Perhaps it's my L5R background, but one of the Japanese-themed items is a quirky one I like and keeps coming up for me. It's nice since it makes for a pretty easy upvote.
Star Voter Season 7
|
I am glad I am not a judge. My keep folder is up to 6 items so far.
2 general utility/movement
1 class specific for a class I generally don't play.
1 safety item
1 make wizard better item that actually required a closer look to see the balance. Well done.
1 blood based item, even though I don't like blood items.
The thing that strikes me most about my keeps so far is that half of the items in my keep file are items of the types I generally don't like.
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
If my item doesn't make the cut, I would certainly like to discuss its merits and flaws with others after it is allowed (so as not to be Dairy Queened). I look forward to such a thread when the time arrives...
It's about what makes you tick and how you get your ideas, not about the item itself. You can go through the steps and only give a vague notion of what became of the process.
Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 9
|
(@ Tokoz) I must have misunderstood what you wrote earlier. I was just saying it would be cool to talk about our items after the top 32 is announced. I'm curious to know what people like/don't like about the item I submitted (and thought maybe others would like that, too). I've done other types of contests, as well as other Paizo superstars. Albeit, to a degree, I know (and have learned) things through going through the processes, this is not nearly as good as some concrete, direct feedback from peers and other gaming professionals and enthusiasts.
TimsterMon, there is almost always a 'critique my item' thread that pops up not long after the top 32 are revealed, where you can post your item for people to help you in exactly that way... amazingly enough those doing critiquing even tend to be (fairly) tactful on those threads .
|
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
Actually, the biggest things I've learned have been from allowing players to do something that bit me later, or threw something else off later.
I wasn't surprised to see Spell in a Can as an auto-reject. But the reason was different than why I wouldn't allow my players to have one. Sean's reason makes total sense, especially from someone that designs for a living.
But the reason I'd never allow one in my campaign is: it's a reusable scroll. There's a reason that scrolls are single use generally.
Anyway.
Come to think of it, that's also how I learned to repair computers. Get a really bad one and you have to learn to fix it yourself.
I have two items in my keep file. Only two. I haven't voted as much as I would like, though so I haven't seen the vast majority.
Out of those two there is one that I love so whole-heartedly. It is ridiculous, but not a joke. It has a crazy visual and mechanical affect that I love and would very much enjoy to see in a game. This thing is what magic items should be in my opinion. It DOES SOMETHING.
LOL. I'm not afraid of criticism if I'm willing to put it out there, but was hoping the posting rules of the site would curtail extreme vehement cursing and ridiculing! 8')
You will not have a problem there. Year in. Year out. The people who give their feedback do so with understanding. They will tell you what most likely cost your votes and will often tell you if there was an aspect of your work they particularly like.
It is always a great learning thread and you are encouraged to feedback on others who post their items. It is usually started a good week or two after reveal, so that the Top 32 get their moment in the limelight.
Let the winners shine a while is all that is usually asked for.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm glad this thread exists. The other just has so much negativity. I'm guilty as well.
I really want an item like this. It looks so much fun.
A very short and simple hat that I just like a lot. It has a great intro and even though it is basically a feat...I really like it.
Dedicated Voter Season 7
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I would be very interested to hear the different approaches to the contest. These few weeks are going to drive me mad lolEvan,
I'll chime in here (without being specific about my item).
I tried to submit an item that did NOT affect combat. I feel there's enough of that. I tried to go more for a utility item used in general adventuring. I think I've erred in NOT putting a sentence about possible uses, and voters will be quick to overlook it as too bland. I also think I've priced the item a bit low, but I was trying to use the approach of comparing the value of the item vs. others in the games. When I found an amount that made me think I'd take either item, I considered that the sweet spot.
When I submitted my item, I felt good about it. Now, after seeing many submissions, I'm not so sure. I'd like to post my item afterwards to hear where I could improve.
As for voting, my friend put it this way (& I tend to agree): I try to vote for the item that I'd like to see in my home game. When I see two good items, then which item would I like to see in a hardcover Paizo book. I prefer items that I can understand in 1 read, add flavor, and are consistant with game blance.
Good luck with your item. I hope you do well!
Thanks for the response Voice. Yeah I find myself enjoying the items that are not combat orientated. I still rather enjoy my item after looking at some of the others and I'm still hoping others do as well! One of the first things I look at is formatting. If it was completely disregarded then I have a hard time taking it seriously. After that though, the body of the idea is what I look at. Pricing and CL can be taught but creativity is something that is harder for people to teach someone. Best of luck to you this year!
|
Dedicated Voter Season 7
|
I would be very interested to hear the different approaches to the contest. These few weeks are going to drive me mad lolEvan,
I'll chime in here (without being specific about my item).Since you asked I'll chime in too.
This year I changed my approach from previous years. Following advice that can be found throughout the Superstar threads but was reiterated to me in person during Gencon, I began my design with a cinematic visual which I jotted down immediately. Then I imagined what sort of item could give me that visual and wrote down a brief description of the item. Then I tried to imagine what effect in game terms that visual would have and wrote that down.
Each of these bits was clunky and messy but I had something I could refine. So over a couple of days I slashed words, cut more words, eliminated some passive voice, cut a few more words, rearranged the order, added some words which were summarily cut and or moved, worried at the pricing, shared it with a couple friends (thanks guys!) listened to some advice ignored other advice, read it aloud, ran it through Sean's advice thread made sure it didn't have any of the "don't"s, reviewed the grammar, repeated some of those steps, changed the name a half dozen times and finally submitted.
Mostly it looks like it did even in those first moments just shinier. I'm very happy with the results even if I don't make The top 32. In fact I've never been calmer about releasing an item into the wild than I am this year.
Yeah I took to reading as much as I could in the advice forums as well. I went the opposite approach though and decided to work on mechanics first, then tried to add in the visuals around it. I wasn't nervous about the release of the item, I am more anxious about the reveals though. (First year entering btw)
TimsterMon, there is almost always a 'critique my item' thread that pops up not long after the top 32 are revealed, where you can post your item for people to help you in exactly that way... amazingly enough those doing critiquing even tend to be (fairly) tactful on those threads .
As someone who critiqued every item last year, I assume I'll do the same if I don't make it into the contest (though no guarantees). My feeling is if you've put in the effort to submit and ask for feedback, I'd be pretty crappy to be rude. I may not like your item, but I'll always try to be constructive about what you can do better next time.
After the full contest if over, there will also be the 9 Blazing Months thread, which is a great place to practice your design skills (and make some friends).
Yes there are some doozies in the mix, and some copy past errors that have voters rolling their eyes, but for the most part there are a lot of great great items. Many would be fine in a book of magic items, and I have seen a bunch that may have some flaws but also show some promise in creativity that the next round is going to be AWESOME. Even in the ones I am voting down, the more I read them the more i see some potential in nearly all the designers. Not everyone can make the top 100, but I think this year we are going to see a pretty decent TOP 32.
Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!
Some items I've seen would make great module/campaign specific items, but not wondrous items however. Such a shame...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Just found a well-themed and evocative blood item that I like. I wonder if it's the same one others have hinted at on this thread.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's occurred to me that everyone who has submitted a blood item has taken a look at the Rant thread and despaired, and then read this thread and...well, they're now mighty curious if their item is the Mythical Blood Item Of Lore.
2 of my top 32 against one another...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It's occurred to me that everyone who has submitted a blood item has taken a look at the Rant thread and despaired, and then read this thread and...well, they're now mighty curious if their item is the Mythical Blood Item Of Lore.
I think it's a lot like a horror movie. If the blood is used for proper effect, all the better. If you're just throwing around gratuitous buckets of it, then not so much.
Also, there's a utility item that keeps popping up on the voting that's won me over. Adding that pair of boots to my list. No stomping required.
| 10 people marked this as a favorite. |
I posted this over in the Ramble Thread, but wanted to make sure it got seen here as well.
Alright, time for a mini-rant. I don't know how many people will actually see this, but here we go. Please be more general in describing items. If I can read your post and know not more-or-less which item it is but rather exactly which item it is, that could be a problem.
Essentially we are venting over there, blowing off steam so that we can continue in the important task of rating items. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is largely negative and derisive. If you are the poor individual that immediately recognizes his or her item being shredded, this could be very demoralizing. Because they can't defend their item they have to sit there and take what may seem as a personal insult over and over again.
And they can't fight back. Their hands are tied by the rules of the contest. In a way we are having someone hold their arms behind their back while we land a punch to the stomach. Not cool.
Now all that said, most of the criticisms here have been valid. We just have to make sure we wait until after the Top 32 reveal before being more open. And wait for someone to be brave enough to ask for advice.
To those who feel discouraged or hurt by the way your item is being described: please check out everything being written in this thread. It will really help. Also we are in general much more caring of feelings when we actually critique items a week after the Top 32 reveal.
Somewhere in each item is a really interesting design idea that may or may not have been properly executed. It's the items, not the designers, that we are targeting in this thread. Most of us are in the same boat: we have heard some disparaging remarks that could apply to our submission.
It may be hard to hear, but it is not meant as a personal attack. THAT is why we have to keep the identifiers as vague as possible. When we get specific, it becomes personal. I've been reviewing my posts and there have been a couple where I got close to the line. I'm going to watch myself carefully from now on.
Anyways, just my take on it. Keep on venting and voting. Just remember that someone actually worked on that submission and was brave enough to submit it. Have a heart. :)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
+100 Feros
okay I just saw an item that was so creative, useful, visually written, and yet reasonable it almost got me to vote for it before i even looked at the paired entry, thank goodness for the 60 second lock. the second item was great also but it was a the queen of unicorns vs. the best horse ever.
and the both the items fit so nicely into my current campaign.
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm just gonna chime in to say that, from my experience so far, many of the "joke" items, items with rhyming names, or alliterative items haven't bothered me enough to affect my voting. In some cases, I'd even say that the humor was just enough to make the items stick out without taking away from their practical applications. Major kudos to everyone who falls in this net!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I don't keep lists, there is only left or right.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sometimes there is left or wrong.
I came across a lot of interesting ideas and mechanics in the last hour!:)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm just gonna chime in to say that, from my experience so far, many of the "joke" items, items with rhyming names, or alliterative items haven't bothered me enough to affect my voting. In some cases, I'd even say that the humor was just enough to make the items stick out without taking away from their practical applications. Major kudos to everyone who falls in this net!
Most of the joke items were actually decent except for the ones that the creator obviously didn't put any effort into. Even the ones I found inappropriate gave me a laugh. One joke item even ended up in my keep folder.
i have FIVE swirling objects that I just love!
Count With Me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1b-mGb-qJU
|
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
,
Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
I just found an item I had thought was a joke based on the name. After reading the item, the name was perfect and the item is something I think is legitimately useful and would want my PC to own.
Found a nifty item for my keep list that clocked in at under 100 words. It doesn't have to be verbose to be good.
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!
I actually prefer it if they stop while they are ahead. More than one item I have seen has been ruined by that one extra, unecessary power.
Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!I actually prefer it if they stop while they are ahead. More than one item I have seen has been ruined by that one extra, unecessary power.
I'll fly in the face of the SAK complaints and say this...
When I have the choice to buy items I look for items I can get multiple utilities out of or items that solve a problem for my character. Slots and character wealth are precious resources.
I'll also say that brevity is nice for the voters but it doesn't show the judges much of your writing style and they select the top 32. I'd call using anything under 150 words a serious risk and possible misstep.
|
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!I actually prefer it if they stop while they are ahead. More than one item I have seen has been ruined by that one extra, unecessary power.I'll fly in the face of the SAK complaints and say this...
When I have the choice to buy items I look for items I can get multiple utilities out of or items that solve a problem for my character. Slots and character wealth are precious resources.
I'll also say that brevity is nice for the voters but it doesn't show the judges much of your writing style and they select the top 32. I'd call using anything under 150 words a serious risk and possible misstep.
Do you mean a misstep for a character who is shopping? Or for a designer?
In both cases I would have to politely disagree with you. As a player and Dungeon Master I prefer items that are evocative and cool over those that are demonstrably mechanically superior (i.e. munchkin); though useful and evocative is a sure win. But items that try to do everything are not as much fun as something that does one quirky thing well.
For writers and designers, I would encourage elegance of style and economy of words. Simple and to the point is easier to read, and, when keeping manuscripts to word-count is a useful skill to have.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
,
Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!I actually prefer it if they stop while they are ahead. More than one item I have seen has been ruined by that one extra, unecessary power.I'll fly in the face of the SAK complaints and say this...
When I have the choice to buy items I look for items I can get multiple utilities out of or items that solve a problem for my character. Slots and character wealth are precious resources.
I'll also say that brevity is nice for the voters but it doesn't show the judges much of your writing style and they select the top 32. I'd call using anything under 150 words a serious risk and possible misstep.
SAKs may incredibly useful for PCs, but whether they're Superstar is another matter. Of course, a Superstar item must be useful for some PCs in a typical Pathfinder campaign, but usefulness alone won't suffice. A good SAK has flavor that ties the abilities together, and preferably the abilities build upon one another or otherwise interact with each other.
In my opinion, the best multi-purpose items are such that have no predetermined, exhaustive list of things you can do; instead, you're only given the mechanics necessary for understanding how the item works (and examples, if necessary) and let the players be creative.
I agree on your second point. Cohesion and a number of other textual qualities become increasingly important when you're writing longer texts, and a 100-word item doesn't really test your ability to maintain cohesion, consistency, etc.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8
aka FaxCelestis
|
In both cases I would have to politely disagree with you. As a player and Dungeon Master I prefer items that are evocative and cool over those that are demonstrably mechanically superior (i.e. munchkin); though useful and evocative is a sure win. But items that try to do everything are not as much fun as something that does one quirky thing well.Good item that could be great with one tiny extra power that makes so much sense given your description. You used under half your words you had room to take it to the next level!I actually prefer it if they stop while they are ahead. More than one item I have seen has been ruined by that one extra, unecessary power.I'll fly in the face of the SAK complaints and say this...
When I have the choice to buy items I look for items I can get multiple utilities out of or items that solve a problem for my character. Slots and character wealth are precious resources.
I'll also say that brevity is nice for the voters but it doesn't show the judges much of your writing style and they select the top 32. I'd call using anything under 150 words a serious risk and possible misstep.
You may wish to rephrase, as your implication with this statement is that mechanically beneficial and evocatively sound items are mutually exclusive.
@Wicht I agree with you that superior flavor can and often does trump mechanically superior. For example I'll take a cape of the mountebank over a cloak of resistance 2 or 3 any day.
What I was saying in my original quote was basically there was an obvious use of an item that wasn't covered an needed an effect for completeness. I'll leave it there because I do not want to ID the item but it had almost 200 words to spare.
My favorite items tend to be cheap fun utility items like: quick runners shirt, portable hole, gloves of the cheating apprentice, travler's any tool, or horn of fog. I've pulled countless shenanagens with all of these as have my players (my table is filled with GM grognards we trade off the GMing.)
@Mikko you touched on the most important point, the need to show us that you can write. A 100 word item can be a winner, but it's a huge risk as you left room to doubt you can fill out a word count requirement.