If you submitted an item, give yourselves a pat on the back. Well done!
It takes guts and determination to create, even something as simple as a wondrous item (though some may say it is fiendish in its simplicity and with that I would agree). It takes bravery to submit your item for review. It takes confidence. It takes creativity. Everyone who submitted should be very proud of themselves. Nice job!
So take a minute and congratulate yourselves. The rest is up to us. And you have our word that we will be as fair as three humans can be. Dont stress too much. Last year was a great process and I hope this year will be just as great.
If you didnt submit, for time reasons or family or work or other reasons, dont worry. There is always next year. But for those who maybe didnt hit that submit button because they were worried about the criticism and rejection, let me tell you this: that fear NEVER goes away, so dont let it stop you. With creation comes anxiety and worry and paranoia that what you made isnt good enough or that people will laugh at it. I still feel that way every time I write (Wolfgang probably doesnt, but he is a giant amoung men and we just cant be as good as him). Seriously. So next year, dont let that stop you. Take a shot. You literally have nothing to lose.
So my heartfelt congratulations to those who created and submitted. That in and of itself is a great accomplishment!
I look forward to reviewing the entries.
Clark
Clark,
I'm curious as to what the final tally of entries was! There was quite a pool on the side on that.
Not telling. That's for Vic and Co. to announce in their own time, if ever :)
Contributor
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Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9
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Good luck, everyone! While I hope to be in the top 32, I am looking forward to seeing all the winning entries, as well as those that didn't make the cut. Last year's items were great, and I think this year's will be even better.
Too bad. The payout out for "They won't tell us" is only 2-1.
Thank you Clark
Thanks for the encouragement Clark, it's appreciated. :)
Thanks Clark. Now only 14 days remain until the anxiety brought on by that very fear is removed or validated. lol
Though no matter the results, I know for a fact that my entry was much better than my last years entry. So moving on or not, I can only keep getting better at it.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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Last year I submitted an item as a lark, really. I knew that I knew my stuff when it came to D&D, and I thought my item was pretty cool, but I didn't really have any expectation that I would win or anything.
And then, somewhat to my surprise but certainly to my delight I ended up in the top 32, and I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool. Got my name up there on the Paizo site and everything. Neat."
But then there was the rest of the contest to come and it looked like a tall order, and there were clearly a lot of smart, talented, creative people in the contest with lots of neat ideas, but I thought about it and said, "Why not me?"
If you're in then you're in, and everybody has got a puncher's chance to score a knockout. And then it was final 16, then final 8, then 6, then 4. My hope was to just keep advancing; I wanted to take a shot at every challenge, and let the votes fall where they may, and I did that. I woulda like to win, of course, but Christine did great. And besides, all 4 of us got to write stuff for the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, we all get to be guest judges for round 1 of this year's contest, we have our neat superstar tag on our messageboard posts, and we've all had chances to do other writing projects since then. Christine got the title and it was well deserved, but all of us got something great out of taking our shots all the way to the end.
As the old saying goes, "You can't win if you don't play," so I hope people didn't get discouraged and not take a shot, because you never know what will catch fire and rocket you to the top (or when an idea you think is great just doesn't catch for whatever reason).
I totally empathize with anyone who just missed the cutoff - I actually came very close with two of my rounds last year, turning them in finally less than 10 minutes before the deadline. That would have totally sucked, to lose on a technicality; rules are rules, but you don't wanna go down like that, you wanna go down swinging for the fences.
I look forward to reviewing the top 32 and the alternates that Clark, Wolfgang, and Sean decide on and offering comments and wish everyone the best in the contest, win or lose. It's a lot of stress and a lot of work but a lot of fun and I'm glad I decided to take a chance last year. Let's see whose "just for fun" this year turns into something great!
Too bad. The payout out for "They won't tell us" is only 2-1.
Yeah, but I'm doubling my money so that works for me. I'm not greedy.
Seriously though. It was fun just submitting. Nobody knows me so it was really quite liberating to simply put something out there. And if I'm wrong and there is someone that knows me, s/he is likely a friend and would be very supportive in my attempt whether s/he thought it was crap or not. That's what friends are for (No singing, please. And if you don't get the reference, I feel old.).
And seeing as I was beginning a tangent (and completed), I'll finish now with this. Good luck to everyone out there who submitted. And to those who didn't, please jump in the pool with those of us next year who do not make the cut.
Thanks for the kind words, Clark. And Jason, I promised myself that "Why not me" will be my motto for the competition!
Good luck, everyone. We had to overcome our doubts and find confidence to sumbit. It's a valuable leson, wheter we move on or not.
I'm glad to participate.
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Star Voter Season 6
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Thanks for the kind words, Clark. And Jason, I promised myself that "Why not me" will be my motto for the competition!
Good luck, everyone. We had to overcome our doubts and find confidence to sumbit. It's a valuable leson, wheter we move on or not.
I'm glad to participate.
Actually, believe it or not, being rejected on my item last year turned out ok for me. I won an award in one writing contest, and have been actively (well, as much as RL will allow) entering other contests and trying to get gaming related stuff published. Being rejected somehow got my butt in gear to do so.
So, just by entering, you win.
Actually, believe it or not, being rejected on my item last year turned out ok for me. I won an award in one writing contest, and have been actively (well, as much as RL will allow) entering other contests and trying to get gaming related stuff published. Being rejected somehow got my butt in gear to do so.
So, just by entering, you win.
I'm glad to hear that! And I agree with your comment that you win just by entering. Creating and submitting is a huge achievement that in and of itself brings satisfaction and accomplishment. People tend to focus on just the overall winner. That is a mistake. There are lots of ways to achieve success, and submitting is one of them.
By the way, I havent gotten through them all but I can say that the minimum competence of items this year is up for sure. There are lots of items that would have made it into a book of magic items, had that been the criteria. I cant wait to see how it all turns out.
But let me say this, you guys should really be proud of yourselves individually and collectively. The quality is really teriffic. Dont let that disappoint you or stress you out. It shouldnt. YOu should take it as a compliment. In the top 32 or not, I can tell you the gap this year is much smaller as I see it now between the ones that make the cut and the ones that dont. Which means alot of gnashing of teeth for us judges. :) And dont use this increase of quality as a reason not to enter next year, either. Instead, join in the discussion. Be a part of our thread about the items that we will surely have like last year. I like to think it was that great discussion we all had that led to some of the improvement. And that has to be good for everyone. It means we are helping raise the overall design talent in the community and that benefits everyone, even if it is just your players at your game table the next time they get one of your home designed items and they say, "hey, that thing really rules" and you smile to yourself and say "Yes, yes it does. And it rules because I am becoming a better designer."
I really cant wait to see how it all works out. And I look forward to the input of our celebrity judges down the line.
Clark
By the way, I havent gotten through them all but I can say that the minimum competence of items this year is up for sure. There are lots of items that would have made it into a book of magic items, had that been the criteria. I cant wait to see how it all turns out.
1) Yay, more competence!
2) What, you haven't seen them all yet? Get cracking ;>3) uh oh. Another large batch of B+ items coming our way.
... There are lots of items that would have made it into a book of magic items, had that been the criteria...
Well,... how to put this....
Mmmmm, yes please!
Yeah, that fits the bill :D
We (I guess I speak for all) are also eagerly waiting for some revelations and data too, like the number of entrants, always delightful bad item stereotype list so we can go "oh, darn, I submitted an augury item, I guess there went my chances" and other tidbits of the process...
And I guess with smaller separation on the cut, you are bound to drop someone who would have made totally fantastic entries for the future rounds...
No pressure, guys :)
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Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8
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... There are lots of items that would have made it into a book of magic items, had that been the criteria...
Well,... how to put this....
Mmmmm, yes please!
Yeah, that fits the bill :D
A book of magic items created solely by paizo users/fans? I'd buy 2. One for me and my group.
Kobold Press
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I think that would make an excellent project. Many of the items submitted this year are good ones, both the general ones and some specifically aiming for Pathfinder flavor.
I'm about halfway through the entries at this point, and I admit I'm more impressed by the quality of this year's crop. I suspect that a number of people have raised their bar based on last year's.
And hey, if you have a SET of related items (as I know some of you do), please consider submitting them to Kobold Quarterly. Writer's guidelines are available.
I think that would make an excellent project. Many of the items submitted this year are good ones, both the general ones and some specifically aiming for Pathfinder flavor.
I'm about halfway through the entries at this point, and I admit I'm more impressed by the quality of this year's crop. I suspect that a number of people have raised their bar based on last year's.
And hey, if you have a SET of related items (as I know some of you do), please consider submitting them to Kobold Quarterly. Writer's guidelines are available.
Having a brief glance over the writer's guidelines I noticed this
KQ is taking queries from all Open Design patrons, from subscribers, and from established freelancers in the tabletop RPG field.
Now, I do not really qualify under any of these criteria to my, limited and rather tired, knowledge. With regards to sets of related items, should we just try our luck and let fate(aka Wolfgang Baur) sort it out?
Being rejected somehow got my butt in gear to do so.
So, just by entering, you win.
You're quite right. Last year's rejection made me try harder this year, design better and more interesting item. Thus, even if I don't move forward, I already pushed myself one step farther as a designer, and as a person - and that is a big enough award already.
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And hey, if you have a SET of related items (as I know some of you do), please consider submitting them to Kobold Quarterly. Writer's guidelines are available.
Thanks for the suggestion, although I think it might be best to wait until after the 20th to submit, as my item may or may not still be in consideration.
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Kobold Press
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With regards to sets of related items, should we just try our luck and let fate(aka Wolfgang Baur) sort it out?
Your best bet is to follow the guidelines and send a query. If I already have a similar set of items on hand, I can save you the trouble of submitting and waiting for a response.
Ideally, of course, you should fall into one of those categories when submitting.
While the Slush Pile Monster in the KQ mines is not nearly the same size category as the Paizo Slush Pile Monster (of days gone by), it's still hungry...
Chief Technical Officer
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And hey, if you have a SET of related items (as I know some of you do), please consider submitting them to Kobold Quarterly. Writer's guidelines are available.Thanks for the suggestion, although I think it might be best to wait until after the 20th to submit, as my item may or may not still be in consideration.
Please keep in mind that whether you make the Top 32 or not, all entries become the property of Paizo Publishing, LLC. That clause is in the rules mainly to protect us in the case that we happen to independently design and publish something that some contestant thinks is close to their submission... but it does mean that you shouldn't resubmit your submission to anybody else.
I do know that this contest has awakened my creative spirit. My wargaming table is now covered in RPG reference materials, half finished adventure ideas and campaigns now awaiting completion, proofreading/editing and hopefully submission somewhere.
NICE!!!!!
That is one of the great side effects. Another is the discussion we generate here on the boards. Anything that gets gamers understanding and thinking about design, even if they dont submit items and just take those skills to their game table, raises the bar and makes us all better at this hobby we love.
I love this process. I always wind up finding a rule or reading a spell that I never really looked at before and learning something. I just had an item, for instance, that I was CERTAIN didnt work from a creation standpoint. The CL was too low, or so I thought. Then I looked up the spell and said "well, I'll be..." It did work after all :)
The contest was fun, as I missed out on it last year. I would have to admit, the Paizo fans and board posters here for this contest, its nice to see compliments, good sportsmanship and overall excitement for this contest. Good luck to all and especially the judges as they judge the entries.
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Kobold Press
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Please keep in mind that whether you make the Top 32 or not, all entries become the property of Paizo Publishing, LLC. That clause is in the rules mainly to protect us in the case that we happen to independently design and publish something that some contestant thinks is close to their submission... but it does mean that you shouldn't resubmit your submission to anybody else.
My apologies, Vic, I didn't mean to try to scoop up items from Superstar.
What I tried to say (poorly) was that if you have a collection of items that you did not submit, or would like to put together such a collection for a KQ article, I'd love to hear from contestants.
And yes, of course that means Top 32 folks, but it's not an offer limited to them alone. A lot of good items fall by the wayside in this contest because the competition is strong.
I do know that this contest has awakened my creative spirit. My wargaming table is now covered in RPG reference materials, half finished adventure ideas and campaigns now awaiting completion, proofreading/editing and hopefully submission somewhere.
Not to mention the conversation that starts after the dice, character sheets and mat are put away for the week. You know the one that goes for another two hours (a full hour after bedtime) because "it'd be cool if..." and "sweet why not add..." *grin*
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Chief Technical Officer
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Please keep in mind that whether you make the Top 32 or not, all entries become the property of Paizo Publishing, LLC. That clause is in the rules mainly to protect us in the case that we happen to independently design and publish something that some contestant thinks is close to their submission... but it does mean that you shouldn't resubmit your submission to anybody else.My apologies, Vic, I didn't mean to try to scoop up items from Superstar.
What I tried to say (poorly) was that if you have a collection of items that you did not submit, or would like to put together such a collection for a KQ article, I'd love to hear from contestants.
And yes, of course that means Top 32 folks, but it's not an offer limited to them alone. A lot of good items fall by the wayside in this contest because the competition is strong.
No worries—*I* knew what you meant... I was just clarifying a point.
Please keep in mind that whether you make the Top 32 or not, all entries become the property of Paizo Publishing, LLC. That clause is in the rules mainly to protect us in the case that we happen to independently design and publish something that some contestant thinks is close to their submission...but it does mean that you shouldn't resubmit your submission to anybody else.
I have a question along those lines, Vic...for you and the powers-that-be (like Lisa, Erik, etc.). By submitting an item for RPG Superstar, we're all certainly bound by that particular clause in the rules. But, if we requested permission to have an item released back to us...so we could pitch it to KQ, would something like that be possible...as long as you granted us permission to do so?
I know the negatives to that question means a lot of overhead on someone's part at Paizo to keep track of which items you released in such a way. But it seems a shame to let so many B+ or A- items go to waste, when with a little added tinkering...and packaging with a few other similarly-themed items, we could potentially help out Wolfgang by sending some quality stuff his way. I'd think that could be a win-win for Paizo and KQ by drawing out the synergy and publicity of RPG Superstar. Again, only so long as the legal ramifications could be worked out...
Maybe something for RPG Superstar 2010?
--Neil
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Chief Technical Officer
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I know the negatives to that question means a lot of overhead on someone's part at Paizo to keep track of which items you released in such a way.
This is correct. Also, even though we have no current plans to release a compilation of RPGSuperstar material, people keep asking us to do so... and it would be sad if some of the better ones were unavailable if we wanted them.
I know the negatives to that question means a lot of overhead on someone's part at Paizo to keep track of which items you released in such a way.This is correct. Also, even though we have no current plans to release a compilation of RPGSuperstar material, people keep asking us to do so... and it would be sad if some of the better ones were unavailable if we wanted them.
Can i add my voice to the chorus who want a superstar collection please :)
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9
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Can i add my voice to the chorus who want a superstar collection please :)I know the negatives to that question means a lot of overhead on someone's part at Paizo to keep track of which items you released in such a way.This is correct. Also, even though we have no current plans to release a compilation of RPGSuperstar material, people keep asking us to do so... and it would be sad if some of the better ones were unavailable if we wanted them.
Erik Mona started this thread asking about future books in the Pathfinder RPG line. Chime in over there!