Jeremy Mcgillan's page

I love it when I improvise at cocking an: it turns oit deliciouse

Hey, thanks everybody! Really appreciated!

Erik is fine and continues his ever-expanding role as publisher.

As for my title, we haven't had an editor-in-chief for some time and for the last three years my role has been considerably more than just "guy in charge of the editors." As the company continues to grow Erik's attentions rightly move toward exploring exciting new projects and possibilities, while I've been increasingly helming the day-to-day adventure of making sure Paizo Publishing keeps... well... publishing.

What this promotion means for me is that now all of our editing and development officially falls under my umbrella, as well as much of the organization and outlining of new products - along with the champions of our individual product lines (and others, because coming up with new books and adventures is usually fun). Pretty much, if it has to do with our print projects, assigning them, developing them, editing them, approving them, getting feedback to authors, or any of the other bits that go into making a book happen (that isn't layout or on the design team's shoulders for the three hardcovers in our Pathfinder RPG line), it's on me and my crew's shoulders. Other than that, most of the other ramifications of our internal changes are mundane (or DOUBLE SUPER TOP SECRET... if that's a thing).

What this means for folks playing the home game... is pretty much nothing. The crew that brought you everything you already love is the same crew bringing you everything you're going to love. Nothing to see here, move along.

In other news, this has meant that Fiction Editor James Sutter has stepped up to Senior Editor to take on direct oversight of the wilder-than-you'd-expect world of editing everything for the Pathfinder brand, as well as captaining the most bombproof team of editing geniuses in gaming.

Beyond this, James Jacobs continues to be our creative director, assuring elf eyes from Pathfinder Society to Pathfinder comics to Pathfinder Miniatures to Pathfinder Everything Else are appropriately shaped, continuity is maintained across our brands, ideas cleave to the highest calibers of coolness, and that his writer's callous never grows soft. Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn still heads up the design team and spends his days coming up with innovative new ways to kill characters (or is it monsters this week?). "Señor" Art Director Sarah Robinson continues her jet setting as head of the art team (She's at Spectrum Live this week, less than a week since her return from a con in Germany) and wrangler of a thousand incredibly artistic cats. And beyond that, everyone else - Andrew, Chris, Crystal, Judy, Mark, Mike, Patrick, Rob, Sean, and Stephen - got other rewards for their fantastically hard and continually awesome-under-fire work (except for Adam who just got a pat on the head and half a shiny red apple [and not even those] because he's still new; but we love him anyway).

So that's the scoop! Now back to work!

Woah. The idea of mix-and-match parts for eidolons is a brain-melter.

I am seriously considering trying to push for a big hydra with detachable heads.

Any adventure path where you get to play in the epic level range.

Today's blog was locked in an epic battle! Many cave raptors died to bring this important message!

I have never played a halfling, a half-elf, an elf, or a gnome.

I HATE gnomes. Nothing damages my calm or fun as much as technicolor side-shows from the 60s with their inane 14-syllable names and idiotic 'role playing quirks' designed to be perpetual comic relief for the player of said character.[/seethe]

I generally play humans, sometimes dwarves, and have made half-orc characters, but I would play a minotaur in a heartbeat if it was balanced as a 0 HD race.

I absolutely love halflings. But I detest Gnomes: why? Because they are really short Dwarves that don't manage to do anything more a Dwarf can. I didn't like them in 1st edition, I didn't like them in 2nd edition, I hated them in 3rd edition, and I don't like them today in Pathfinder. Their deities are all idiots (Garl Glittergold? come on!), their fluff does nothing to explain why they are even still a player character race. But some people love them. I don't.

Master Arminas

COMEUPPANCE!!!

Yeah, I did swear off Walmart People, but in your case, I'm willing to make an exception.

For those wondering about a smaller case without a guaruntee of getting the entire set; isn't that what in effect a Brick is?

Guys, as long as these miniatures are based on Adventure Paths, we're going to pick the appropriate creatures to run the campaign, whether they're humanoids OR monsters.

I get it. I get that a lot of people don't want any more humanoid miniatures.

So noted.

But you're going to get loads more of them over the next several years, so harping on the issue is not going to change much.

You're also going to get TONS of monsters. TONS of creatures you do not already have, and TONS of creatures that have never been made before in plastic.

Be patient, please. This is not a one-and-done thing.

This is a set of miniatures designed to support a complete campaign that involves monsters AND humanoids.

We are in this for the long haul.

If this strategy does not appeal to you, I invite you to purchase singles.

Damn, Moorluck! That's creepy.

I removed some posts and the replies to them.

I realize this is a sensitive topic for many people, but posting angry isn't going to help de-escalate any arguments. Take a deep breath, maybe re-read your post to make sure it says what you really mean before hitting submit.

Also, flag it and move on.

Greedo shot first that is all.

Do I know you? How did you get in here? SECURITY!!!!

Gary: If I ever write a parenting book, it will be called Blood and Screaming.

Removed a post. Encouraging people to commit suicide isn't funny.

If it makes you feel any better, I am incredibly good looking. I am also staggeringly talented, loveable, charitable, funny, charismatic, intelligent, and with very nice facial hair.

I am also the most modest person you will ever meet.

All of this is completely true.

And in other news...

...I got engaged over the weekend. Shocking, right?

This is a strictly Paizo-only announcement for now, since we're not going to tell her family for another few weeks at least, but still...

Holy crap someone mailed me an actual banhammer!!

Also, Walking Dead back on last night! WOOT!!!

On the food/drink front
- If you have back to back to back games, it is a good idea to carry a snack/bottle of water with you. Heck, even if you don't have anything planned, keeping snacks/water on you is a good idea anyway.

- Caffeine will only get you so far. Get sleep.

On basic etiquette
- Know that is your dice become fussy, there should be plenty more to buy in the shop area. This, however, is not a validation for throwing your dice when they roll poorly.

- Bathe ... for the love of all that is holy and good, bathe! Don't be "that" guy/gal at the Con. Liberal use of patchouli or other potent scents does not count as bathing. (NOTE: this was not an issue at the two PaizoCons that I went to, but it is always worth mentioning)

Now if it turns out that we actually can have political discussions without creating a "here there be a#$%+@!s" section of the board, then the chances of us actually making a separate forum for political discussions starts to rise. But there is no way we're making one if it's just going to be full of unrelenting grar.

The problem is, the OTD has become the de facto 'Here there be a%%#++~s' section of the board. And the rules trolls are sniffing out a fresh source of grar and moseying their warty asses right on down. For those of us that used to like hanging there, it's a real bummer. And only likely to get worse as campaign season ramps up.

I'd still like a Silliness (or otherwise named) subforum spun off the OTD. Then you can keep the OTD as is, and I can triangle the whole mess up. Problem solved. All you need is to move FAWTL, Untitled and a few of the avatar-centric threads like the poodle thread over, and I think you would see a lot less smnrfing and 'mocking' threads. I know I wouldn't bother anymore. Heck, I wouldn't go near the OTD then with a 39 1/2-foot pole. You did it for technology, why not silly threads?

Currently there is a debate going on about why sword canes were added if they were not mechanically better than X.

There was a huge thread about the Monk vow of poverty, and how horrible it was.

To which I slam my head repeatedly into my desk.

Crazy thought here, maybe every build isn't an optimal build.

Maybe, and I know I'm going to get a little nuts here but stay with me, maybe some people think flavor is more important that power because maybe they actually play the game to create a story with the DM, and they want to play an interesting character in that story.

Maybe, and this could just be crazy talk, some people think that your huge eideolon with 15 attacks would probably not be allowed in most major cities, or your Svirfneblin or Dhampir may cause some interaction problems in well lit rooms.

Maybe some DM actually ask the question "What do these characters look like when they walk in a room, and how would people react to them"

Maybe a sword cane is less conspicuous and that has value. Maybe as a player you want the challenge of trying to build a monk character without significant gear.

Maybe some of us are less worried that the new splat book didn't give you the broken option you were hoping for so you could show all your friends how awesome your broken combo is in a made up world for a little while until the Devs realize a mistake and errata it.

Maybe...just maybe...some of us like having more options, while still allowing old options to have value and not be obsolete.

Crazy, I know...

I am confused why my questioning of Lisa, or my questioning of their transparency in their marketing plan, makes me bad, or a conspiracy theorist. I work at a huge, national company, and I see how our marketing goes. That's what marketing IS.

Your company might lie to their customers. We don't.

I find it funny how posters are talking about how poor the editing on Ultimate Magic is in comparison to the APG, but when the APG came out many posters complained how poor the editing was on that. I can't wait for everyone to start posting how they wish the editing in the Advanced Race Guide was as good as Ultimate Magic.

And you're going to compare fluff to that? Please, James, COME BACK DOWN TO EARTH. The air is obviously too thin wherever you are.

I assure you, I'm on Earth. And I'm sorry if being insulted by the word fluff in turn insults you.

The fact of the matter is that, in terms of writing, the word "fluff" means trivial and of no consequence.

I, and I suspect EVERY writer, would be insulted if someone said, "I read what you wrote, and it was trivial and of no consequence."

To me, as a writer, that's the same as saying "I read what you wrote, and it was fluff."

And it's key to remember that it's not the insultee who gets to decide what's offensive, but the one who is insulted.

In any case, I don't see this topic's continued longevity as being constructive, and since I sort of find the initial post a bit insulting as well, I'm just going to shut down and lock the thread.

I really hate how this keeps coming back to my item.

This really isn't about why or why I didn't get rejected.

The reason it keeps coming back to you—and it's you much more than your item—is that you came onto our boards, trashed our judges and employees, and called us a bunch of glorified copy-and-pasters, with posts dripping in sarcasm and attitude, painting yourself as the victim all the while.

I'd especially point out these parts:

...looking over the stuff [Clark's] company has published and the comments he's made before, and listening to his stuff here, I just don't see how his opinion is worth anything.

And in your very next post, you state:

Now nothing I said so far has been inflammatory...

Either you don't understand how you come across, or you don't understand the meaning of the word "inflammatory."

And then you write this:

I think you should realize that you are representing yourself and your company to your audience, the people that buy your stuff.

You know, you also need to realize that people are judging you by the things you say, and though you called Clark a "a giant, over-glorified troll," well, I'll just note that the trolling being done here is all by you.

I'll tell you this: if Paizo *had* ever given you an assignment, after seeing the way you conduct yourself on our forums, I'd ensure that we never gave you another one.

I don't look forward to the next contest knowing he is a judge.

I hope you follow through with the indications you've given that you won't be entering. You'd be wasting everyone's time, because you're disrespectful, and in comportment, you're as far from an RPG Superstar as you can be. I'm glad you think highly of Neil, because you could learn quite a lot from him—and I'm talking about in life, not just in game design.