product as a whole.  Mechanics are no more or less important that flavor.  The idea is how usable, well done, and inviting the text is to use.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in?  How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*
Writing should be both complete and concise.  A small product is only good if it's complete, and a large product shouldn't have extra unnecessary stuff in it.  

*What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?*
I play several OOP games, and materials for games that are still supported by a fan base, even if the system itself has been dropped from production, can be just as meaningful to a community.  Not every product stays dead.

*How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.*
As a kid, I used to play Advanced Squad Leader, which was perhaps one of the most complex games of all time.  Understanding a game with 20 acronyms in a line of rules, and multiple rules supplements is quite possible.  It's ideal in situations like this though to attempt to play test it in some fashion, as that can lead to a much greater understanding of the rules.

*If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?*
Adventures, flavor, and art are separate from the system itself.  First, I would ask myself if there are merits to the system and it's just personal taste reasons I don't care for the system.  Then, I would evaluate the product itself, for how it works with the system, supplements, flows as an adventure, etc.  I can think of many systems which I have considered 'bad' and yet still enjoyed reading the books and supplemental material, and I would have no problems nominating a product of a system I thought was bad but the product in question was good.

*What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?  Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?*
Schedules to get others to help play test can be a barrier.  However, I am willing and capable of doing a "self play test" of material if need be.

*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*
Strong points:
I am very analytical, and good at detaching personal feelings from a product itself.  I am a fast reader, and have experience as an adventure writer, mechanics writer, flavor text writer, campaign setting judge, and editor, which will help me in understanding and appreciating how a product came to be.  I'm also open minded, and willing to listen to the arguments of others before making my mind up.  So persuasive arguments for or against a product from other judges are something I'm willing to listen to, and would encourage.

Weak points:
My spelling is atrocious (I try to run important posts and messages through a spell checker).  I also work off hours, which can cause communication problems.  However, nothing much beyond problems judges from European or Asian countries might have, and I'm not off shift all week, just while I work.

*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*
Working for an RPG Tournament and on several Living Campaigns, I've basically created and worked on unpaid materials such as settings, mechanical supplements, adventures, as well as I had an active role in scoring and rating entrants into a contest.  While the ENnies are not exactly like that, I think my experience will help me be an asset to the judging team.

*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*
I've been a step-parent, was heavily involved in paintball for a while, and enjoy video games, occasional TV and movies, and working with computers.  I think being well rounded helps give us perspective into the what we do, and being familiar with non-gaming activities allows us to take a break, clear our heads, and focus more on the gaming activities when we set our minds to it.

*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *
Cartography is a huge bonus in a setting or adventure, as it allows for an extra visual draw to aid in imagining the setting, and I would consider it core content for the most part.  Artwork can add to the visualization process as well, and helps add flavor where text may not quite have everything, but it is a smaller part of a product.  The cover is usually for show, and to help attract people to a product on the shelves.  As long as it's sturdy, I don't think it's very influential in a products overall review or value.

*One thing that must be on everyone's mind this year is the possible submission of Ptolus.  Answer either if you have read Ptolus or have seen enough of it to know the relative allotment of content--If Ptolus was entered, for what categories would you consider it eligible for nomination?*
I am not too familiar with Ptolus, as I haven't gotten my hands on it yet.  However, by all accounts it's a very detailed setting, and should be treated as such.  However, the ultimate determination will be made once the judges get their hands on it and get a chance to discuss it.


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## Treebore (Feb 10, 2007)

mcrow said:
			
		

> I don't own it, but have read plenty of reviews of it and have paged through it @ the store.
> 
> From that I would say it qualifies for :
> 
> ...





Why repeat when you can just quote and say, "What he said."


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 10, 2007)

_One thing that must be on everyone's mind this year is the possible submission of Ptolus. Answer either if you have read Ptolus or have seen enough of it to know the relative allotment of content--If Ptolus was entered, for what categories would you consider it eligible for nomination?_

I’ve checked it out on the shelf of a gamestore but not read it in depth. What Michael (Mcrow) and Robert (Treebore) are saying sounds reasonable.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

eyebeams said:
			
		

> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.




Yeah, about 15 years ago. One project got Kill Fee'd and the other I never got paid for (my co-writer stiffed me)


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

Rasyr said:
			
		

> More questions for judges....
> 
> Do you think that a codified set of rules cannot include provisions for making changes and/or updating them as conditions and the market change?




I don't think I need a lot of "Judging Rules Codification" to do the job well. Plain old "discussion with my fellow judges" has produced results I am proud of in every other year of the awards.

Put me down for "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"  



> Do you think it is wrong to have a basic set of rules be codified and put forth to let participant know exactly what points they will be judged on? Do make sure that each judge is judging the entrants on the same points?
> 
> (Note: granted each judge would put their own significance to each point, but at least they would all be covering the same points?)




Wrong? No I guess not.

I also don't think it's necessary.



> Do you think that products entered in the main categories should be allowed to be included in other main categories by the judges?




Yes. If a book is outstanding in a variety of categories, my instinct is to recognize it's various qualities.



> Do you think that Categories should have at least a minimal description/standard to determine whether or not a product should be included in that category (i.e. that a book is required to be at least 50% about the setting to be considered for Best Setting)?




No. I think the judges can decide that on an ad hoc basis through dicussion and debate as they (successfully to my mind) have in previous years.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> *Questions*
> 
> Do you plan on playtesting any of the material?




I have every year previous (as necessary and as time allows), i can;t see why that would change this year.



> What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?




Force of habit

Seriously answer though: _Love of the work_. I've enjoyed the debate and the organization a lot in previous years, and look forward to it every year. 



> Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?




I'm not sure I understand the question. Statements by most anyone _could_ affect my opinion (my opinion is hardly set in stone), but I don't think Industry Pros would get any special consideration though.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

GwydapLlew said:
			
		

> Do you prefer Old World of Darkness or New World of Darkness?




OWD just becasue I had so much fun with it. 

I realize that the new rules are better done, and that the old WoD setting didn;t make a lot of consistent sense...but damn I had a good time with it



> Do you consider yourself a gamist, narrativist, or simulationist? (Fusangite already answered this one.)




If I recall correctly I am mostly Simulationist with a heavy dash of Gamist. 

But honestly I've never had much truck with that GNS theory.



> Will you be at Gen Con?




Come Hell or High Water



> What about gaming appeals to you?




The Social aspect mostly. Close second is World Building.

The Tactical aspect of it takes the bronze


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

tadk said:
			
		

> Your overall most memorable gaming purchase you made?




Probably the 1st Editon of GURPS. It was the frst functioning "Tool Kit" ruleset I had ever come across and I used it for _everything_ for a lot of years.



> Which one were you totally happy to plunk down money for.




D&D 3E.

We had pretty much whipped ourselves into a nostalgia-fueled frenzy in the year-long lead up to it's release.

Same deal with Mutants and Masterminds 1E. We had played the demo at Gen Con and then set about waiting, like, 6 months for the release.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

Nareau said:
			
		

> What award given by past ENnies do you disagree with most?  Why?




None. I've had a hand in all of them, and have been proud of them.



> Have you ever been an ENnies judge before?




Yes. I am the prototype 

For as long as the ENnies have been in existence, I've been there.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




I have no "special" opinion on them that I am aware of.



> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?




Try to get some experience with the system (however minimal). Barring that, try and track down the Core Rules (I'm guessing you are describing a situation with OOP material like you mentioned in the first sentence of your post) and take a look at them.

After over two decades of this, I'm pretty good at grasping rules.

I went out and bought a set of core rules for a supplement that was submitted a few years back. HERO maybe? 

Anyway...do whatever I can to familiarize myself with it. A fairly "stock" answer, but the truth nonetheless.  



> What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.




Man, if I can successfully wade through *Starfleet Battles*' telephone book-sized rules compilations every few years for my buddy Fraser's yearly "weekend-long" games I'm not going to be fazed by RPG complexity 



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?  Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




Absolutely. The most recent example of this kind of thing that pops to mind is the *Gamma World* Referee's Guide, which I thought was _miles_ better than it's Core Rules (which, well, were not great). 



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions?




Time mostly. I have a gaming group that are pretty charged up this time of year to serve as my Guinea Pigs



> Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




Not really. "Do my best to playtest as necessary" is about my whole plan. I have no plans to playtest every single item that comes through the door, and contingencies would be "over-planning" IMO.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> *What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*




*Strong Point*: My _Certificate of Technical Communication_. I went through a stint as a Manual Writer, and it has left me with a terrific ability to recognize well-written instructions and rules. 

*Weak Point*: I tend to judge products wholistically, and sometimes small details can get overlooked in favor of a "Big Picture". I wish I had John Cooper's eye for detail...but I just don't.



> *What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*




7 years experience 



> *What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*




Well I doubt my background in Geek Culture are anything special compared to the other nominees...but they are there. I am something of a afficianado of lousy Chop-Socky, Spaghetti Western, Blaxploitation and Motorcycle Gang films of the 1970's (for whatever that's worth)



> *How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *




Big. I'm not one of those "Print it with no art, on newsprint and cut the price" types. 

I like my books to be Nice Looking.


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## hong (Feb 10, 2007)

Teflon Billy said:
			
		

> I like my books to be Nice Looking.




Shameless hussy. I bet you say the same thing about your women.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 10, 2007)

hong said:
			
		

> Shameless hussy. I bet you say the same thing about your women.




Umm....yep. :\


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## hong (Feb 10, 2007)

Well, it's not a BAD thing. I mean, sheesh!


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## Mark Causey (Feb 10, 2007)

I know that I am a latecomer, but at the behest of a friend of mine I have entered my hat in the ring. I know that I don't show up on the list of nominees yet, but I am eligible and do have a second and hope to have that updated soon. I will post my bio that I submitted and try to answer the backlog of questions.

Hi! My name is Mark Causey. I've been roleplaying for about 11 years
now. I've bounced between traditional games (Marvel FASERIP, D&D (1st
Edition - 3.5), Vampire) to 'indie' games (Primetime Adventures, The
Shadow of Yesterday, Shab-al-Hiri Roach). I'm also into Japanese RPGs
(Tenra Bansho Zero, Alshard ff, Double X Cross).

I feel that I can provide a fresh mindset to the Awards. I will
honestly play any kind of RPG once I know what kind of fun the authors
want to provide (which is hard to ascertain, sometimes). I believe
that any game book or supplement, if written from the point of view of
the fun that occurred from actual play, can be a good purchase. My
philosophy on gaming is based on getting my group excited and having
fun, using the best system for the concept we want to play. I think I
can help award those authors and companies for their efforts based on
that philosophy.


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## Mark Causey (Feb 10, 2007)

I am trying to catch up here. It looks like questions stopped being numbered at some point. I will answer the first 18 and leave it there for new questions.
Questions 1-18


> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?
> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?
> 3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?
> 4. Mutant or troll?
> ...




1. Price factors in when I buy a product. Free market forces and price points have little to do with the decisions I feel I would be making.
2. I have many favorite systems, based on the kind of gaming and fun they provide, but they all have high levels of quality. They help guide me in that they remind me what is good and what is crap.
3. PDFs are hard to take with me, and don't always make me feel like I'll have the resource when I need it. However, they do end up going to work with me sometimes and by paper when I go to the table.
4. ... heh. Okay, I'd have to say mutant.
5. Errors lower quality no matter what they relate to. I consider proofreading a definite level of quality that I deserve from a product.
6. I am in a stable job, with a wife who is aware of this responsibility and approved it. She is in a stable job. I feel that I am adequately prepared to make the time needed to do this job.
7. I will ask advice from those who have gone on before me (especially Cthulhu's Librarian, as he was the one I suggested I do this in the first place).
8. I hope that Wizards releases an awesome product with 4e that revolutionizes the game industry. I hope that they take the time to do that.
9. Scarab.
10. I have never had many good experiences with software for D&D (I blame my high expectations falling short for the disk included in my 3.0 Player's Handbook). I like Dundjinni and love well made battle maps. I don't collect minis and rarely have a use for them in that I can use any counter and feel happy about the tactics and gaming.
11. No, I only offer pictures of Rel from those wild pre-Gameday parties.
12. That would be a very long list. I am currently in a D&D game, a Shadow of Yesterday Game, a Cinematic Unisystem game, and am planning my next Gameday game.
13. I have been roleplaying with others since I arrived at my last high school in my Junior year in 1995. The foundation for this started since I could daydream, most of my 29 years. I think everything in my life leads to who I am, so yes, it will influence my decisions.
14. I love messing around with systems and seeing what changes do to them. I've been doing this since I played in a homebrew LARP on my college campus. I think that anytime a group puts together an effort to create a unpublished setting is doing the same thing, at least at a basic level. I think that being cognizant of how things work and the ramifications to tweaking or deleting rules is a requirement for being able to guess how they work without actually playing them.
15. I think a codified set of rules comes out each year based on what that group is like. I can't imagine making rules that would survive year to year when they're only used once in that year and by different people each time.
16. Yes. I applaud Denise's efforts, I doubt I would have followed through with this without seeing her threads in the Forge and Story Games as I consider myself a straddler. I don't have any illusions that if the voting base comes primarily from one demographic that it will affect the voting outcomes. But, I'm hoping to be the voice for people like me, who go to ENWorld, the Forge and other sites because they value more than one opinion or point of view.
17. It's already happened. Do I agree with it? Sure, it helps to not have to point people to a thread but to an actual website. It presents a level of organization, and with that. another iota of respect.
18. Gosh, I'm not the best at guessing what ENWorld would do if they had to go to another place to vote. I'm hoping that we're all web-friendly enough to go where the links lead us.


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## Drew (Feb 11, 2007)

Hey, I'm late to the party.



> 1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?




Price can occasionally tip things in one direction or another. It might cause me to give slightly lower ratings to a product if its overpriced compared to similar products. On the other hand, I might be willing to overlook some flaws if a particular product is really affordable. Its probably the least important factor.



> 2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?




Not really. Like a lot of gamers, I'm most familiar with d20. I've been running 3E D&D since it came out. However, I really like reading and reviewing unique systems as well, especially obscure and small publisher stuff. I also have a thing for clever d20 variants. And I like old-school D&D (1E) and nostalgic D&D (C&C). So, uh, I guess not.   



> 3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?




I review a lot of PDFs, and I actually bought a laptop specifically so I could bring them to the table. Its nice to be able to quickly search for what you need. And, in a lot of cases, I only print out the section relevant to the adventure or encounter. 

On the other hand, there's something special to holding a real, solid book. And some products, especially really impressive looking books or boxed sets with lots of extras, the book is just more usefull.



> 4. Mutant or troll?




The troll is my favorite D&D monster. Actually, the troll in plate armor with a greatsword is my favorite D&D monster.



> 5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?




Absolutely. To be perfectly frank, though, the rules errors have to be fairly blatant to really make me dock a product's standing. Errors like incorrect skill modifiers in monster stat blocks have less impact than major rules gaffs. Also, a really neat concept can sometime outshine rules errors. If a book is filled with inspirational ideas, I'd be less critical of rules shortcomings.

That said, I think that ENnies should only be awarded to really stellar products. That includes concepts and mechanics. 



> 6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)




My wife is very, very supportive. I spend my free time reading and reviewing RPG books. Being an ENnie judge won't be that much of a lifestyle change for me. If anything, it will make me feel more productive.



> 7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?




Um...as bribes incentives for the voters? I'm sure I'll keep my favorites and give a bunch to interested gamers in and out of my circle of friends. My wife and I have been talking about donating some of our spare rulebooks to active military, so I think it would be cool to do that with some of the product.



> 8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?




Ask me in ten years. Seriously, its out of my control, so I'll just roll with it when it comes. I'd hate to see the OGL market go away. Whatever your feelings regarding its impact on the market, some real gems have come out of OGL and d20.



> 9. Which is your favorite Beatle?




I was a classic rock radio program director for 7 years. My answer would require way too much detail. The short version: Pink Floyd.



> 10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?




Minis are more important as long as they continue to make money for WotC. The more minis they sell, the more cool D&D books we all get.

In my own campaign, I use a little E-Tools, Campaign Cartographer, NPC Generator, and TableSmith. I like software, especially since I use my laptop at the table. The game certainly works fine without it, but anything to make the DM's life easier is a good thing in my book.



> 11. Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?




If you vote for me, I'll grant you a permanent +2 bonus to any stat of your choice.



> 12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?




Everyone seems to have moved away, so my regular D&D campaign (which dates back to 1999 or so) is only semi-active. Other than that, I've played M&M, C&C, Eberron, and a little Shadowrun in the last year. I've also run playtests of a whole lot of games.



> 13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?




Since I was seven...so, uh, 20 years. My experience certainly has an affect on my perspective, but only in the way that experience affects everyone. There are people that have been gaming way longer than me, and some that are relatively new. I try to look at product for what it is when I review it. Just because I'm not a big sci-fi fan, for example, doesn't mean that I can't recognize a well written sci-fi book.



> 14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?




I'm constantly tweaking rules and supplements. My homebrew D&D world has been a big collaborative effort between me and the various players that have adventured there...its about eight years old and growing. At any given time, I'm always working on something. When I'm at work, I occupy my time with house rules, system tweaks, campaign ideas...its really bordering on obsession.   

Does my endless dissection of rules help me as a potential judge? Maybe my efficiency. There is a lot more to a gaming book than mechanics, however, and I appreciate the need to really delve into and try out a product. But yeah, I do feel like I've been practicing for this gig the last ten years or so.



> 15. Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?




I think that it's hard to codify something like a gaming product into a set of points. Games are collections of rules, but they are also works of creativity. A list of evaluation rules are a good start for separating the good from the bad, but beyond that, how one decides the difference between a good product and a great product can often be fairly abstract. If two adventures are technically sound, have great art, and contain interesting plots, how do you choose which is better?

The answer probably comes down to which you simply like more, for whatever reason. By giving Judges the freedom to set their own standards, we allow them the flexibility to give a more accurate assessment of a given product's value to the average gamer.  



> 16. Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?




Perhaps. I think that its fair to point out the vast majority of gamers are d20 gamers, so any large cross section of our hobby is likely to have a d20 bias. That said, I think most long time players have dabbled in a lot of different games. I cut my teeth on Top Secret and AD&D 2E. For years after that, I played a heck of a lot of Rolemaster and Middle Earth Roleplaying. Do I like d20? Sure, when its good. 

Do I have an unfair d20 bias? Only from the perspective that I might not feel comfortable assessing a product for a game system I've never played.  



> 17. Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?




Yes. As the ENnies grow and evolve, its important that they gain their own identity. Its also convenient to have everything located in one spot. 



> 18. Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters?




I think that completely divorcing the ENnies from EN World would be a poor move, yes. EN World sees a lot of traffic, and it would be foolish to stop using that resource. That said, I'd like to see the ENnies branch out to include gamers from all over the online community and beyond. I hope that, as time goes on, the awards continue to grow in scope and status.


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## Keeper of Secrets (Feb 11, 2007)

1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?

Price is something I would reference, certainly.  However, one of the problems with evaluating price (other than 'is it worth it') is, well, a good product is a good product.  Price is important but hardly factors in when evaluating a product on its merits.


2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?

I have systems I prefer but it has more to do with settings.  I believe that any product can be used depending on the tastes of the group.


3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?

PDFs are great!  It is the democritization of the gaming industry.  Anyone's voice can be heard with pdfs!

4. Mutant or troll?

Mutant, of course!

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

No.  It would take numerous erros for me to fault something.  Typos vs misunderstands on the part of the writer have to be considered, too.


6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

No.  My job is extremely flexible with my gaming.  I work with a lot of gamers.

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?

Honestly, I had not thought about it much.  Probably give it away.  Or keep something if I can use it.

8. 4e - Now, Soon, Later, or Never?

Later.

9. Which is your favorite Beatle?

Ringo.

10. Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?

Minis are more important because anyone can use a mini. Not everyone can understand or use software.

11. Are any of you offering cash incentives, beer, and/or incriminating photographs of Morrus in return for my vote?

If you promise to keep it a secret I can offer incriminating photos of me!

12. What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?

Call of Cthulhu, D&D, Mutants & Masterminds, Warhammer Fantasy, X-Crawl, d20 Modern

13. How long have you been gaming? Does that affect the perspective you will be bringing to the judging table?

I have been gaming since about '82 or so.  It brings a perspective in the sense that I have seen a lot, know what can work and what cannot and have been around enough gaming groups to tell the difference between mass appeal and limited appeal.

14. How much game design experience do you have? I don't mean published, I mean in general- 10 years of homebrewing? Have you created your own systems? Do you think this affects your level of qualification as a judge?

I have never put together my own system - but tweaked a few that resulted in streamlining processes.  I have written a published adventure and written several 'freebie' adventures so I can appreciate the work that goes into design.

15. Do you think that the ENnies should have a codified set of rules for how they should be run, including a specific list of points that the judges should use for each category? Or do you think that the ENnies should be like they are currently, and the judges voting on the rules each year? And to either answer, why?

Either, if enforced, would work.  But this is an industry that revolves around personal tastes.  The judging should reflect that and be the personal tastes of those judging.  

16. Do you think that the ENnies being so intimately tied to the World's Largest d20 Fan Site might mean that the basic voting pool for the ENnies might be a bit biased towards d20 products in general?

No.  I know enough people around here who love d20 but are hardly biased towards it.  Though, basic familiarity with a broad variety of products is, in my opinion, preferred.

17. Do you think that the ENnies should move everything over to their own, independant website (which they already have), to have all aspects of the ENnies in 1 single central location? Why or why not?

Sounds good to me.  It creates an air of independance.

18. Do you think moving the ENnies off EN World would cause a drop in the overall number of voters? 

Most likely.  Keeping it here makes for a nice pool of voters.


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## Drew (Feb 11, 2007)

More



> How do you personally evaluate flavor text?




I subject all flavor text to a test. I imagine reading it to a table full of gamers. If I see their imaginary eyes gloss over, the text fails the test.

That means it must be evocative without being cheesy, descriptive without being wordy, and grammatically sound without being too hard to read. I'm interested in stuff that inspires me to game, not to purchase the author's latest fan fiction.



> How do you plan to evaluate writing when applied to game mechanics?




Clarity is the most important factor in writing when it comes to game mechanics. 



> When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?




Products will be evaluated on their own merits, based on the intended goals of the designers and how well those goals are met.



> When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in? How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?




Fortunately, the kind of books that can be really well done in 20 pages are seldom the kind of books that require 400. If weighing two books of vastly different lengths against one another, I'd assess each on how well it stands on its own merits.



> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




I own a handful of such products. Some of these materials seem to be real labors of love, and I think that its great to see grass roots support done not for profit but for love of the game. 



> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience? What if any of those systems are highly complex? That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.




I'd first focus on the system neutral aspects of the book in question. Things like setting, flavor text, art, layout, and originality are easy to assess regardless of the system. I'm a pretty quick study when it comes to new games, so next I'd try to learn at least the basic mechanics of the system and test the rules myself. Finally, no judge should exist in a vacuum. If a book was completely outside the scope of my knowledge and experience, I'd find out the opinions of the game system's diehard fans. My final decision would be my own, but I'd be foolish not to listen to the thoughts and ideas of people who had devoted years to a game or system. 



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?




I think that its entirely possible to factor in one's personal bias when evaluating a product.  I don't particularly care for West End Game's Star Wars system, for example. That doesn't mean I can't see the appeal of that system to gamers trying to achieve a certain type of gaming experience. Just because something doesn't appeal to my exact tastes doesn't mean it isn't well designed. 



> Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




Of course. Just as there can be a bad adventure for a good system. An adventure, or any other book, can rise above its system by excelling in writing, innovation, and other areas. Its a truly great product that can build awesome ideas upon a flawed base.  



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




I don't know that one can reasonably expect to playtest hundreds and hundreds of gaming products. A good judge knows when and what to playtest, and how to best manage their time and resources. I think that my experience as a reviewer has taught me how to do this fairly efficienctly.



> What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge? Weak point(s)?




I'm a strong writer with good public speaking skills and a lot of passion for gaming. I really believe in the ENnies and all that they represent. I've been watching from the sidelines for a long time, and I'm eager to throw my hat in the ring and devote my time and effort to doing the job right.

My organization skills are lacking, however, which is my biggest weakness. I've never undertaken something so big, and I know its going to be a challenge sorting through all this product. However, this is a challenge I'm looking forward to facing. If selected, the ENnies will be a real labor of love for me. 



> What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?




I'm a chubby white guy with a beard...wait. This is a pretty tough question. While there are certainly differences, a lot of the judges come from similar backgrounds. I've been a part of EN World since its inception, but I lack the strong ties of a Crothian or PirateCat. I don't bring a new gender perspective like the women bravely stepping up to take a shot. Heck, I'm not even Canadian.

What I am is a talented writer and gaming enthusiast with a real desire to become an ENnie Judge. I watched the first ENnies from the back row of GenCon. I remember thinking to myself, “I could really be a part of all of this.” If selected, I'll give the job every once of energy and devotion I have. 



> What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?




Does a brown belt in Okinawan karate intimidate anyone into voting for me?



> How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products?




Art, like any other individual aspect of a book, is a piece of the whole. An ENnie winning product should have good art in addition to good writing, sound mechanics, etc. When art is good, it helps convey a book's overall feeling.



> I would like to know if any of the candidates have done paid games industry work, ever.




I wrote a single monster that appeared in Strange Lands: Lost Tribes of the Scarred Lands.



> What prompted you to consider being a judge for the ENnies?




As I said above, I was in the audience for the very first ENnies at GenCon. I remember that the trophies weren't even finished. The whole thing had a nice, almost family atmosphere to it. Sitting there in the back row, I felt really proud. Over the years, I've been something of a quite observer as the awards have grown and evolved. That first ENnies really sparked something in me. I very much want to be a part of what I see as one of the best things in gaming. I feel that I'd make a good judge, and I want to do my part to help support the hobby I love. 



> Would statements by those "in the industry" affect your opinions on a product?




Not any more so  than the statements of other knowledgeable gamers affect my opinions.


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## Treebore (Feb 11, 2007)

Now here are my answers to questions on the Forge. 

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

I have been playing since May of 1985. The longest break I ever took from gaming was 8 months, due to simple burn out and wanting to focus on other things.

2. What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

The fun, the creativity, and that I usually like people who like RPG's more often than people in other "groupings".

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

No guess to it. D&D, every edition. Plus now C&C, which I consider to be an "alternate 3E" that I like much better. Why has it kept my interest? My favorite genre in which anything can happen, so the ideas are endless. I still play the C&C version of it.

4. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

I don't know. I only followed White Wolf because of Engel and their affiliation with Arthaus and Necromancer Games.

5. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

I feel it is a great thing. Paranoia will always have a special place in the sick and twisted part of my heart. Runequest I am not so hot on. I am excited about Lahkmar and I do like their incarnation of Glorantha. Other than that I am really not into any of the other stuff Mongoose does. I may pick up the Conan and Slaine stuff someday, but I am in no hurry to do so right now.

But I am glad they are doing it, keeping the old stuff updated and in the RPG public eye, even if just a corner of it.

6. Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

Yes. But presentation is more an issue of clear layout that makes for easy reading and finding key rules quickly than art or being full color.

7. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator 
owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

Speaking from the perspective of a small business owner, if you want to compete with the big guys your going to have to sink money into it. Otherwise you don't grow your market. Then you will crash and burn sooner or later, and no one will notice.

8. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

I think Mechanics and Presentation are the biggest factors. As for personal use those are the only factors I am concerned about. If it is also a good setting idea, well executed, great. Art is nice. Qin blew me away when I first looked through it at GenCon. Its the first product that I almost bought just because of how awesome the art is. I didn't buy it though. I successfully resisted because I wanted, and want, to wait until I find out how the mechanics are and how well the material is written. If I like what I see and/or hear, I'll buy it.

But if I am a judge I am hoping that the products we are given to review are so awesome that we will have to use such factors to whittle the list down to 5 for each category. However, when I am whittling down my list the Mechanics and Presentation are going to be my key criteria. Only if there are two or more products too close to call will I start to use 
other criteria to decide.

Unfortunately, in a competitive environment like this, such decision may have to come down to such criteria. Assuming there is a lot of top notch competition submitted, which I hope will be the case.

Is that fair to small budget Indies? No. As I understand the ENnies, that is how I will have to judge it. If the Mechanics and Presentation are very well done, it will have a good chance to get nominated by me, though. It would definitely have to be exceptional.


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## Beckett (Feb 11, 2007)

Catching up on some questions here:

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*

Is it entertaining?  Is it accessible (if it's loaded with too much jargon and setting specific terms, it's not going to be readable). Does it give a good picture of the setting? Can the game mechanics be used to replicate what happens in the text?

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*
How clear is it? Are there errors?  How many and how severe? How much work do they require (difference betwen roll a die and add this and something requiring multiple math steps and consulting charts)? Is it unnecessarily complex? Are there examples?

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*
The product should be evaluated based on what it sets out to do.  If I'm looking at a setting book, I'm not going to ding it because it doesn't have much in the way of mechanics; I'm going to judge it on how well it covers that setting.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in? How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*

Again, I'll be evaluating on how well the book does what it's trying to do.  If 20 pages is enough to cover the author's topic, then it would seem 20 pages is long enough.  If the 400 page book is mostly filler and big fonts, then it's going to lose points for not making good use of space.


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## Keeper of Secrets (Feb 11, 2007)

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

*I would say the only time I stopped role playing regularly was when I was in graduate school.  That was a two year period where I did not really get out much because of school.  However, as fate would have it, I was living in Milwaukee (about 10 blocks from the MECCA Center and attended GenCon three years in a row).*

2. What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

*I like the entertainment, the interaction and the quality time spent with friends.*

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

*Pure numbers is probably D&D.  However, I have been playing in a supers campaign weekly since the early 90's (except for the graduate school period).  17 years of the same campaign world is pretty good, I'd say.  Though we would switch systems a lot.  * 

4. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

*Honestly, I think it is pretty clever.  There comes a time when the status quo becomes stale.  I think the World of Darkness was getting unwieldy and needed a reboot to clean up some of the continuity errors.*

5. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

*Its wonderful.  Mongoose seems to capture the spirit of the original intent of the authors.  I did a review for Paranoia when it was relaunched and I got the honor of interviewing all the original writers from the 80's.  They really felt that Mongoose had done the product right and were very pleased with the results.*

6. Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

*In a way.  There is a difference between art that was done 'affordably' and art that is just plain bad and not matching the theme.*

7. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator 
owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

*Good question. I think that in all fairness those who wish to be considered for an award have a certain amount of obligation to supply the committee with a product to review.  If the company feels it cannot afford to give one away for judicial review then they have a few options - they could send photocopies of the product (thus greatly reducing the risk of illegal pdfs), or rely on the nondisclosure agreements judges sign, or simply not participate. * 

8. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

*Mechanics is certainly important.  If the system or product is 'broken' then its usefulness is reduced.  But flavor plays a major role in the product, as well.  For instance, a product that that has numerous errors could likely be gleaned over if the theme of the product was dead on to what the writers wanted to do.  

Truthfully, I do not think someone can judge a product on just one aspect.  Its not fair.  I think the 'totality of the circumstances' is the best way to look at a product.*


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 12, 2007)

For those who are interested (especially judge nominees) I wanted to point out that another Q+A thread has popped up over at Story Games.

Take a look: http://www.story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=2391&page=1


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## Beckett (Feb 12, 2007)

And some more questions in this thread:



> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?




It's game material. Whether or not anything is being produced for the game is not relevant to the quality of the product.  And it can be nice to see support for old favorites.


> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience? What if any of those systems are highly complex? That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.



I'd see how well I could evaluate the item on its own strengths and then I'd ask for help.  I'd look online for people who can summarize the system enough so that I can make sense of the item, whether on message boards or the other judges.



> If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system? Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?




I'll try not to let my own bias get in the way.  I'll keep in mind that just as there are bad supplements for games I like, there can be good supplements for game I don't care for.

Adventures I think will be easier to deal with. I don't recall a single adventure that is solidly tied to a single system.  It's easier to cut away the mechanics there and see if the adventure works on its own.



> What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?




I don't think it will be possible to play test everything.  I will probably draft my group into helping on our regular game night, and other times I'll grab my wife and anyone available.  Anything I can't playtest, I'll work through with on my own, creating characters, running examples, and playing with the mechanics.



> What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge? Weak point(s)?




I'm organized and very passionate about gaming. I'm a fast and critical leader.  I have a very supportive wife who should help me keep my head on straight.

Weak points? I suppose a lack of a reviewer background might hurt; I can look at something and decide why I do or don't like it, but I've never had to formally lay out my reasoning.



> What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?




I'm a white, male, geek.  Oh, wait... It seems that those of us who want to be judges have an awful lot in common.  What differentiates me from the pack is my dedication and ability to commit myself to time-consuming projects without having the other parts of my life fall apart. An example would be in college, where I'd regularly spend 30+ hours working on a show, while working and maintaining a spot on the Dean's List.



> What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?




I read a great deal, fantasy and historical books.  I have a fondness for board games, and play several video games.  I've recently gotten back into miniature painting.  All of these broden my perspective, and give me places to escape to when I need a break from reviewing.



> How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products?




You can't judge a book by its cover, but it does make a first impression. Besides the categories devoted to artwork, its not going to be the main thing I look at.  But, it is a part of the product for overall impression.  Good artwork can help draw the reader in and enhance the item; bad artwork can do the opposite.


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## fusangite (Feb 12, 2007)

*What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?*
Given that some of my favourite games fall into this category, I am, if anything especially friendly to such materials. I think for us soon-to-be middle-aged gamers, nostalgia is a big part of the gaming experience. 

*How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?*
As I mentioned in some of my earlier answers, imagination, in very practical terms, is the most important attribute a judge can have. Fortunately, if the panel looks anything like last year’s we will have a collegial group of judges who will comprise a huge collective knowledge pool. I would probably turn first to my very experienced group of fellow gamers in Vancouver and Toronto to speak with someone who is used to the system (and hopefully borrow their core rules books) in question to help me get the hang of it. 

But let me be blunt: here is what I will not do: (a) make uninformed guesses (b) make additional purchases.

*What if any of those systems are highly complex?*
Well, then I will have to work a bit harder.

*That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.*
Games with a long history are usually successful because they have a solid, relatively stable core of concepts and mechanics. I think immediately of Call of Cthulhu.

*If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system?*
It would depend on why I did not like the system. If a system was simply not to my tastes (e.g. had a lot of mechanics whereby players interacted with story unmediated by their characters), I would put aside my own personal gaming tastes and evaluate how well the product served the needs, preferences and priorities of people who have these different tastes. However, if a system was just a fundamentally broken or bad system, I would evaluate the product based, in part, on whether it was able to rise above the poor system or, better still, incorporate some local fixed for the problems of the system.

*Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?*
Yes. I have played them. Let’s face it: AD&D, the first game for many of us, is not, by present-day criteria, a good system. It was baroque, inconsistent and almost never fully adhered-to by its DMs and yet, most of my memories of great experiences with published adventures are of that game. 

*What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?*
I think you are underestimating just how many submissions judges receive. It is impossible to systematically play test the products submitted. Now, that’s not to say I will not play test some of them but I think any judge candidate who claims he or she is going to have a chance to play test everything probably has not had the experience of either being or, as in my case, being the roommate of, an ENnies judge. I hope to play test the candidates for “best rules” and “best game” but outside of those categories, the vast majority of products will be untested.

*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?*
I would say my top four strong points as a judge are as follows: 
(a) Comparatively, I do not have much in the way of ties to the gaming industry as either a designer or as a consumer. I do a lot of gaming but it has been a long time since I was a big buyer of setting books, adventures, etc. I think that it is important to have at least one judge who can bring a fresh eye to the bewildering world of today’s gaming market and ask some of the questions that occur to people when they take a fresh look at something. Also, I think this means that I will not be bringing any preconceptions about designers either from personal interactions or from 
(b) Over the past 20 years since my favourite system went out of print, I have worked with a few fellow GMs to create home brewed game systems and other materials that I think stand up well to many of the products in the marketplace today. As a result, I think I have a pretty good handle on the process of designing systems; also, because I play test these new systems with my gaming group, I have a lot of experience thinking through and foreseeing possible flaws in a system and correcting them quickly. I think this also gives me a unique and useful perspective in knowing what elements of game systems and documentation are essential and which are flashy things put into a product to attract consumers at first glance.
(c) Probably more so than any other judge candidate, I have extensive experience serving on the boards of non-profit organizations. Most recently, I have served on the board of a major non-profit advocacy group tasked with evaluating a series of voting systems to assist a government commission studying them. So I have recent and germane experience of how to work with a panel of people with differing opinions to evaluate collectively a set of real-world game systems. My experience as a chairperson, minute-taker and facilitator at dozens of meetings both in person and online in a variety of organizations I think uniquely situates me to continue the process I have been working on as an ENnies volunteer for the past two years: that of making the awards process more transparent, professional, open and systematic. 
(d) Imagination… not really much to say here: as I have said in some earlier answers, I think imagination is the most important attribute in a judge. I consider myself to be a pretty imaginative guy, enabling me to put myself in the shoes of players and GMs who have different priorities, tastes and play styles than my own.

*Weak point(s)?*
Obviously, a number of my strengths cut both ways. Not having too many ties to the industry may give me a fresh perspective but it will also mean that I will be spending more time than many other judges getting caught up on developments and standards that have developed in the industry. Similarly, my tendency to create small compact systems for home use may hurt me when it comes to big crunchy new systems because obviously, my own thinking about design has diverged from these designers’ thought and it will take some extra effort to get into that head space. 

*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*
I think that my unique perspectives on what system means and the idiosyncratic ways that I have theorized about game design (and been able, as a result, to create some unique and enjoyable experiences for my players) are just that. For instance, having helped to develop a unique school of gaming, metatextual gaming (which I use for about 1/3 of the games I run), which I explain in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=68315, I think that I do bring sophisticated, unique and original ideas and ways of thinking to the table.

*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*
A few things come to mind:
(a) As I said above, my non-profit experience and governance advocacy work make me a strong candidate for a judge spot.
(b) I also think that my professional work as a marker of undergraduate essays means that I already have a disciplined, systematic and thorough routine of checking and evaluating written material. 
(c) I’m also a really good party host. Actually that doesn’t relate to the ENnies at all except that I pledge, if elected, to host my own hospitality suite for Gen Con this year.

*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products?*
I will have to work hard to remind myself that this is an important part of the product on which I am required to render an opinion. Frankly, I tend not to notice visual things much, either in real life or in gaming.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 12, 2007)

*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*

Strong points: I straight up love RPGs of all textures, flavors, and sizes.  Moreover, I work very well with almost every candidate on the list - I know many of the very well and would feel blessed to sit on a panel with any of them.

Weak points: I don't have as much gaming experience as many of the names on the list... but that's just because I'm young.

*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*

My deep, undying love pink dice?  

*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming  (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*

I knit and love it.  I play WoW.  Every Day with Rachel Ray (RR's magazine) fills me with pure joy.  "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" are four words that make me practically scream with excitement.  Abbey Chase, Danger Girl is my personal idol... and many more.

All of these thigns sort of highlight my diversity as a judge.  I try my best to be a domestic goddess all while enjoying SciFi and comic books.

*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *

A well-rounded product includes good writing and a strong concept that is all tied together by artwork that "fits" the product.

Thanks for all your input so far![/QUOTE]


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## Master of the Game (Feb 12, 2007)

Sorry I'm running a little behind.  Started a new game this weekend, and I've been world-building 

*How do you personally evaluate flavor text?*
If it's easy to read, fits the game, highlights things that characters are actually capable of doing, and makes me want to play, it's good.

*How do you plan to evalute writing when applied to game mechanics?*
See above.  Seriously, if I can read it, it highlights what a character should be doing, and makes me want to play, then it's good whether it's crunch or fluff.

*When evaluating writing, how will you approach products with a very high percentage of mechanics compared to products with a very small percentage of game mechanics?*
It's all about what the game needs to get it's point across.  I love L5R, which has fluff and fiction scattered throughout the books, and I'm a huge fan of Shadowrun, whose supplements are like 90% fluff.  That said, I'm generally a rules guy, and very little makes me want to play a game more than interesting mechanics.  Some games just need less mechanics to get the job done.

*When evaluating writing, how will word count factor in? How will you compare a 20 page PDF to a 400+ hardcover book?*
Every product will be judged on it's own merits, not _against_ other products.  If it's a great game, it doesn't matter how many pages it is.

*What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?*
Nothing but good for the community.  How many times have people wished new stuff would come out for their favorite system?

*How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience? What if any of those systems are highly complex? That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.*
If possible, play them.  I'm not above sinking my own money into a core book if some supplement looks good enough to warrant it.  Barring that, discussion with players with a lot of experience with the core game.

*If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system? Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?*
Absolutely.  Every product has its own merits.  Rules should be judged for their quality.  Supplements should be judged for their utility, and adventures for how fun they are to play/ how much they inspire you.

*What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?*
Obviously if there are hundreds of books, time will be a factor, as will availability of core books for systems I may not be familiar with.  Right now, my plan is to enlist my players into learning systems that I may not have time for, and to run games for me to play in.  That way I don't have to have GM level familiarity with everything.  As I mentioned above, I will also be looking to the communities surrounding the games in question for help in understanding the systems and what draws people to them.

*What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge? Weak point(s)?*
Strong points:  Experience, time, and a voracious appetite for reading and learning new games.
Weak Points:  I new to this thing, and will likely have to rely of some of the more experienced judges for advice.

*What one characteristic as a judge do you bring to the table that differentiates you from the other potential judges?*
I think most of the applicants will probably make for good judges, so I'd have to say what is likely to set me apart is sheer volume of time I can dedicate to reading and playtesting.  All I do at work (almost always) is work on stuff for my games.  I actually _run_ two games in my office, in addition to the game I run at home, and spend three to four ten to twelve hour days sitting at my desk working on game stuff and world-building.

*What cultural interests do you have outside of gaming (i.e reading, comics, parenting, scuba diving, anything), that make you a better judge and why?*
Well, I read a lot, and do some comics (only three per month), and while I have gone scuba diving and danced competitively, I doubt they'll help me judge RPGs better   My reading and comics though do keep me up to date on genre conventions.

*How important a factor is artwork (cover, illustrations, cartography) in your overall impression of judging products? *
I'll admit to not being an art guy, so anything reasonable would probably work for me so long as it evokes the effect the game is going for.  The one exception would be art-intensive categories, in which case I'll have to rely on the opinions of a friend who is a professional artist.

*One thing that must be on everyone's mind this year is the possible submission of Ptolus. Answer either if you have read Ptolus or have seen enough of it to know the relative allotment of content--If Ptolus was entered, for what categories would you consider it eligible for nomination?*
I'll admit that I'm not familiar with Ptolus enough to answer.  My FLGS has it shrink-wrapped, and I don't own a copy.  I'd certainly love to give it a read though, and would be happy to answer for you afterwards 

Thanks for the great questions, they've made me put a lot more thought into this.

I'd also like to add one more thing.  I'm not sure if it's allowed, but if possible, I'd like to maintain a blog detailing my progress going through entrants, and give people a chance to offer their opinions and advice as I'm reading them.


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## Dextra (Feb 12, 2007)

Voting is now live.
http://www.ennieawards.com/voting.html

Please take the time to read through all the nominee bios and check out the other boards' Q&A sessions.  Also, it would be a great favour if peeps would please take the additional moments to answer the exit survey, thanks!

Best of luck to all nominees!


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## Mark Causey (Feb 12, 2007)

I've updated Story Games with the link.

Thanks for all of the hard work, Denise!


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## vermicious knid (Feb 12, 2007)

The Red Priest said:
			
		

> What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?
> 
> How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience?  What if any of those systems are highly complex?  That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements.  This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.
> 
> ...




1. The core rules being OOP wouldn't affect my evaluation of a new supplement.

2. I'm passingly familiar with a LOT of games. If I wasn't I would make myself so in order to evaluate the material.

3. I'd like to think I can be fair to a product on it's own merits. I own a number of WoD products...and I had no real intention of ever using the atached system to run a game. Ditto GURPS.

4. No barriers. I anticipate a disgruntled wife for the next few months...but I can take the heat.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 12, 2007)

freebfrost said:
			
		

> A few questions for the potential judges:
> 
> 
> *What do you consider your strong point(s) as a judge?  Weak point(s)?*
> ...




1. Strong points: I have a great deal of experience with many systems. I've been involved in the design process and I can usually see what the designer of a product is trying to accomplish. I have a quality assurance background that I apply to games...whether I want to or not. 

Weak points: I can be a little harsh if I feel effort was lacking on the part of the designer.

2. Quality assurance background. Breadth of gaming experience...wargames, CCGs, software game dsign in addition to RPGs.

3. Music (DJ/program director of alternative station for several years, organized underground punk shows, etc...), comics (huge collection, worked in comic store for several years), sociology degree, history degree. I bring a great deal of general cultural  knowlege to my gaming, and I'd bring the same to judging.

4. Minimal, honestly. Good art adds a little shine. Bad art is a distraction.


As an aside, voting is now open. I'd like to ask anybody that has been in any way impressed by my responses to throw a vote my way. Make a fellow geek's dream come true.


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## vermicious knid (Feb 12, 2007)

On Ptolus: 

Yes, I've read it. I'd probably tend to place it in the setting category.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 13, 2007)

Being part of "Okay your turn", you might flag me as a Monte fan. I still agree that Ptolus should be a setting, not an adventure or adventure module or whatever. It could be entered in Best Art or Best Cartography. The fans would still have to decide if it deserves to win.


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## Dextra (Feb 13, 2007)

adamantineangel said:
			
		

> I've updated Story Games with the link.
> 
> Thanks for all of the hard work, Denise!




Thank you, especially to everyone spreading the word on the various boards!  Last year the poll for judgehood elicited 660 votes.  Product nominations received over 5,000 votes.  I would love it if we could break 2,000 votes for the judge nominations.

But honestly, the real credit belongs to Michael Morris who has been diligently generating the coding software (including the randomizing the candidates on each ballot so as to reduce any potential bias from the order), and fusangite who has been working hard to educate us on alternative voting methods and patiently explaining (for years now!) the benefits of using the Single Transferrable Vote method.

I've just been updating the web site and spreading the Good Word, is all!


----------



## Owen K.C. Stephens (Feb 13, 2007)

Okay, here's a question.

What's your name?

There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?
> 
> There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.



 Names are one the Nominee listing page, too...but, because it was asked here...

My name's Graham Johnson.


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?
> 
> There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.




Jeff Ranger


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## Beckett (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?
> 
> There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.




Scott Hall.  Beckett on all the Q&As.


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## Master of the Game (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> What's your name?



Jeramy Ware


----------



## Treebore (Feb 13, 2007)

Robert Miller (Treebore or Grimaryl Atyar on the boards)


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## Keeper of Secrets (Feb 13, 2007)

Matthew Muth


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?




Christopher Richeson


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## Mark Causey (Feb 13, 2007)

Mark Causey


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## Xath (Feb 13, 2007)

Gertie Barden


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## Crothian (Feb 13, 2007)

Xath said:
			
		

> Gertie Barden




Your first name is on the ballot too.  It threw me off for a bit.

I am Chris Gath.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 13, 2007)

Elizabeth Bauman


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 13, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Your first name is on the ballot too.  It threw me off for a bit.
> 
> I am Chris Gath.



 The ballots actually randomize the candidates for each new IP.

Or, at least, I think they do because Gertie was close to the bottom of my ballot.


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## fusangite (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?



Stuart Parker. The judge bios page also matches handles to names.


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## Dextra (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?
> 
> There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.




BTW in order to reduce the popularity contest factor, I decided not to include candidate screen names on the ballot.  It's my effort to get people to actually read the nominee bios and force them.  Plus, the names can get really long, and have multiple screen names.


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## Piratecat (Feb 13, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?



Kevin Kulp. All names and handles can be found here:

http://www.ennieawards.com/judgenominees.html

Thanks!


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## mcrow (Feb 13, 2007)

Michael Crow


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## Crothian (Feb 13, 2007)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> The ballots actually randomize the candidates for each new IP.
> 
> Or, at least, I think they do because Gertie was close to the bottom of my ballot.




What I meant was they have her as Kathryn first.  I was scanning for Gertie among the first names and it of course wasn't there


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## Xath (Feb 13, 2007)

Crothian said:
			
		

> What I meant was they have her as Kathryn first.  I was scanning for Gertie among the first names and it of course wasn't there




That's how I screen for telemarketers and spam.  Noone but my credit card company and insurance actually calls me Kathryn.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 13, 2007)

and I'm Doug Ruff, although I'm sure you guessed that already  

While we're on the subject of real names and usernames - and to add some substance to this post - any other judges care to share how they got their online nicknames? I've only got the one (Tetsuki), which I got from playing old Japanese console RPGs. I wanted a name that sounded reasonably authentic for the main character (somehow, "Doug" didn't really cut it) and that particular one stuck in my head.

Typically, the one time I rolled up a monk in our homebrew campaign, I gave him that name and he got eaten by a dragon in the very next session. (Moral of that story: even PCs ought to run away sometimes.)

Nowadays I tend to post using my real name, so people can tell who I am - it's an old policy from the Forge, and I kind of like it. It also makes me think very carefully before I post, which can't be a bad thing!

Regards,

Doug


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## Mark Causey (Feb 13, 2007)

I wanted to create a name that meant something along the lines of 'falling from heaven'. And I came up with an angel made of adamantine, which I felt if said angel were to fall, it would hit with a vengeance (due to the weight  ). So, a pun in my head combined into an alliterative name.


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## mcrow (Feb 13, 2007)

Mine is pretty simple, its my first initial followed by my surename. 

 fusangite  and I had a mix up a while back. 

I thought his username was Fungasite and he thought mine was McCrow.  

I didn't mean to say he is Fungus.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 13, 2007)

I'm also a "use my own name" poster!  It's just convenient for me.


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## trancejeremy (Feb 13, 2007)

mcrow said:
			
		

> Mine is pretty simple, its my first initial followed by my surename.
> 
> fusangite  and I had a mix up a while back.
> 
> I thought his username was Fungasite and he thought mine was McCrow.




I actually always thought your username was Mr Cow.


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## mcrow (Feb 13, 2007)

trancejeremy said:
			
		

> I actually always thought your username was Mr Cow.




yeah, I have had that one too.


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## Beckett (Feb 14, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> While we're on the subject of real names and usernames - and to add some substance to this post - any other judges care to share how they got their online nicknames? I've only got the one (Tetsuki), which I got from playing old Japanese console RPGs. I wanted a name that sounded reasonably authentic for the main character (somehow, "Doug" didn't really cut it) and that particular one stuck in my head.




I was playing on a private Ultima Online shard in 1999 (World of Dreams) and I was tapped to be come a Seer (UO-speak for guy who creates quests).  It was policy for staff members to take new names so they wouldn't be associated with their PC (we didn't want people messaging the staff, particularly when they weren't in their staff role).  I was a Junior theatre arts major at the time, and had either Endgame or Waiting for Godot (or both) sitting nearby. Having a great interest in the Absurdists, I grabbed Beckett from the writer of those two plays, Samuel Beckett.

After all this time, it's comfortable.


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## fusangite (Feb 14, 2007)

EDIT: Didn't notice Mr. Cow already told my annecdote.


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## Treebore (Feb 14, 2007)

My screen name is easy, is my first name spelled backwards with 2 extra e's thrown in.

Robert=Trebor=Treebore

Plus it is the name I gave to my very first RPG character, who went on to become the founding member of the Ruby Lords. Hence my special title here on ENWorld. Treebore, The Ruby Lord.


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## Dextra (Feb 15, 2007)

By the way, as of this evening, over 700 votes were cast- more than we've ever had in the past!


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 15, 2007)

My user name is taken from one of my favorite television shows: Sealab 2021.  And it's very fun to say... just ask P-Cat.


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## hong (Feb 15, 2007)

When does voting close?


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 15, 2007)

hong said:
			
		

> When does voting close?



 The 18th... I assume at midnight, but I don't really know.


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## Mark Causey (Feb 15, 2007)

February 18th.

As to when that applies, it will depend. I'm sure there will have to be a mention of a time zone at some point.


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## hong (Feb 15, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> My screen name is easy, is my first name spelled backwards with 2 extra e's thrown in.
> 
> Robert=Trebor=Treebore




Hmm.

Hong
Gnoh
GnohEE

Obviously it's something to do with Elemental Evil, but what?


----------



## Dextra (Feb 15, 2007)

adamantineangel said:
			
		

> February 18th.
> 
> As to when that applies, it will depend. I'm sure there will have to be a mention of a time zone at some point.




Because this voting booth was a bit quirky to assemble, our admin will have to close it by hand, so honestly it depends upon how much free time he has Sunday.  It'll be closed no earlier than noon, and no later than Monday morning.


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## Bront (Feb 16, 2007)

OStephens said:
			
		

> Okay, here's a question.
> 
> What's your name?
> 
> There are many interesting people on this board I only know by username, and the voting is done by real name. To correlate the two, I'd really like a list of everyone's username and real name, or have usernames (multiple, if needed) listed next to each voting choice. If that's already been done somewhere, I missed it.



Tim Bruns.

I've gone by Bront since I've been on the internet.  I also set up my own website, www.bront.org, with that name.  It's mostly a place to talk about stuff, read stuff I write or host, and post pictures.


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## Crothian (Feb 18, 2007)

Last day of voting!!!


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## The_Universe (Feb 19, 2007)

As of several moments ago, the polls were closed. When will see results? I'm eager to see if the new system has significantly altered the makeup of the panel. I hope it hasn't done so too significantly (I'm largely satisfied with how things have worked in the past). Good luck to all of you!


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 19, 2007)

From Circvs:



The Great Gonzo said:


> Yeah, I closed the polls after finishing the counting program.  I've given the results to Dextra and she gets to announce them.  I will say this much to tease/torture y'all - I found the results to be very surprising.
> 
> As the vote-counter I didn't vote. For the same reason (and my workload) I don't run for a post as a judge


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## Keeper of Secrets (Feb 19, 2007)

The_Universe said:
			
		

> As of several moments ago, the polls were closed. When will see results? I'm eager to see if the new system has significantly altered the makeup of the panel. I hope it hasn't done so too significantly (I'm largely satisfied with how things have worked in the past). Good luck to all of you!




Good luck to all of us? That is a nice feeling but obviously EVERYONE can'yt have the luck . . .


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## Treebore (Feb 19, 2007)

Keeper of Secrets said:
			
		

> Good luck to all of us? That is a nice feeling but obviously EVERYONE can'yt have the luck . . .





Maybe Jim Carrey is God today.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 19, 2007)

Keeper of Secrets said:
			
		

> Good luck to all of us? That is a nice feeling but obviously EVERYONE can'yt have the luck . . .



 If not luck to everyone than the knowledge that there is not a single candidate that would not make an excellent judge!


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## Turjan (Feb 19, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> My screen name is easy, is my first name spelled backwards with 2 extra e's thrown in.
> 
> Robert=Trebor=Treebore.



See, and I always thought you got your name from telling your game stories to trees because they cannot run away .


Sorry, I don't mean that, but I thought the connotation was too good to not to tell.


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## Treebore (Feb 19, 2007)

Actually it is also meant to be play on the "heart" or "bore" of trees. Since I like to have as many meanings as possible thanks for pointing out an obvious possible one that had not occured to me since creating the character in May of 1985.


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## Olaf the Stout (Feb 19, 2007)

fusangite, put me down as another that thought for a while that your screen name was fungasite.  I figured it out by myself eventually though

mcrow, I often read yours as mc crow for some reason.

Olaf the Stout


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## Master of the Game (Feb 19, 2007)

The_Universe said:
			
		

> As of several moments ago, the polls were closed. When will see results? I'm eager to see if the new system has significantly altered the makeup of the panel. I hope it hasn't done so too significantly (I'm largely satisfied with how things have worked in the past). Good luck to all of you!



According to this thread, we won't be seeing the results until the 23rd.

Since apparently the winners are already known, we can hope at least that we may know early.


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## The_Universe (Feb 19, 2007)

Keeper of Secrets said:
			
		

> Good luck to all of us? That is a nice feeling but obviously EVERYONE can'yt have the luck . . .



 There's no such thing as luck - no intangible force that treats you better if you throw salt over your shoulder, avoid black cats, and cross your fingers at opportune moments. 

But wishing people "good luck" is still a failry common way to express support for people and processes. This one is no different. So, you can take my greeting and generic well-wishing at face value (as it was meant), or, I suppose, wonder who's *really* receiving the luck rays that are even now emanating from my powerful, reality-altering brain!


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## Mark Causey (Feb 19, 2007)

The_Universe said:
			
		

> Or, I suppose, wonder who's *really* receiving the luck rays that are even now emanating from my powerful, reality-altering brain!




Shouldn't the president be informed of this?


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## The_Universe (Feb 19, 2007)

adamantineangel said:
			
		

> Shouldn't the president be informed of this?



 It's best he remain insulated from this explosive information. For plausible deniability.


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## Mark Causey (Feb 19, 2007)

The_Universe said:
			
		

> It's best he remain insulated from this explosive inofrmation. For plausible deniability.




As expected, the perfect answer.


----------



## Keeper of Secrets (Feb 19, 2007)

The_Universe said:
			
		

> There's no such thing as luck - no intangible force that treats you better if you throw salt over your shoulder, avoid black cats, and cross your fingers at opportune moments.
> 
> But wishing people "good luck" is still a failry common way to express support for people and processes. This one is no different. So, you can take my greeting and generic well-wishing at face value (as it was meant), or, I suppose, wonder who's *really* receiving the luck rays that are even now emanating from my powerful, reality-altering brain!




Well, if its luck rays you're talking about, I am down with that!


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## Teflon Billy (Feb 19, 2007)

We must nationalize The_Universe's "Powerful, Reality-Altering Brain" for the good of all.

Those rays belong to everyone...I, however, get him first. 

Please have him delivered to the Horse Track this Sunday at noon


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## The_Universe (Feb 20, 2007)

I don't think a Canadian can "nationalize" a U.S. resource. You'd have to...continentize me, or something.


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## Umbran (Feb 20, 2007)

Master of the Game said:
			
		

> ... we won't be seeing the results until the 23rd.




Thus proving the ENnies are not so much a fan award, as an attempt by the Bavarian Illuminati to control the imaginations of geeks everywhere...


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## Kaladhan (Feb 20, 2007)

Good luck to everyone who participated. I'm eager to see who makes the cut.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 20, 2007)

Yes, good luck to everyone.

While we're waiting, let's chill out together. What did you all think about the selection process? 

For me, even if I don't get selected, it was worth it for the Q&A sessions. I think I did two dozen answers one night and that's more than I usually post in a week. (I'm a think first, post later sort of guy.) It really got me thinking again about how much I love gaming and why.

So, y'know, thanks to everyone who grilled us


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> While we're waiting, let's chill out together. What did you all think about the selection process?




I think that in future years it would be great to do the whole thing about two weeks earlier.  That way judge nominees who haven't decided on Gen Con yet will know if they should make definite plans.


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## Piratecat (Feb 20, 2007)

I absolutely agree. I fact, I'd push it even farther back than that, truth be told.

One of the things I really enjoyed was learning more about some of the people running. Several people I hadn't previously known _really_ impressed me.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 20, 2007)

Oh! Thank you Piratecat! I didn't know I made that kind of impression. 

As somebody from outside of Enworld, I couldn't distinguish between the candidates (except for the ladies, of course). I'm guessing that for a lot of people from other forums who participated in the process, it's the same things.

I'm not saying that the nominees aren't great people. I'm sure they are. It's just that voting for a bunch of unknown people is hard. The answers from the Q&A didn't really push in one way or another.

How can we change this? I have no clue.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> As somebody from outside of Enworld, I couldn't distinguish between the candidates (except for the ladies, of course). I'm guessing that for a lot of people from other forums who participated in the process, it's the same things.




I felt the same way.  I used to lurk around ENworld some years ago, and recognized a few of the ENworlders, but that was about it.  Crothian was, for me, the "biggest" name in part because I pay attention to who is reviewing RPGs since I'm still striving to become better known as a reviewer.



> I'm not saying that the nominees aren't great people. I'm sure they are. It's just that voting for a bunch of unknown people is hard. The answers from the Q&A didn't really push in one way or another.




The Q&A didn't help me a great deal.  I was most interested in folk who had cause to think critically about RPGs in the past, either as a reviewer or former judge.  I was also interested in folk with broad taste in RPGs, and in those with an interest in small press publishing.  A lot of questions, such as favorite gaming moments and the like, were neat but not important to me when choosing judges.  I'm certain that my perspective isn't representative of the majority of anything though 

Getting to know more folk in the gaming community was, as always, a good time.


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## Umbran (Feb 20, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> I'm not saying that the nominees aren't great people. I'm sure they are. It's just that voting for a bunch of unknown people is hard. The answers from the Q&A didn't really push in one way or another.
> 
> How can we change this? I have no clue.




I've suggested in the past that we pick a Standard Product - somethning like a small pdf or the like, possibly donated by the publisher for the purpose - and have each candidate write a review of the thing.  That would go a long way in showcasing the communication skills and tastes of the individuals.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> I've suggested in the past that we pick a Standard Product - somethning like a small pdf or the like, possibly donated by the publisher for the purpose - and have each candidate write a review of the thing.  That would go a long way in showcasing the communication skills and tastes of the individuals.




I really like that idea, conceptually, but I'm already uncertain that more than a handful of people even read the Q&A.  Who would read 19 reviews, even if they're a page or less?


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## Umbran (Feb 20, 2007)

C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> I really like that idea, conceptually, but I'm already uncertain that more than a handful of people even read the Q&A.  Who would read 19 reviews, even if they're a page or less?




Well, the only way to get to know these people better is to get information from them in some form or other.  Period.  No way around that.  If folks aren't willing to do that, there's no hope of getting to know them better.

The question is what form of information is most efficient and fair at doing that job.

The Q&A, honestly, was sloppy and inefficient.  You had to wade through many posts of people askign questions,and got out-of-order, piecemeal answers here and there.  Good idea, poor execution.

I'd prefer to have a thread (or threads, on mulitple boards) in which peopkle ask questions, and then have someone collect and edit them into a single document for candidates to answer.  Post the answers on the Ennies site, linked from the bios.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> Well, the only way to get to know these people better is to get information from them in some form or other.  Period.  No way around that.  If folks aren't willing to do that, there's no hope of getting to know them better.




I agree.  I just don't think most folk are willing to read more than, say, 3 or 4 paragraphs per candidate.  Same problem applies to lengthy Q&A and other problems.  I really think the bios were more likely to sway the average person (wish I had realized that when I wrote my bio).



> The Q&A, honestly, was sloppy and inefficient.  You had to wade through many posts of people askign questions,and got out-of-order, piecemeal answers here and there.  Good idea, poor execution.




True.  I found it to be very time consuming and I wasn't sure how helpful many of my answers were.  Answering the same question on different sites was a problem, in particular.  I eventually started linking to answers elsewhere, but some folk seemed to resent that.



> I'd prefer to have a thread (or threads, on multiple boards) in which people ask questions, and then have someone collect and edit them into a single document for candidates to answer.  Post the answers on the ENnies site, linked from the bios.




I love this idea.  It would make it easier for everyone involved.  It cuts out duplicate and frivolous questions and results in something easy to read for the voter.

I think it has two big problems, however.  First, it's very time consuming for whoever does that.  I know the ENnies volunteers already have a lot going on.  Second, I think consolidating all of that on the ENnies page may result in less conversation with the judge nominees on other forums.  I'm not so sure it would help to spread the word of the ENnies.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Feb 20, 2007)

Maybe what we need for next year is a set of pre-selected questions that each of the judges fills out upon nomination... we can collect questions from various sites and then each candidate can fill it out on their own time and send it in with their nomination form?

But, really, I don't know if that would be any more or less efficient.

Which is essentially what Umbran said.  hehehe.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> The Q&A, honestly, was sloppy and inefficient.  You had to wade through many posts of people askign questions,and got out-of-order, piecemeal answers here and there.  Good idea, poor execution.




I agree that it was inefficient, and very hard work for the nominees, but I just internalised that as part of the process. Sorting through several parallel threads searching for new questions and responding to them seemed like a good test for the job itself!

Just a thought: it would have been possible to drum up some questions a few weeks earlier and have these in an official "Q&A" thread that all the nominees can reply to. Still link to threads on other sites, because it's not like you can stop people doing this - and I think having the nominees go visit all the other sites did a lot to raise awareness.

And totally enjoyed learning about the other nominees. I wish we'd spent more time talking to each other during the run-up (another idea: have a thread specifically for nominees to discuss issues and question each other.)

And is it me, or are we all hanging around here in case the results get posted?


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> And is it me, or are we all hanging around here in case the results get posted?




I spent Sunday and Monday obsessively reloading pages for that very reason


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## Umbran (Feb 20, 2007)

C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> I think it has two big problems, however.  First, it's very time consuming for whoever does that.  I know the ENnies volunteers already have a lot going on.




True.  But, then what you need is another vounteer.  I'll put my money where my mouth is - if someone remembers the idea next year, and the ENnies Board of Directors wants it implemented, I'll do all the legwork myself. 



> Second, I think consolidating all of that on the ENnies page may result in less conversation with the judge nominees on other forums.  I'm not so sure it would help to spread the word of the ENnies.




Well, you have a thread for submitting questions on each forum.  After the questions are collected and answered, you put a new thread in each forum pointing at the answers.  The candidates can answer other questions there, if they so desire.

It seems to me that what may be desired is a little more standardized information.  This in no way precludes the non-standardized discussions, but having a bit more clear and easy to reach information might be more useful for those who don't want to wade through undirected information.

Other possibilities include moderated online chats - EN World has an affiliated chat room that has done some really nice moderated Q&A with industry folks.  I figure somethingsimilar could be done with judge candidates.  Say, five at a time,a couple moderators, and the public gets to ask and get answers in somethinglike realtime.  The transcripts could be posted online.

Similarly, you could do something like a debate - each candidate gets to ask a question of the other candidates.  

Not that we have to do all (or any) of this.  I'm just brainstorming ways to get more information out to a growing ENnies audience, in a form interestign enough that they might use it....


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## Umbran (Feb 20, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> And is it me, or are we all hanging around here in case the results get posted?




Results will be posted on the 23rd, if I recall correctly.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> Results will be posted on the 23rd, if I recall correctly.




Yep.  There had been a suggestion that they may be posted early (yesterday evening).


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> True.  But, then what you need is another vounteer.  I'll put my money where my mouth is - if someone remembers the idea next year, and the ENnies Board of Directors wants it implemented, I'll do all the legwork myself.




That's very cool of you 



> I'm just brainstorming ways to get more information out to a growing ENnies audience, in a form interestign enough that they might use it....




I find your ideas to be well thought out and am confident that, with so many good ideas floating around here, the process will get better every year.


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## Master of the Game (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> I'd prefer to have a thread (or threads, on mulitple boards) in which peopkle ask questions, and then have someone collect and edit them into a single document for candidates to answer.  Post the answers on the Ennies site, linked from the bios.



I think this is a great idea.  It was a pain picking out questions, especially in light of the two page argument about the way the ENnies work right in the middle of it.

I did like answering the questions though.  For me, at least, they helped me to define my ideas.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 20, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> True.  But, then what you need is another vounteer.  I'll put my money where my mouth is - if someone remembers the idea next year, and the ENnies Board of Directors wants it implemented, I'll do all the legwork myself.




Good man!


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 20, 2007)

Hey, just had a thought. Why don't we come up with some more questions now? Maybe start up a new thread. At least then if someone decides to take the idea up, they've got some material to start with.

Anyone up for it?


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## Beckett (Feb 20, 2007)

One thing about the Q&A boards- the nomination period kind of came out of nowhere.  I'd been keeping an eye out for it, and then boom! middle of nomination week.  So when I came out as a nominee, there were already question threads up and running, and I felt I had a lot of catch up to do.  I imagine it was even worse for those who came in after me.

I hope the Q&As did some good; I know they helped me decide how to fill out my ballot.  But, they did seem a little disorganized.  A board on the ENnie's site to host the Q&As might work well (and help show that there is more to the ENnies than D20 and ENWorld- after RPG.net, this is the board I frequent the most, but it looks like a lot of the other nominees are hanging around here waiting for the latest news).


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 21, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> Hey, just had a thought. Why don't we come up with some more questions now? Maybe start up a new thread. At least then if someone decides to take the idea up, they've got some material to start with.
> 
> Anyone up for it?




Sorry, but I'll pass.  There are at least 100 questions already in those four threads for anyone next year to pick out.


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## Umbran (Feb 21, 2007)

C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> Sorry, but I'll pass.  There are at least 100 questions already in those four threads for anyone next year to pick out.




And, what questiosn should be asked may well change in a year.  The things we find important now may not be interesting then, and new points of interest may arise.  Better to ask questiosnbased on current gamer concerns, rather than old ones.


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## Doug Ruff (Feb 21, 2007)

Well, I'm actually looking for the "baseline" questions, like "why do you want to be a judge?" I think that there are some questions that don't lose their meaning over time, and having these in one place would clear the way for the more interesting questions.

Tell you what, since I'm the one who thinks this is a good idea, I'll do the legwork for it. I will try to have something to show you in the next few days.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 21, 2007)

I wanted to be a judge to end world starvation. I really hope that's not the kind of questions people really wanted answered because they will only get politically correct answers.

If you want to know your potential judges, they need to stand on issues. But what kind of issues is there in the RPG industries? There's always Big Press vs Small Press. Amazon.com vs FLGS? Has he ever volunteered for a convention/Game Day/RPGA/Larp?

I would rather vote for someone that supports his local community than someone who buys online from Amazon.com.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 21, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> I would rather vote for someone that supports his local community than someone who buys online from Amazon.com.




I think that, and many other questions, are fine concerns if you're voting for a pleasant leader of the people.  I think it's meaningless when it comes to capacity to evaluate products.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 21, 2007)

I just think that judges should represent the fans, since this is a fan award.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Feb 21, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> I would rather vote for someone that supports his local community than someone who buys online from Amazon.com.




I'd say that's not a fair way to pick a judge at all, though. WHERE they buy from doesn't have anything to do with how a product is judged. Besides, some of us aren't exactly very wealthy and have to aim for the cheaper venues to get our RPG fix. Also, not all communities HAVE local places to buy RPGs beyond bigger book stores or simply online. Putting that into the judge ring really just strikes me as completely and utterly against the point.

Honestly, beyond a few questions like "Why do you think you'd make a good judge?", I think its going to be very hard to get a set amount of questions that are relevant each year.


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## Umbran (Feb 21, 2007)

Doug Ruff said:
			
		

> Tell you what, since I'm the one who thinks this is a good idea, I'll do the legwork for it. I will try to have something to show you in the next few days.




I'd suggest you wait until the BOD gave an indication that they wanted such stuff.  They do run the show, and are probably very focused on the immediate needs of the newly elected judges.  And even if they have some cycles to spare, they may prefer it be done in-house, instead of by some random folks who think it wouldbe a good idea.

The prime time to bring this stuff up, really, would be just after GenCon - when the old judges are done, and the new judges still months away, and everyone has some time to look towards improvements.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 21, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> I just think that judges should represent the fans, since this is a fan award.




I can see that.  I see the judges role as less about representing the interests of the fans and more about objectively screening products for the fans to vote on.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 21, 2007)

I think that most people that ran for judges would have done an excellent work anyway. Do you know of anyone incompetent that tried to be a judge? I don't. 

So if I take 2 people of equal value, or a value so close that I can't make a difference, why should I vote X instead of Y? That's why I'm basing my vote on something other than pure reviewing talent.


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 21, 2007)

That's cool


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## Master of the Game (Feb 21, 2007)

I based mine on sheer good looks.

I can't help it if I'm prettier than you guys


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 21, 2007)

Master of the Game said:
			
		

> I based mine on sheer good looks.
> 
> I can't help it if I'm prettier than you guys




Oh come on, I even had a suit on!


----------



## fusangite (Feb 22, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> I've suggested in the past that we pick a Standard Product - somethning like a small pdf or the like, possibly donated by the publisher for the purpose - and have each candidate write a review of the thing.  That would go a long way in showcasing the communication skills and tastes of the individuals.



Great idea Umbran!







> I'd prefer to have a thread (or threads, on mulitple boards) in which peopkle ask questions, and then have someone collect and edit them into a single document for candidates to answer. Post the answers on the Ennies site, linked from the bios.



As is this one. PErhaps we can think about creating a Chief Electoral officer position in the ranks of the thankless volunteer jobs for someone to handle and set this thing up, also as an ombudsman for issues that come up during the two rounds of voting.

I think one of the problems we also need to resolve is that people want more than one thing out of their judges. The judges have a bunch of jobs:
1. Picking the best products
2. Publicly representing the image of the awards and the community in gaming media, online and in person
3. Making the judging panel cohere as an effective team
4. Doing additional volunteer work for the awards

I think that when people vote in the awards, based on past results, factors 2 and 3 tend to rank up there in the considerations of voters. It's not all about #1. We are electing something closer to a high school student council than a panel of game systems experts.


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 22, 2007)

fusangite said:
			
		

> We are electing something closer to a high school student council than a panel of game systems experts.




If that's the case then I wish it had been more clearly stated.  I entered and promoted the voting where I could with the understanding that the ENnies were striving to be an industry wide award for the best in roleplaying gaming.

I think I feel that, if you don't have the best products competing for the awards to begin with then the rest is somewhat unimportant as the awards lack credibility.


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## Master of the Game (Feb 22, 2007)

fusangite said:
			
		

> We are electing something closer to a high school student council than a panel of game systems experts.



.... and I promise that if I am elected I will make sure the campus stays open for lunches....

Oops, flashback.


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## Umbran (Feb 22, 2007)

fusangite said:
			
		

> I think one of the problems we also need to resolve is that people want more than one thing out of their judges. The judges have a bunch of jobs:
> 1. Picking the best products
> 2. Publicly representing the image of the awards and the community in gaming media, online and in person
> 3. Making the judging panel cohere as an effective team
> ...




Well, I personally feel that #3 is rather a prerequisite for #1 - if thejudges don't ahve their act together, they can't pick things properly.  It isn't a separate job, really.

I know the judges have to spend some time at the booth, but that's part of #2, really.  I'd think we shoudl try to scare up other volunteers for things that aren't related to #2, specifically.  The judges have enough to do.


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## fusangite (Feb 22, 2007)

C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> If that's the case then I wish it had been more clearly stated.  I entered and promoted the voting where I could with the understanding that the ENnies were striving to be an industry wide award for the best in roleplaying gaming.
> 
> I think I feel that, if you don't have the best products competing for the awards to begin with then the rest is somewhat unimportant as the awards lack credibility.



BUt people don't develop confidence in the awards based on an objective assessment of the reviewing skills of the panel. They base their confidence on how credible the panel _appears to be_. As with any representative office, performance is part of the gig.


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 22, 2007)

fusangite said:
			
		

> BUt people don't develop confidence in the awards based on an objective assessment of the reviewing skills of the panel. They base their confidence on how credible the panel _appears to be_. As with any representative office, performance is part of the gig.




I'm not so sure that telling folk the whole thing is about appearances, and not actual ability, will fill anyone with confidence in the credibility of the judges


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## C.W.Richeson (Feb 22, 2007)

Umbran said:
			
		

> Well, I personally feel that #3 is rather a prerequisite for #1 - if thejudges don't ahve their act together, they can't pick things properly.  It isn't a separate job, really.




I agree 100%, my thoughts as well upon reading the list.  I think it's a good list.



> I know the judges have to spend some time at the booth, but that's part of #2, really.  I'd think we shoudl try to scare up other volunteers for things that aren't related to #2, specifically.  The judges have enough to do.




If I'm one then I certainly wouldn't mind spending time at the booth and otherwise supporting the awards.  I'd be willing to bet that most or all of the nominees would be happy to help.


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## Master of the Game (Feb 22, 2007)

fusangite said:
			
		

> They base their confidence on how credible the panel _appears to be_. As with any representative office, performance is part of the gig.



"The secret of acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you've got it made."
-George Burns


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## Treebore (Feb 22, 2007)

All we really do as judges is look at the products submitted and decide which are the 5 best in each category. I'm confident I can do that, and from the bios everyone else has I'm pretty sure everyone else nominated can do it as well.

I think the real test about the Judges is who will actually do all the work required of them. The time commitment to give the products their due consideration is the tough part. I know I can do it because I am self employed and set my own work schedule, which is pretty light anyways.

Crothian has proven he is willing and able to take vacation time off work.

I don't now about the other nominees.


----------



## Master of the Game (Feb 22, 2007)

I own my company.  Taking time off is unnecessary, I'll simply do it at work


----------



## C.W.Richeson (Feb 22, 2007)

I also don't have concerns about the time   I think all the nominees were made clear that it was going to be a very time consuming activity.


----------



## Dextra (Feb 25, 2007)

If I have my way, we'll announce the following year's judges at Gen Con Indy.  That way they can take product home with 'em, rather than ship it, and get a head start on evaluations.  With the increasing number of submissions, giving them plenty of time, I think, is a good thing!



			
				C.W.Richeson said:
			
		

> I think that in future years it would be great to do the whole thing about two weeks earlier.  That way judge nominees who haven't decided on Gen Con yet will know if they should make definite plans.


----------



## Treebore (Feb 25, 2007)

The only way I see for a smooth transition is to have the same judges two years in a row. Which is fine with me, but how would you make such a change/transition without it being confusing? Other than see about the judges keeping the job two years in a row?


----------



## Piratecat (Feb 26, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> The only way I see for a smooth transition is to have the same judges two years in a row. Which is fine with me, but how would you make such a change/transition without it being confusing? Other than see about the judges keeping the job two years in a row?



I think we should have at least one new judge every year. Any organization can get in a rut if there isn't change and fresh ideas.


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## Treebore (Feb 26, 2007)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I think we should have at least one new judge every year. Any organization can get in a rut if there isn't change and fresh ideas.




I was thinking having the same judges two years in a row just for making the transition to having the voting take place so the Judges could be named at GenCon.

After having thought about it some more I guess it really wouldn't be much of a pain. Have voting and judges appointed as they have been, then have another voting period for next years judges up to a couple of days before GenCon. Like the first two weeks of August. or something like that.

Then the publishers can send new material to the Judges ASAP, so they may actually have enough time to playtest, etc...


Yeah, I think Dextra has an excellent idea.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 26, 2007)

Or abolish the judging process altogether. That would simplify the whole process.


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## Kaladhan (Feb 26, 2007)

How many products submitted for the judging process are available at GenCon the year before? I would guess very few.


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## Piratecat (Feb 26, 2007)

Actually, surprisingly many. Many companies use GenCon to premiere new products. These products then fit into the next year's judging window.


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## Treebore (Feb 26, 2007)

Kaladhan said:
			
		

> How many products submitted for the judging process are available at GenCon the year before? I would guess very few.





I only saw one box, and that also contained donations for auctions, but it looked like 10 or so products. Which from what I understand is less than 10% of the normal number of submissions.

Plus it also depends on how many companies participate. ICE, for example, is not participating this year. WOTC doesn't participate. Even though WOTC still got the Silver for Best Publisher last year (Green Ronin was Gold). Others may opt out as well.

There is a list of last years participating publishers on the ENnies site. That can give you an idea of how many products you and I won't be reading this year.


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## Dextra (Feb 27, 2007)

At Gen Con 2006, as an afterthought on Sunday, I went around the dealer hall soliciting entries.  I came home with enough product to fill a box for each judge from a variety of publishers, new and old.

What I like about it is, if we have the judges announced at the ceremony, we can send them home with a box of books right away and give them plenty of time to evaluate product.  That and the fact that the publishers were glad to not have to worry about shipping out product, which could mean more submissions from companies previously reluctant to enter.

Win, Win!


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## Master of the Game (Feb 28, 2007)

Generally I think it is a good idea, but would this mean that only people at Gencon would be eligible to be judges?  Also, if judges are running around soliciting their own entries, what happens if one judge doesn't hit every booth, and ends up not getting a copy of a book that the others will be considering?


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## Dextra (Mar 1, 2007)

Master of the Game said:
			
		

> Generally I think it is a good idea, but would this mean that only people at Gencon would be eligible to be judges?  Also, if judges are running around soliciting their own entries, what happens if one judge doesn't hit every booth, and ends up not getting a copy of a book that the others will be considering?




1. judges would be announced at gen con.  they don't have to be there, the entire voting process would be similar to what just occurred- but in late july (after the products were voted for)
2. i (and/or my designate- teflon billy is truly fabulous when it comes to securing swag!) would be solely responsible for collecting submissions, that way it reduces confusion.  i would kick the behind of any judge going around soliciting entries without myself or the submissions person present- it doesn't look good, and i wouldn't want publishers to feel harassed.


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## Bront (Mar 2, 2007)

Dextra said:
			
		

> If I have my way, we'll announce the following year's judges at Gen Con Indy.  That way they can take product home with 'em, rather than ship it, and get a head start on evaluations.  With the increasing number of submissions, giving them plenty of time, I think, is a good thing!



I think that's a fantastic idea, and makes the release window more obvious to any potential entrants.


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## Bront (Mar 2, 2007)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I think we should have at least one new judge every year. Any organization can get in a rut if there isn't change and fresh ideas.



With new elections, that should be the case, as not everyone will run from year to year.

Dex, any chance non-winners can get a copy of the actual results beyond the top 5, so they can see where they stand, if they wish to run again, and perhaps work on their campaign?


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## Master of the Game (Mar 6, 2007)

In case anyone is interested, I started a blog to chronicle my progress as I judge the materials I receive.  There I'll list the items I've been given for consideration and quicky reviews when I have time.  I seriously doubt I'll have the time or energy to do any kind of official review, but I'll let you know what I'm thinking, and give anyone who is interested the chance to change my mind.

As a first time judge I know a lot of people took a chance voting for me, and I just want people to be able to see if it was worth it.

A few disclaimers.  Because of the nature of judging, I won't be telling anyone what I'm nominating.  These are my thoughts, not decisions.  Not even hints as to what my decisions may be.  I hope everyone can understand why I'm doing it that way.

I also will not be able to discuss the thoughts of other judges or any private deliberations.  Hopefully, if they want to share, we'll hear from them as well.  I know at least one judge seems to be putting forth a lot more effort on this front than I am, but I'll let them discuss their plans.

Anywho, let me know what you think.  Hopefully this'll evolve into a short podcast as well, since it seems that would take a lot less time with the speed at which I type.


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