Hodge Podge's page

I'm excited to see everyone's work. Ooh lordy!

Hey guys, I haven't been available much, but I've been checking in periodically!

I just want to say you've got this! Keep going! Two hours and you can rest! GO GO GO!

Hey everybody! It looks like we have a deserving top 16! Congratulations!

About things on my end:
I had an ill-timed business trip, so I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked on the entire map making process. I was already too invested in the map by the time I realized I was getting too visually detailed with not enough meat. It would have riled people's sensitivities to have a weird mix of artistic and crude, so I just kept going on the path I found myself on to make things look as good as possible.

I'm pretty relieved though. I'm still on my trip, and I would probably would not have had the time or resources to make a proper monster.

So thus ends the saga of Chris as an RPGSS contestant! I'll stick around and participate in discussion, but I'm going to try taking my time and designing well thought out content on my own from now on.

I have limited internet while I'm here, so I'll check back in on the 24th when I get back. I expect some good monsters! Good luck and fight on! :)

Hey folks, my name is Chris. Sorry for not being around much! I have been gearing up for a horribly timed three-week work trip to Japan, so it's tough to juggle everything. (Still excited! I leave Monday! Ack!)

I've been following and participating in the contest for a while. I guess my main motivation in previous years has been for fun and because, "heck, why not give it a go?"... I always seem to forget how hair-pullingly, non-sleepingly tough it can get.

I am the sort of person who starts off strong and kind of trails off into mediocrity as life and fatigue creep in. So that is my main challenge. In any case, I am hungering to give it my all and try to win it. I have decided this season will be my last attempt before just going ahead and doing professional game design on my own, so that should be a good motivator!

Uh, not to get too serious though. I still do it mostly for fun. :)

Aaaannd submitted. Jeebus, that was close.

I hate maps.

I hate maps, and anyone who has ever made or looked a map.

... sorry for being MIA. >:(

why on earth where you working on that before your map was due in?

Because my map was already done. ;)

... uh, ish.

I really liked this one. I guess it really just breaks down to:
- +2 sling
- +2 buckler
- Light cantrip

But you pulled it together with a cool image, and it became something more! That simplicity plus flavor is what makes a good item in my mind.

Congrats and welcome! :)

Congrats, Chris. Are you the first quad contestant?

... Now that you mention it, I think I am. I think most three-timers get good enough to reach the top 8 and disqualify themselves.

Also, I'm going to take your tactic next year of bemoaning my item's many faults and how embarrassed I am about it -- it's worked for you two years in a row now! ;)

Now, now. Don't try to be as annoying as me. :p

I knew this would make it. I think I saw it about three times and always upvoted it!

You had me at the dagger bit. Totally makes sense, and shows how items do best when the mechanics are a natural result of the premise.

Congrats, and welcome! :)

I never saw this when voting, but I love the idea! I imagine the letters skittering their way across the table with their little arms and serifs as if they were horribly deformed bugs.

Welcome and good luck! :)

Thanks for the feedback everybody (especially Arianwen, great points!).

Here's a rewrite. Wow! Holy saved wordcount!

And some notes on the item's creation:

THANK YOU EVERYONE. I thought I really shot myself in the foot, but I am humbled that you liked this one. I really, REALLY promise to give it my all this year.

----

More on that mistake:

Ehehe. Oops.

The real tragedy is that I had "Strength" check all the way up until the final iteration, then I patted myself on the back for catching that "omission" of Athletics. Argh.

Some things on my radar for the rewrite (I'll post it after work):
- General tightening up.
- Price adjustment (this is a tad cheap)
- Possible spell change (Plant Growth might not work if this is a dead log...)

Neil, no slacking! We need some more juicy taunts to help us last for the next... 17.5 hours!

I accept your apology... IF you agree to have the judges post vague taunting jibes about the top 32 for the next 22 hours. :3

Concise and awesome. :)

I think that for me personally this has been the most enjoyable season yet. You're all great to talk to and worry with.

Folks in the culled group: Do not fret. Please stick around, enjoy the contest, and learn for next year!

Those who survived: Right now we are all schrödinger's cat. At this moment, we've all both supped the sweet air of victory and eaten bitter humble pie. Both are equally likely at this point, so remember how they taste. :)

The colors are actually for easy visual reference:
- Green: seen today
- Yellow: seen yesterday
- Gray or white: seen earlier

This year, I am pretty streamlined:
1) Read the title and description block, ignore everything else.
2) Is it both easy to understand and evocative? Or instead am I getting inexplicably frustrated and having to re-read it several times? Is it a cool idea? Is it easy for the player and GM to implement in-game? Go with my gut.
3) If it's a tie, use the stuff I ignored earlier as a tie-breaker.

Point being:
You can teach the formatting and finer details. It's harder to find cool ideas, clear yet evocative writing, and solid mechanical understanding.

I hope the judges comment on the top 100, actually. That'd be nice. :3

Okie dokie, thank you for the clarification then! :)

I admit that I have never used a flip mat...

Hi Owen, I just want to reiterate my question from the other day:

I glanced through previous questions, but didn't see this one. Let me know if I am being redundant.

The rules calls for a 24x30 grid and for 72 ppi, and says that translates to 1728 x 2160. What it doesn't say is that that is the strict maximum size allowed for the image itself.

My question is: Are we allowed to leave a little breathing room around the sides to keep the grid from going right up to the edge of the image? Just for visual purposes, really.

Thanks!

I glanced through previous questions, but didn't see this one. Let me know if I am being redundant.

The rules calls for a 24x30 grid and for 72 ppi, and says that translates to 1728 x 2160. What it doesn't say is that that is the strict maximum size allowed for the image itself.

My question is: Are we allowed to leave a little breathing room around the sides to keep the grid from going right up to the edge of the image? Just for visual purposes, really.

Thanks!

Well, it looks like there is a consistent ~82% retention rate on each cull after the first. If there are one or two more culls we should end up with 250 or 205, respectively.

Then the judges will confirm the top 32, I guess.

Still alive...

Come on my dear, deeply flawed, helpless little item. Let your charm shine through and keep on running towards that light!

Thanks! Missed that on the first couple read-throughs. :p

Exciting! I'll start drawing tonight. Just in case...

In what way do we submit the 50-word descriptive text?

Reminds me of this and this.

Aww, you remembered. I was thinking the same thing! :)

Yes, item. Feast on the remains of your fallen brethren. Grow big and fat and strong... >:3

I'm expecting there to be about 300-350 after this cull, guesstimating an 80% retention rate each time.

That means everyone left has about a 10% chance of being in the top 32!

No sightings of my item on the list yet. :|

Hah! I had a "feel it in me bones" sort of thing going on yesterday, but was puzzled when no cull was announced.

But dem bones never lie! :D

Okay everyone. I'm actually being serious when I say we should deep six this line of conversation.

Dear pretty shield. I love your ease of use and lack of abstraction. Your mechanic shows the elegance that comes along with not using numbers all willy-nilly.

Shield, you complete me. :)

There will be helm to pay...

Whale sea weather oar knot this wheel conch-inue...

I hear Dieben is wanted across three planes of existence for a hefty reward of 2 gp.

This thread is halibut the puns lately...

I've got a cough and fever, I think I feel a "culled" coming on later today... :3

I thought that the number of items had been reduced again, but then I realized it was nautical.

I regret going to a different place for lunch today, because they had...

...no croquettes.

Okay, I'm going to post my first snark:

Designers, stop saying that your item "appears" to look like what it is. It seriously weakens the impact you are trying to create. Instead of "This blade appears to be slimy" say "A glistening ooze sloughs thickly from the surface of this blade".

Furthermore, stop relying on visual description alone! We have at least four other senses to titillate that most items barely cover. A tactile or auditory description can be really powerful.

Starting the day off with an item over word count, submitting at 300 words is just dangerous!

I think every one of my entries has been at or within 5 words of 300. Just can't help myself. :p

Phew! Still haven't seen my item, but it looks like it's still rolling around in there.

How many culls are they doing in total? Worry worry... -_-;

I regret not proposing to the love of my life... Nora Gretzky.

No regrets. Nor egrets.

On repeat.

Hah, still there! Take that, snarkers! >:3

Phew! Survived after all. The roller coaster never gets easier, folks!

I made a pretty silly (but possibly DQ-worthy) mistake, so I'm thinking I got DQ'd. :p

The snark is strong this year. You people are drunk with power! Drunk, I say!