What have you found to be...


RPG Superstar™ General Discussion

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Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

As we near the end of this voting round, and as it was the first time we have been fortunate enough to do this, I started reflecting on my voting time.

So, avoiding the obvious answers of choosing between equal themed items, equal quality of item, etc...

What have you found the hardest thing to do or not do during voting and has voting had any personal affect or realisation for you?

To start the ball rolling...

I have found that over time I started developing favoured item groups and started getting a real down against other item types. Preventing this from affecting my vote has been really hard - so I have started taking more frequent breaks now.

How about you?

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The most difficult aspect of voting is 'Netflix effect.' That is to say when I finish a show now, netflix automatically starts the next in the series (OK you get 7 seconds to get up brush your teeth, feed the hatchlings and go to bed... oh maybe this one they will get off that crazy island).

Once I vote there is now two more to vote upon. Vote, new pair, vote, new pair, vote, new pair... OK gotta go to bed now.

Oh and not dotting EVERY thread.

EDIT: D'oh!

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Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

The most difficult thing for me has been choosing between two items that I like and hate equally. I've found that I look at an item more from a broad design concept over sharp details. When I like two concepts equally well, I've been having to break down the mechanics and format very carefully.

I always thought of myself as a "nuts & bolts" designer, concentrating on the Rules As Written. I now realize that I like the story aspect more than rules perfect. This was quite a surprise.

It has also taught me how much about the mechanics and design that I had absolutely no idea about. That was quite humbling.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

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Not talking about the items. The temptation with the public vote and the threads has made it toe-curlingly hard not to talk about the items.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Demiurge 1138

Yeah, choosing between two (seemingly) equally disagreeable items is tough. Two item I both like, actually, is somewhat easier.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka RainyDayNinja

I noticed that if an item is totally outclassed the first time I see it, I tend to view it less favorably than it deserves the next time I see it, and vice versa.

Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7

Yeah, this was bound to happen over such a long period of voting time. I am also guilty of voting down certain groups of items. Its been damn hard to be objective.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

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I have a confession.

Confession:
There is one really horrible item I have been voting up. It is bad and I was shocked it survived the cull. So I have been voting it above better items. The only items I have voted above it were the ones I thought were truly marvelous items.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6 aka Core

Anthony Adam wrote:
What have you found the hardest thing to do or not do during voting and has voting had any personal affect or realisation for you?

Waiting. Waiting I've found to be uniquely exhausting.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Locke1520

theheadkase wrote:

Not talking about the items. The temptation with the public vote and the threads has made it toe-curlingly hard not to talk about the items.

This is tough. I hope it reminds the contestants who become the top 32 to still their fingers and not talk about their entries each round until given permission to do so. I'd hate to see someone who's work admire go on to be disqualified for overzealous posting.

**edit**

Samuel Kisko wrote:
Anthony Adam wrote:
What have you found the hardest thing to do or not do during voting and has voting had any personal affect or realisation for you?
Waiting. Waiting I've found to be uniquely exhausting.

This is what I'm finding to be most difficult as well...I'm a rip the band-aid off fast kinda person.

Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka mamaursula

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Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

I have a confession.

** spoiler omitted **

I love it. Do your ten Hail Mary's and your secret's safe with us.

Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka mamaursula

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

I have a confession.

** spoiler omitted **

Okay okay, I have a similar confession to make, there is an item that holds items that thrills me and I vote for it all the time. Unless it comes up against my favorite recording device, then I implode.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Epic Meepo

mamaursula wrote:
Okay okay, I have a similar confession to make, there is an item that holds items that thrills me and I vote for it all the time. Unless it comes up against my favorite recording device, then I implode.

My personal Top 64 will likely include two items that store things. Also included: a crafting item, a magical writing implement, a skill bonus item, a Swiss Army Knife, and multiple items that aren't properly formatted. And I'm pretty sure a few of them have filigree.

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Eric Morton wrote:
mamaursula wrote:
Okay okay, I have a similar confession to make, there is an item that holds items that thrills me and I vote for it all the time. Unless it comes up against my favorite recording device, then I implode.
My personal Top 64 will likely include two items that store things. Also included: a crafting item, a magical writing implement, a skill bonus item, a Swiss Army Knife, and multiple items that aren't properly formatted. And I'm pretty sure a few of them have filigree.

Nice :)

I have reached 22 strongly suspected of top 32ness, and about another 20 of the solid book of itemness, so hopefully I might match up at least once or twice with the reveal :)

I think of my top 22 that I have, if more than half are in the real top 32, then I think I will be able to start thinking that I have finally identified what "Superstar" in item design actually is. :D

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

Yeah, I think that'll be the next interesting thread once the Top 32 are announced. How many of them are in people's personal keeper file, for those who kept them?

I think I've got just about 32 -- though I haven't kept everything I thought was neat and some of them I don't think are really Superstar. There's one in particular that I really like because it plays with rules that interest me, but I'll be surprised if it's considered Superstar. Then there are three that are all very similar -- still not sure which of those three I think is best.

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I lost all interest around 250 votes. Don't know how anyone hit Dedicated; after counting 40 straight votes between two items I didn't like, it felt like my votes were between items that wouldn't matter, and therefore my votes wouldn't matter.

I have a list of 50 or so items I like, but they simply stopped showing up in voting pairs.

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Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

I have a confession.

** spoiler omitted **

Darn. Now that you've skewed the results we all have to start over. No cookie for you.

Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Yeah, I think that'll be the next interesting thread once the Top 32 are announced. How many of them are in people's personal keeper file, for those who kept them?

I think I've got just about 32 -- though I haven't kept everything I thought was neat and some of them I don't think are really Superstar. There's one in particular that I really like because it plays with rules that interest me, but I'll be surprised if it's considered Superstar. Then there are three that are all very similar -- still not sure which of those three I think is best.

I'm glad you think my item is interesting I hope it makes the top 32.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

I have learned that an idea, concept, or theme that may seem interesting or intriguing by itself can become irritating when that idea is placed among a dozen or so that are similar.

I have found that my tolerance for "ick" or "gross" is lower than I realized; too many gross-out items in a row left me queasy.

Scarab Sages Contributor , Star Voter Season 6

Mark Hart wrote:

I have found that my tolerance for "ick" or "gross" is lower than I realized; too many gross-out items in a row left me queasy.

I think this has been said elsewhere, but I'll put it out there again. There have been a few items whose grossness really lends itself to good concepts, but in general, if an item is trying to equate shocking or repulsive with Superstar then that's almost an automatic down-vote for me. As a voter, I'm looking a lot more for functionality, usefulness, and inventiveness than I am for anything that goes, as Paizo folks put it, WAHOO!


Creepy tends to work well when hand-in-hand with cool.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Monkster

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Mark Hart wrote:

I have learned that an idea, concept, or theme that may seem interesting or intriguing by itself can become irritating when that idea is placed among a dozen or so that are similar.

+1.

I feel kinda bad that I'm struggling with voting in the true spirit of "anonymity", meaning, looking at an item objectively like it was any other item I've seen for the 1st time. Once I’ve seen the same item a bajillion times, I tend to be more prejudiced against it. Likewise, I've probably given items "dings" for lack of originality if I've seen a bunch of other submissions just like it, which I realize isn't fair, since none of us had any idea what the other submissions would be prior to submitting.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Locke1520

Mark Hart wrote:
I have found that my tolerance for "ick" or "gross" is lower than I realized; too many gross-out items in a row left me queasy.

Tell me about it. I wouldn't have thought my own reaction to the gross stuff would be so poor.

Although my tolerance might have been already down...I have a player in my RotRL campaign whose theme is "icky." Whenever the party kills an animal or monster he feels it necessary to collect choice bits. Which he's been making into gross versions of many of the CRB magic items since he first started on his item creation feats. The other PCs are very careful about what they allow him to make for them.

disclaimer:
So all of that said . . . I may or may not have made a gross item. I do tend to imagine an actual character or player as my specific audience when I make my items for RPG Superstar so I could have made one with my druid player in mind . . . or not.

Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka mamaursula

Andrew Marlowe wrote:
Mark Hart wrote:
I have found that my tolerance for "ick" or "gross" is lower than I realized; too many gross-out items in a row left me queasy.

Tell me about it. I wouldn't have thought my own reaction to the gross stuff would be so poor.

Although my tolerance might have been already down...I have a player in my RotRL campaign whose theme is "icky." Whenever the party kills an animal or monster he feels it necessary to collect choice bits. Which he's been making into gross versions of many of the CRB magic items since he first started on his item creation feats. The other PCs are very careful about what they allow him to make for them.

** spoiler omitted **

Way to waffle there, Andrew. rolls eyes

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

Admit it, Mama, you're the "icky" themed player, aren't you?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

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An item that uses good writing, an intriguing concept, and neat execution to grab my attention

----------------------------------------------------------------------< The Line

An item that grabs my attention for the sake of grabbing my attention

A designer can't necessarily see The Line, but it is crucial that he knows when he's crossed it.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Locke1520

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Jacob W. Michaels wrote:
Admit it, Mama, you're the "icky" themed player, aren't you?

Actually she's the party cleric and (I think) the only character who hasn't received any of the druid's "special" gifts at all.

She's had to stop the druid's player from describing some of his more "interesting" items.

example:
His amulet of natural armor is the a tick like animated chunk of carapace that burrowed a little ways into the skin over his rib-cage so that "amulet" could hang without the need of a chain.

She usually has to say something like, "I'm not drunk enough to listen to you describe that!"

Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka mamaursula

Andrew Marlowe wrote:
Jacob W. Michaels wrote:
Admit it, Mama, you're the "icky" themed player, aren't you?

Actually she's the party cleric and (I think) the only character who hasn't received any of the druid's "special" gifts at all.

She's had to stop the druid's player from describing some of his more "interesting" items.

She usually has to say something like, "I'm not drunk enough to listen to you describe that!"

Yeah, I mean who doesn't want an extra pair of reclaimed Glabrezu appendages? Waste not, want not. gag

Scarab Sages Contributor , Star Voter Season 6

mamaursula wrote:

Yeah, I mean who doesn't want an extra pair of reclaimed Glabrezu appendages? Waste not, want not. gag

Oh look, pincers for my apparatus of the crab!

I mean ... yeah, gross.

Shadow Lodge Marathon Voter Season 6

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I think the biggest thing for me is that all the advice I have read and heard from the judges has been put into context. I see exactly what they mean.

The hardest thing for me though is the waiting; not only to see how many of the regular posters here make top 32, but to discuss some of the items that were so good, or others that could have been brilliant if only they had included this or more likely not included that.

So much fun ahead whether I make it in or not.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7

After a while, I also found myself voting against a few particular groups of items, just on principle.

In no order, items that mimic existing items, joke items, gross items, items way over/under priced, and attack-bonus-in-a-can items often swayed me the other way.

Though a lot of poorly designed items kept popping up- aggravating at first- it ends up really driving home all the great designer advice from the developers and judges at Paizo. I feel better prepared for next year already!

A great big round of applause for previous years' Round 1 Judges- that really is a whole lot of wheat for the chaff. Your dedication is amazing.

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Herremann the Wise wrote:

I think the biggest thing for me is that all the advice I have read and heard from the judges has been put into context. I see exactly what they mean.

The hardest thing for me though is the waiting; not only to see how many of the regular posters here make top 32, but to discuss some of the items that were so good, or others that could have been brilliant if only they had included this or more likely not included that.

So much fun ahead whether I make it in or not.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

i've said it before, but after 6 years the waiting a few weeks more is not so hard. :)

I am still excited for the reveal & glad I dinnae see too many items. Like I'm glad I stopped peeking under my parents bed in early December when I was 8 :)

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7

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Not having notepad open to copy down items that I thought were cool for use in my own games, or forgetting to do so entirely. Especially annoying when I realize it right after hitting the vote button.

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Having seen most of the items in the competition through voting, it will be interesting to see the top 32 even if mine doesn't make the cut. I wonder how many of them I thought was awesome and how many of them I thought were bad and voted against. And I wonder how many of them I didn't even see in my close to 2000 votes.

This definitely makes the competition more interesting.

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7

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There were two items that would probably be considered godawful that I always voted for just because I liked them.

And in terms of voting when I didn't really like either of the items, I never gave it much thought - my assumption was that both would be relatively near the bottom of the list and a relative ranking wouldn't really be all that important.

It wasn't often I had to give really serious thought, when both items were pretty good; in those cases the relative ranking was probably more important and I'd consider it thoroughly.

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I often had a hard time deciding between a simple single function item with a good theme, and a more powerful item that was less well put together.

I hate to say it but a lot of the low level items are not really useful by the time you hit 5th level or so. So they can be a non-factor for a large portion of game play.

Star Voter Season 6

persoka wrote:
I hate to say it but a lot of the low level items are not really useful by the time you hit 5th level or so.

Yeah, but some items are, and I think that's what makes the difference between "good" and "superstar" (in the case of low-level items). For example, even my mid- to high-level characters will usually carry around a couple of Tree Feather Tokens, because I always seem to be able to find a situation where growing a tree instantly is useful :)

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

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persoka wrote:
I often had a hard time deciding between a simple single function item with a good theme, and a more powerful item that was less well put together.

Those simple items were some of my favorites. Looking over my keep list, there are a few and one I really hope to see make the Top 32.

Some I found annoying were those with very high or no saves against their abilities.

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