In hindsight...

[Draeke Raefel]

Anyone else have the realization they should have submitted one of their other items this year? After looking at the judges comments and rationales for the top 32, I realized I had mis-judged what they were looking for and should have submitted my first item. Not that my first item would have been in the top 32, but it seems more in line with what the judges were looking for this year.

So, anyone else get that feeling?

[Winterwalker]

Draeke Raefel wrote:

Anyone else have the realization they should have submitted one of their other items this year? After looking at the judges comments and rationales for the top 32, I realized I had mis-judged what they were looking for and should have submitted my first item. Not that my first item would have been in the top 32, but it seems more in line with what the judges were looking for this year.

So, anyone else get that feeling?

Yup. One of these days I'll go with my gut and not my over-thinking head.

[Tom Baumbach]

Draeke Raefel wrote:

Anyone else have the realization they should have submitted one of their other items this year? After looking at the judges comments and rationales for the top 32, I realized I had mis-judged what they were looking for and should have submitted my first item. Not that my first item would have been in the top 32, but it seems more in line with what the judges were looking for this year.

So, anyone else get that feeling?

Yup. I can't quantify it, but I get the distinct feeling that what defines "superstar" has changed markedly, for reasons *beyond* what has already been mentioned, e.g. the overall increase in submission quality. Without pointing fingers or raising a hue and cry - because I'm not being accusatory, just reflective - I think this change stems Wes replacing Wolfgang.

[varianor]

Nope. Because I don't think I had a really good handle on what would be "wondrous". I think I've got a fair idea now and am starting brainstorming for next year. I hope to have a dozen ideas to choose from by the time Dec 2010 rolls around. Hey, that's only one a month.

FYI - I don't think Superstar has changed due to Wes being a judge so much as the format has changed and the definitions have narrowed. I'm not sure that many of the first year's items would win under the new format either.

[Joel Flank]

Well, since I didn't make the cut, sure, I should have submitted a different item! :) All of us should have of than the ones still in the contest!

The item I didn't use this year that I considered I still can use next year, so I might find out if I should have submitted it this year instead in 2011.

[Draeke Raefel]

JoelF847 wrote:

Well, since I didn't make the cut, sure, I should have submitted a different item! :) All of us should have of than the ones still in the contest!

The item I didn't use this year that I considered I still can use next year, so I might find out if I should have submitted it this year instead in 2011.

Lol... What I kind of meant was that from the judges comments it looked like they were looking for something different this year than what you submitted. I've noticed while looking through the previous years and comparing them that the judges expectations and wants change year to year. What might have gotten you a rejection one year might be included in the top 32 the next year. All entries are subjective and each year represents a different look at where the judges are as well as where the contestants are. The general mood and judge disposition is going to change.

One year mojo might be rated slightly higher than mechanics, fluff tolerance can be increased or decreased, the judges idea of what a cool item is can change based on popular culture and what they individually have worked on over the previous year. I think you'll notice trends each year in the submissions. And those trends change year to year.

It wasn't so much a question of "wow, I didn't make. i really should have put in that other item that has similar flavor/writing style as the one I submitted". It was more of a "wow, based on what the judges seemed to be leaning toward this year, I really should have submitted that other item that seemed more in line with what they wanted."

[Telhuine]

We can certainly learn from the past and from the helpful feedback from the judges and our peers. I am not ashamed of my entry, nor the fact that I did not progress to the next round.

I didn't learn of the contest until about a week or two before the deadline. Had I had more time, I would have put more thought into what I was creating. I have a feeling that my item was viewed as an 'in a can' item - though I haven't received feedback on my item yet to confirm this feeling.

And, while not having a full version of the PF core rulebook didn't kill me (I'm pretty sure at least), I do plan on picking it up this year in anticipation of being able to create a more tightly constructed, relevant item next year.

[Eric Morton]

I did notice that the definition of "spell in a can" did a complete 180 this year.

Last year: "Sure cape of the mountebank is in the core rules, but a spell in a can like that isn't Superstar enough."

This year: "Sure, this item is like a spell in a can, but it's flavorful and Superstar like a cape of the mountebank."

[That Old Guy]

I, in hindsight, realize that I was sloppy and lazy and dashed off something that I should have placed more importance on.

Next year, though...

[Fuelharp]

I knew the 2nd week in mine wasn't going to be selected... it really had more to do with a distinct feel over what Clark was saying in the forums on this years contest, and after I re-read some of last years and the year before, it was really quite apparent mine wasn't going to cut it. There's a few reason why I say that, but I'll keep them to myself, you can gauge the temperature of the judges quite easily based on the forum posts if you go through some of their posts elsewhere on the forums, and the contests from the last 2 years as well.

Had I waited, I wouldn't have submitted mine, and would have come up with something FAR different.

[Clark Peterson]

Tom Baumbach wrote:

Yup. I can't quantify it, but I get the distinct feeling that what defines "superstar" has changed markedly, for reasons *beyond* what has already been mentioned, e.g. the overall increase in submission quality. Without pointing fingers or raising a hue and cry - because I'm not being accusatory, just reflective - I think this change stems Wes replacing Wolfgang.

Well, certainly each judge is different. But so, too, is each pool of contestants. Year 1's submissions were way different than this year's.

I can tell you very clearly--the change in judges didnt change the result.

I am very familiar with what Wolfgang liked and didnt like. So I can tell you for sure that there is NOT a batch of items that would have been kept by Wolfgang, for instance, but weren't this year. The ranking of the keepers into the top 32 may change slightly with different judges, but I think we all see that "top group" pretty similarly.

Let's put it this way, having worked with Wolf for 2 years, I can't see him keeping any of the alts over our top 32, let alone keeping any of the items we rejected.

[Clark Peterson]

The first year was way more mojo, since most of the items had real significant issues. But that says more about the overall applicant pool than it does about how we were judging. But I can see that that might make it look like "things have changed since season 1."

[Sean K Reynolds]

And last year used the Beta, whereas this year uses the PFRPG, and people have had more time--and a hardback book--to browse and familiarize themselves with the new rules. So it's fair to plonk some entries for easily-avoided mistakes.

[Charles Evans 25]

Draeke Raefel wrote:

Anyone else have the realization they should have submitted one of their other items this year? After looking at the judges comments and rationales for the top 32, I realized I had mis-judged what they were looking for and should have submitted my first item. Not that my first item would have been in the top 32, but it seems more in line with what the judges were looking for this year.

So, anyone else get that feeling?

I more have a feeling that I shouldn't have entered any item at all, but if you're looking for tips, I think, with hindsight, entering 'Iomedae's lotus hourglass of screaming monkey doom' as soon as the contest opened should have been a winner. By the time that Christmas rolled around, all three judges would have been so nostalgic for it, that it would have been a shoo-in.

Of course now that I have outlined this tactic the judges will be on guard for it and it won't work next year. You'll need to amend it to entering 'Iomedae's cherry-blossom hourglass of dandelion monkeys' mid-way through day two. That should do the trick. ;)