DO NOT GIVE SPECIFICS ON YOUR ENTRY I'd hate for someone to be dq'd for slipping up.
Ok folks this is my first attempt at this and I have submitted round 1.
Going forward how do you all, contestants and designers, approach the design process?
Do you go for something that appeals to you or do you try to appeal to others?
Do you work out the fluff or crunch first?
Does the thing you are designing have purpose first or does the purpose grow as the design flows?
Again this is general design not specific to any round or theme.
Any advice is appreciated.
I think you have to go for something that appeals to yourself, otherwise it's not going to really shine. You simply can't fake it.
Personally, I tend to have a fairly eclectic approach. Ideas come to me at random times (often when I'm lying in bed; I think I jumped up at least three times last night to quickly check if an archetype idea had already been done and I have a half-dozen things I jotted down on a note pad on my night stand) and then I try to flesh them out and see if I can get them to work.
That said, I think my personal sensibilities tend to be a bit more down to earth than most gamers. Last year, I made an effort to push my limits in that regard to be a little more fantastic so that it would appeal to a wider audience. I had multiple choices for Round 2 and went with the one I thought would have the widest appeal; right now I'm trying to decide which of my possible Round 1 entries will have the widest appeal.
I also think research, research, research is key. Since you've submitted for Round 1, start studying up on archetypes, including previous entries in Superstar (heck, you could start thinking about monsters too). Don't get too locked in -- you don't know what the twist will be -- but definitely start thinking of ideas. Depending on how well you know the campaign setting, I'd definitely brush up on that as well.
Finally, my last big piece of advice is go for a home run every single time. If I had to describe my monster last year after I submitted it, I was thinking it was an RBI single -- something safe though not the greatest thing I ever designed. Instead it turned out to be a game-ending double play. I definitely won't make that mistake again.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9
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I have created an elaborate table that chooses everything based on percentile dies for my item; from the name, slot, description, and requirements. I roll the dice the few hundred required times after subleting my soul to the devil for a case of tasty adult beverage and when I wake up afterwards I have a completed item!
Seriously though, I work on my home games until something pops into my head. I flesh out the description, create the requirements, and add some flavour. Then I stop looking at it for a few days. Next (after I have forgotten the exact specifics), I completely reinvent the item based on my faulty memory. And finally mash the 2 versions together.
Going forward how do you all, contestants and designers, approach the design process? Do you go for something that appeals to you or do you try to appeal to others?
Both. To me, game design isn't an either/or with respect to this question. And it holds true for general designs after RPG Superstar, not just for how you should approach the contest. Think about it. Do you go for something that appeals to you? Of course, otherwise, you're not motivated...you don't do your best work...and it shows.
So, always go for something that appeals to you. However, do you just create something that appeals to you? No. Because you're only the tiniest fraction of the representative gaming market. There are many diverse opinions out there about what is cool and what works within the rules of the game. You need to move beyond just your own opinion on those subjects and take the pulse of the gaming universe.
So, do you try to appeal to others? Yes. Clearly. Otherwise, you're just writing for yourself in a vacuum. And that's not what game design (freelance or otherwise) is about. You need to write for others. You need to write marketable stuff that helps your publisher sell your works under their brand. You need it to appeal to as many of their consumers (i.e., the gaming public), as possible.
RPG Superstar demonstrates the importance of that on a round-by-round basis. The judges are part of the gamer nation, just like the voters. Appeal to all of them as much as you can. Win them over. But win over yourself first. Then, make sure whatever you designed to appeal to your tastes will also appeal to everyone else.
Do you work out the fluff or crunch first?
That depends on the assignment. Is it a stat-block with some supporting descriptive text? Crunch first for me. Descriptive flavor second. But, that said, I always make sure to do my crunch in a way that builds off of a flavorful idea from the very beginning.
On the other hand, if it's a world-building assignment...like design a new nation, villain concept, or organization...I start with flavor. But, I also keep an eye towards any mechanical underpinnings for those things...i.e., is there a regional feat I can create which supports the new nation, or a new spell or magic item the villain might have at his disposal, or some kind of mechanical in-game benefits for belonging to a certain organization (like a prestige class option)? Those things should enter into your mind even as you work on the flavor of your design.
So, short answer: it depends.
Long answer: see above.
Does the thing you are designing have purpose first or does the purpose grow as the design flows?
Both. Pretty much any design starts out with a purpose. However, there's nothing that says the purpose can't change or grow as you progress with your design. Make sure you keep an open mind as you plug along. Follow your gamer instincts. Make a few Sense Motive rolls to gauge the gaming community's appetite for what you're creating. Enhance it where you see opportunities to do so. This is why designers create first drafts, set them aside, and then come back to rework them later. You should find a process that works for you. But, as a foundation, that's a very good one to follow.
Any advice is appreciated.
There you go.
My two cents,
--Neil
For this year, I participated the 9 month long Blazing 9
This seems to run annually after each competition closes. If you follow the link, there is a lot of things we think about, here's draft 1, feedback, draft 2, feedback going on in there.
Now, I haven't yet made the Top 32, but I'm hoping that my practice and yet more practice will get me closer to the top 100 even if not top 64 going forwards.
You might find some interesting snippets there.
Recently, I have found doing the description for the core power of an item has helped me loads - it also showed me that after the core main power, there isn't usually a lot of words left for overdoing extra powers :)
Hope it helps.
Chief Technical Officer
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...I'm hoping that my practice and yet more practice will get me closer to the top 100 even if not top 64 going forwards.
The statement about the judges selecting 32 of the Top 64 was an error, and has been removed. The judges will go from the highest-ranked entry down until they have 32 solid entries. If it takes more or less than the top 64 entries to do that, so be it.
Yeah overthinking is my downfall.
I'm glad I got my open call submission in when I did so I could avoid the "just one more tweak" mentality.
I've got R2 where I want it pre-announcement.
So my overthinking is focusing on round 3, where I've not had as much experience.