All votes and selections have now been made by the judges. The Top 32 are locked in. And we've got 4 alternates ranked and ready. After the judges make their last bits of advice and edit their comments, we'll be turning the forum over to last year's Top 4 (and Round One's guest commentators) for their input and feedback. Get ready to rock, people! This thing goes live on Tuesday, January 18th.
Thanks Neil and Mark and Ryan and Sean!
And everyone else, too.
I just went through and hit the Reject button on all the other items that made the Keep folder but just missed making the Top 32 and the 4 Alternates. There were some really good items that just missed the cut. I hated to see some of them go. So, everybody hold your head up regardless of the outcome. There's plenty to be proud of even if you don't make the Top 32-36.
Soon so very very soon.
Marathon Voter Season 6
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Wow!
There have been a variety of active posters on this particular forum over the past couple of months and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of those names make it through to the top 32.
Aside from Sean (who has had his advice and comments consistently picked apart by a handful of competitors) the judges seem to have had an incredibly easy ride through the process [of course if the judges feel the need to deny this: please spill some entertaining behind-the-scenes guts and we the anticipating public will do our best to commiserate]. Seriously though, awesome job and cannot wait to see the what and who of the top 32.
And to everyone else best of luck and regardless of which side of the Superstar pane you end up on, hope to see you participating and posting throughout the competition.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
Aside from Sean (who has had his advice and comments consistently picked apart by a handful of competitors) the judges seem to have had an incredibly easy ride through the process [of course if the judges feel the need to deny this: please spill some entertaining behind-the-scenes guts and we the anticipating public will do our best to commiserate].
I don't know where you got that idea. It was grueling. We were at each other's throats over the tiniest of details. We called each other names. There were veiled threats and we cast aspersions on one another's ancestry. It was all we could do to come to any kind of consensus on anything and it's a wonder we survived at all...
;-)
Aside from Sean (who has had his advice and comments consistently picked apart by a handful of competitors) the judges seem to have had an incredibly easy ride through the process [of course if the judges feel the need to deny this: please spill some entertaining behind-the-scenes guts and we the anticipating public will do our best to commiserate].I don't know where you got that idea. It was grueling. We were at each other's throats over the tiniest of details. We called each other names. There were veiled threats and we cast aspersions on one another's ancestry. It was all we could do to come to any kind of consensus on anything and it's a wonder we survived at all...
** spoiler omitted **
Well's that's good to know. At least we didn't make it easy on you then. :D
And I wouldn't have had it any other way...
;-)
Aside from Sean (who has had his advice and comments consistently picked apart by a handful of competitors) the judges seem to have had an incredibly easy ride through the process [of course if the judges feel the need to deny this: please spill some entertaining behind-the-scenes guts and we the anticipating public will do our best to commiserate].
Hmm reading 800+ (my guess, probably a low guess) x 300 words in your spare time to find the top 32, not my idea of an easy ride. I'm guessing you mean that the judges have made it look easy :-)
Thanks to Mark, Neil, Ryan, and Sean (plus Clark's lurking presence) for doing the hard yards and giving their time to do this. I'm getting really eager to see what wondrous presents the Top 32 have brought us this year!
And I wouldn't have had it any other way...
** spoiler omitted **
Man I debated about opening that spoiler for quite a bit.
Thanks to Mark, Neil, and Sean (plus Clark's lurking presence) for doing the hard yards and giving their time to do this...
Don't leave out Ryan. He is, after all, the "Most Dangerous Man in Gaming"... ;-)
Man I debated about opening that spoiler for quite a bit.
I can't imagine why. ;->
But will you open this one?
I think I would have much rather gone out with bang rather than ... gkkk ...
So now I have to wait five more days with my fingers crossed. Bummer. You have no idea how difficult it is trying to type like this.
So now I have to wait five more days with my fingers crossed. Bummer. You have no idea how difficult it is trying to type like this.
That's what toes are for.
Now that the top 32 and alternates have been picked, I feel that I can now return to my regularly scheduled stress and paranoia that my item just . . . wasn't . . . Superstar. Whee!
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Marathon Voter Season 6
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Aside from Sean (who has had his advice and comments consistently picked apart by a handful of competitors) the judges seem to have had an incredibly easy ride through the process [of course if the judges feel the need to deny this: please spill some entertaining behind-the-scenes guts and we the anticipating public will do our best to commiserate]. Seriously though, awesome job and cannot wait to see the what and who of the top 32.Hmm reading 800+ (my guess, probably a low guess) x 300 words in your spare time to find the top 32, not my idea of an easy ride. I'm guessing you mean that the judges have made it look easy :-)
Just a tongue in cheek prod to get some behind the scenes gossip from the judges while waiting for the 18th now that the results are in. I am just completely fascinated by the process. While from the outside looking in it looks like gaming nirvana, I think the grind of going through 800+ entries is perhaps more the reality.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
This is excellent news. Thank you very much, judges, for your time and consideration.
As Matt Goodall said, thanks to Mark, Neil, Ryan, and Sean for getting us to the Top 32. Like Matt, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see the goodies revealed and adding my own humble remarks!
The light at the end of the tunnel finally feels like daylight rather than the headlight of an oncoming train.
This is my first year and I remember taking a brief look at this competition when it first started a few years ago but I was too nervous to compete. I'm so glad I decided to take a chance and I gotta say the experience has been amazing. While I hope to be in the 32 and continue on in the days ahead, I am looking forward to seeing all of the interesting things to come out of this competition no matter what.
Thanks to all the judges for the time and effort to get us to this point!
Just double checked to make sure I had Tuesday off work :) Even if I don't make it, I'm still going to have a blast reading through the ones that did. . . (and then grumbling about why they were picked instead of mine) ha ha. J/k.
Good luck everyone!
It has been a wondrous roller coaster ride, filled with its ups and its downs. I like the rest of my fellow contestants have been sitting as close to the edge as we can get, trying not to fall, toss our cookies, or just scream out in terror, but to afraid to sit back for fear of missing something.
So I would personally like to thank in no specific order: Neil Spicer, Ryan Dancey, Mark Moreland, Sean K Reynolds, Matt Goodall, Alexander H. MacLeod, Jim Groves, Dave Gross, Jason Bulmahn, Jared Blando, Robert Lazzaretti, James Jacobs, and a special thanks to Vic Wertz and Clark Peterson for all the hard work, time, patience, and dedication you have shown to us the competitors, the gaming public in general, and everyone on these forums.
So good luck to everyone who had the guts to enter this year. I for one know for a fact that this is going to end up being the best year RPGSS has seen to date.
The light at the end of the tunnel finally feels like daylight rather than the headlight of an oncoming train.
This is my first year and I remember taking a brief look at this competition when it first started a few years ago but I was too nervous to compete. I'm so glad I decided to take a chance and I gotta say the experience has been amazing. While I hope to be in the 32 and continue on in the days ahead, I am looking forward to seeing all of the interesting things to come out of this competition no matter what.
Thanks to all the judges for the time and effort to get us to this point!
This is my protege. Tremble Piazoites, tremble in fear.
Chief Technical Officer
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So I would personally like to thank in no specific order: Neil Spicer, Ryan Dancey, Mark Moreland, Sean K Reynolds, Matt Goodall, Alexander H. MacLeod, Jim Groves, Dave Gross, Jason Bulmahn, Jared Blando, Robert Lazzaretti, James Jacobs, and a special thanks to Vic Wertz and Clark Peterson for all the hard work, time, patience, and dedication you have shown to us the competitors, the gaming public in general, and everyone on these forums.
Ross Byers did most of the backend heavy lifting...
Contributor
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
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The suspense is killing me. I'm so glad I have a fun weekend ahead so at least I can take my mind off this thing for two days.
At any rate, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Top 32, whether or not I'm one of them.
Good luck, everyone!
Ross Byers did most of the backend heavy lifting...So I would personally like to thank in no specific order: Neil Spicer, Ryan Dancey, Mark Moreland, Sean K Reynolds, Matt Goodall, Alexander H. MacLeod, Jim Groves, Dave Gross, Jason Bulmahn, Jared Blando, Robert Lazzaretti, James Jacobs, and a special thanks to Vic Wertz and Clark Peterson for all the hard work, time, patience, and dedication you have shown to us the competitors, the gaming public in general, and everyone on these forums.
I think Noteleks put it very well... and thank you too Ross!
I have nothing new to add, except: Thank you judges, good luck to everyone, and even though all of us (although I dare to hope still) not-quite-superstar have to wait a while longer to post our own stuff, I at least propose that we have a huge PARTYTHREAD on the 18th just to celebrate that the waiting is over and get the voting going in style!
I'll bring good-natured whine if you bring cheese, and we will all raise our glass to the stars P!nk style and steal their brilliant items for our campaigns ;-)
This competition is pure gold, keep it up Paizo! /rant off.
I want to thank the judges who are taking the time out of their daily lives to read through every submission and to the hard working people at Paizo and their contributes, without them, the game and the contest wouldn't even be possible.
Thank you!
I want to also say congratulations not just to the top 32 and alternates, but to everyone who entered, past and present (myself included). We overcame our own fears and doubts and submitted an entry, and in my mind, we are all winners for accomplishing just that alone.
To those that do make it into the next round, I look forward to seeing both your winning round 1 entries and your round 2 submissions as well.
Best of luck to all in the first round and here is to hoping Im one of the lucky 32....:)
Thank you Vic for pointing that out, I would like to apologize, and add Ross Byers to that list. Not only has he been doing the heavy lifting like Vic pointed out but I for one would like to also point out that Ross Byers has been very helpful and informative on these message boards.
So please forgive that lapse of memory Ross.
Thanks to Mark, Neil, and Sean (plus Clark's lurking presence) for doing the hard yards and giving their time to do this...Don't leave out Ryan. He is, after all, the "Most Dangerous Man in Gaming"... ;-)
I think that must be a pretty neat experience working with Ryan as well as Sean and with Clark lurking on the sidelines. Neil, you and Mark must be really enjoying that experience. Dittos on all of the thanks to the judges and staff that make this contest an exciting, fun and true learning experience. For myself, it doesn't matter whether my little item gets chosen to be in the top 32 (and it most likely won't); I am proud to have been able to participate in a contest judged by such industry greats as you gentlemen (including Neil and Mark for you two have earned your place with them).
The really awesome part is how many times Ryan agreed with me on assessing the Top 32. As I told him in the judges' chambers, if great minds think alike, I consider myself in good company. And it was also fun to cross blades with Sean and Mark here and there in a few debates. Sean really is very good at identifying the good designs vs. the ones that still need work. And it was educational just having the chance to go through that many items involving the mechanics underlying the game and getting Sean's insight into them. I also consider Mark a great personal friend. I've been excited for him ever since he joined Paizo. And you can tell he's got some serious design chops as well. He brought up some excellent points to consider while assessing all the items just as much as anyone.
So, it's been an awesome experience. And it's only just getting started. We've still got several rounds to go. And I already enjoy working with all these guys. That's what makes this contest so unique and so fun for everyone, including the judges. :-)
Yeah, Neil apparently works on at least two projects at the same time and doesn't sleep since he was almost always the first person to comment on each item. I found myself writing "Concur with Neil" over and over again. :)
I will say that this year's entries (for me) were rapidly sortable into three categories: Easily rejected, easily kept, and a very small number of items where I felt debate was worthwhile. When we're all said and done I'll have some personal comments to add to Sean's advice as a first-time judge.
I think that the longer this contest runs in this format the more likely this trend will extend itself. With the prior examples and the extensive advice available, designers should begin to "home in" on the sweet spot for designs likely to advance, so the Reject list will be populated mostly by people who won't listen to advice, or who don't care and want to swim against the current.
The Keep list is weird and wonderful and something everyone on it should be super proud of!
RyanD
I don't want to just say thank you for all the hard work the judges have done. Honestly, there are a number of people making that statement and have done it great service.
I want to add that I appreciate Paizo staff for creating this opportunity. Some of your participants know how hard it is to break into the gaming industry. Having the opportunity to take a shot out of the blue like this is very encouraging.
Thank you so much for a fun ride.
Thank you Vic for pointing that out, I would like to apologize, and add Ross Byers to that list. Not only has he been doing the heavy lifting like Vic pointed out but I for one would like to also point out that Ross Byers has been very helpful and informative on these message boards.
So please forgive that lapse of memory Ross.
No offense taken. I'm supposed to be the "behind the scenes" guy.
Meaning that if you actually notice me doing my job, I'm doing something wrong.
I don't want to just say thank you for all the hard work the judges have done. Honestly, there are a number of people making that statement and have done it great service.
I want to add that I appreciate Paizo staff for creating this opportunity. Some of your participants know how hard it is to break into the gaming industry. Having the opportunity to take a shot out of the blue like this is very encouraging.
Thank you so much for a fun ride.
Swimming against the current is a good workout ;)
No offense taken. I'm supposed to be the "behind the scenes" guy.Thank you Vic for pointing that out, I would like to apologize, and add Ross Byers to that list. Not only has he been doing the heavy lifting like Vic pointed out but I for one would like to also point out that Ross Byers has been very helpful and informative on these message boards.
So please forgive that lapse of memory Ross.
You're behind the scenes, yet your hair is billowing heroically. :)
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Thank you Vic for pointing that out, I would like to apologize, and add Ross Byers to that list. Not only has he been doing the heavy lifting like Vic pointed out but I for one would like to also point out that Ross Byers has been very helpful and informative on these message boards.
So please forgive that lapse of memory Ross.
No offense taken. I'm supposed to be the "behind the scenes" guy.
Meaning that if you actually notice me doing my job, I'm doing something wrong.
Bah! You always show up and brag every time you remove one of my efforts to troll the people who hate the game and say so at every opportunity. You're all like, "I have removed a post, I am awesome, raaaah".
Of course I'm kidding, Ross. And as I've said before, you can never delete my adoration, try though you might. Sadly, I've found that I simply can't stop trolling the haters, so consider me job security. :-)
Congrats on the billowing hair. I can never manage to get that look right.
J
I too wanted to add my thanks to all the Judges, CoJudges, GuestJudges, Support Staff, and last but not least the community.
If I wasn't for you, we wouldn't have this great contest and the opportunities it presents. (and I say opportunities, because the contest does much more than offer mere 4 assignments to write adventures, it get people to get up and design something, an opportunity all by itself.)
I'm really thrilled to see the Top32 and read the greatest of ideas people have come up with this year.
Each year at least one item has found its way into my game and enriched it. This year wont be different for sure!