Hi all
One of the things I dont see discussed much by the participants of this competition (this means everyone, not just the winners or judges) is why you decided to enter. Was it just to give it a shot, or was it more?
I'll kick off with my thoughts.
Year 1: I thought I would see if I could be creative in a formal manner and just have a try. I didn't really expect to win, I just wanted to challenge myself and my writing.
I didnt realise how much fun this would be.
Year 2: The first year I wanted to make the keep folder, the designer within had started to gnaw away in my subconscious - "You have so much creativity, time to share it".
I actually started to view freelancing as an option for being creative and contributing back to a lifetime hobby.
Year 3: Desire had now become a flame, I want that keep folder, heck I want to make Top 32.
My skills at writing are letting me down, so I resolve to work on that.
After much searching, I sign up for NanoWriMo for the first time. I manage 22,000 words - writing a book is massively hard I discover, but again I have fun.
Year 4: The writing fu had become a need for writing. I anticipated the start of the competition for the first year, desperate to get started with the fun.
I discovered my technical execution is horrendously wanting. So began the review of the template in detail, preparing for the next year.
Year 5. Keep file is not the target - a kind word from the judges is - grin. My designer need is now accepted and I am constantly jotting things down through the year for NanoWriMo and RPG Superstar. 36,000 words this Nano - getting there.
I create a templet thread and start writing up the technical aspects of the Wondrous Item Template - I find that I even enjoy this, and the beast of a post kept growing (it hasnt finished yet >.<)
There is definitely a writer in me it seems.
Unfortunately, my mojo was buried beneath technical execution - gah - must learn the balance, must allow mojo to shine through
Year 6? I will be back, I am now an active particpant in a practice thread where like minded individuals desiring to improve thier skills share and comment on their creations.
So for me, writing was this unknown aspect of my own make-up that was revealed and grew with this competition.
I don't now just want to take part to see if I can, I have this belief at last that I know I can. As for the annual failures, they have just made me a stronger competitor year on year, so who knows, maybe I can break that keep folder barrier.
As for working at it, at the moment, I find myself wondering if it's work when it's so much fun - and that is a tribute to the community here.
So how about you? What do you desire from this annual odyssey?
For me, the most interesting aspect of RPG Superstar has always been the educational aspect. Participating in this contest has taught me so much about the inner workings of the game that it is simply mindblowing.
I am intrigued by the idea of game design as a skill, and the fine balance between creativity and functionality that is necessary to make a great game product.
So in my case, the motivation has not so much been the prize at the end of the line - the chance to write a module. Rather, it has been to test both my creative mojo and my knowledge of the game.
And now that I have crossed that magic threshold into the Top 32, the motivation is stronger than ever. I want to see how far I can make it, and how much I can push myself to get there. I expect I will learn more about the game these next few weeks than I have in the past may months.
So I sincerely hope you guys like my Sunrise Shawl and organization well enough to let me keep going. Because this is a blast, and I've got a few ideas I can't wait to show you.
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What convinced me to submit was all of Clark Peterson's threads about why you should submit.
My entry into RPGSS took a slightly unusual road.
Middle of last year, I made the decision that I had played my last game of a certain set of fantasy RPG rules. I wasn't sure what system to switch to: HERO, FantasyCraft, or Pathfinder. I already owned the Core Rulebook and the Game Mastery book (I appreciate beautiful books, and Paizo creates beautiful books).
In the midst of that, I received an e-mail from Paizo announcing the release of the Tome of Horrors Complete. I had owned the original TOH when it came out, and always thought it a fantastic bestiary. Since I love collecting large RPG books, I ordered the TOM Complete (which is an absolutely incredible book). When the book arrived, it included a small catalog -- the 2011-2012 Paizo catalog.
I spent more than a little time paging through that booklet, and in the end decided to climb on board the Pathfinder ship wholeheartedly. The game had me hooked, and it felt like coming home again.
That's about when the announcement for RPGSS 2012 came out. It seemed fortuitous timing, and I wanted to submit for the contest. It helped me to learn the rules better and more completely, and it was fun. And, as Jacob Trier pointed out, it has proven to be an educational experience.
I hope to continue on in the contest into successive rounds. I am eagerly looking forward to the big "reveal" for this next round, and I hope to have the chance to continue competing. It has been tremendous fun and a great challenge so far.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I design heaps of items, monsters, and archetypes for my home games. And tweak some of the supplementary rules. Might as well try to see how I stack up versus the rest of the community. I think I would have a harder time coming up with reasons not to enter. Family and work being the only 2 reasons I could think of.
I am intrigued by the idea of game design as a skill, and the fine balance between creativity and functionality that is necessary to make a great game product.
I find my self similarly motivated.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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aka Jiggy
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Hm... Why did I enter? The idea of advancing was pretty appealing - getting the little tag after my name (I guess I accomplished that part!), being able to tell friends about it, and so forth. The idea of taking a concrete step towards changing my life (i.e., getting some design experience/recognition so I could someday do it for a living) was a strong appeal, though I didn't really think it'd work. (Go figure, eh?)
Even so, if I had to tell you why I entered in a single sentence, it would be because I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try.
Not that I entered (I managed to not even notice until the top 32 were announced this year, despite having run Neil's superstar module last year), but my main interest is education and personal development.
I've run a couple one-shots, one of which I feel went well and one of which I feel was... vaguely acceptable. The latter is the one I designed from scratch. So I don't count myself ready to actually run a game.
But this seems like a great way for me to learn more about the underlying system, practice design (poor adventure motivation was a major problem in the second one-shot), and really ramp up the pre-game skills, while hopefully pushing the in-game skills a little as well.
At this point I definitely intend to enter next year... though of course a lot can happen in a year.
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So, why did I want to enter? In a word: freelancing. It's been a dream of mine for many years now to have a regular job to pay the bills and do freelancing on the side.
Fantasy has always been my favorite genre in literature and movies, and I've loved writing adventures and making games (board games, RPGs, computer games and play-by-post games) since I was little, so why would I not want to do this?
Well ok, I admit that RPG Superstar is also loads and loads of fun! Even if I never get paid assignments from Paizo, I'm enormously happy that I made it this far and learned a lot in the process.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9
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So, why did I want to enter? In a word: freelancing. It's been a dream of mine for many years now to have a regular job to pay the bills and do freelancing on the side.
I wonder if Paizo could pay with store credit? Just gonna turn around and buy more stuff anyhow. Save me money on subscriptions.
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Ok, my story needs a bit of background because my first submission boils down to a difference of opinion between my hubby and myself.
Growing up, my folks were really big on "roles." I was the smart, analytical, dependable one, and my sister was the goofy, flighty, creative one.
I'd been married for almost 14 years when my hubby discovered RPG Superstar 2010. We'd gone back and forth over whether I was creative enough to design adventures and run campaigns for...oh...almost 14 years. ;) He had been the world creator, gm, adventure designer, etc, etc for all of our groups. I was the person he bounced ideas off of. I had done some dabbling, but not a whole lot of indepth design - mostly of the world creation variety. I'd never designed a magic item of any type before. He told me about the contest, but there was only one or two weeks to go. I bowed out by telling him "I'll do it next year."
2011 came around, and don't you know he remembered that statement. :P He was hounding me around Halloween, and I mean nagging me, to put something in. I told him "I'm not creative enough to compete in something like that." The back and forth continued for a couple of weeks. "Fine! I'll do it. And if I make it, I'll never say I'm not creative again, ok?!"
The last time I made the statement "I'm not creative" was 11/12/10. ;)
Now, I do it to push myself. It also serves as a reminder that no boundary is more difficult to get around than the boundaries we surround ourselves with. Imagine...a life lesson from a game design contest. :D
Very cool, Marie.
I've almost always been the GM in my group, save for a few brief periods of burnout, that quickly end as everyone else in the group wants me to start running a game again. My family kept telling me that I'm creative and that should do more with my creativity. So when my mother-in-law (she lives with us so she has to put up with the gaming group once or twice a month) told me about RPG Superstar 18 months ago, just in time to get an item in for RPG Superstar 2011, I went for it.
I'm not going to stop trying until they make me!
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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So when my mother-in-law (she lives with us so she has to put up with the gaming group once or twice a month) told me about RPG Superstar 18 months ago, just in time to get an item in for RPG Superstar 2011, I went for it.
Burning Question: How did she find out about it?
So when my mother-in-law (she lives with us so she has to put up with the gaming group once or twice a month) told me about RPG Superstar 18 months ago, just in time to get an item in for RPG Superstar 2011, I went for it.Burning Question: How did she find out about it?
Hmmm... she "has to put up wiith it -- yet, is the one who told you about the contest?!?
Methinks she doth protest too much.
For myself, I guess I entered because I've always dreamed of being a writer - as in, one who is paid to write. If your definition of "writer" is one who likes to write, I already am - and I highly suspect so are most folks in this forum. I've certainly seen some fine examples here. ;)
But to make a living - or even an occasional paycheck -- at it, sounds just amazing. In the words of Groucho Marx:
Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.
And really, I'm just getting too lazy to work.
I'm here because I want to take a real crack at being a freelance game designer. I'm at a point in my life and career where I can lift my head up from the day-to-day and look for what I love, look for what ignites my passion. Turns out it's roleplaying, and storytelling, and the craft of gaming. I don't expect freelancing to provide all my income any time soon (and quite possibly never), but I want it as part of my life and as part of what I do.
So this is one way in. I hope to make it all the way in RPGSS, and I'll work hard to make that happen. At the same time I recognise that I might not advance to the end - heck, I might not make it past this round of voting. If that happens, then I'll submit to PFS, and I'll join Open Design, and I'll explore other avenues.
But this is first, best, shot.
So when my mother-in-law (she lives with us so she has to put up with the gaming group once or twice a month) told me about RPG Superstar 18 months ago, just in time to get an item in for RPG Superstar 2011, I went for it.Burning Question: How did she find out about it?
I had the exact same question come to mind!
So when my mother-in-law (she lives with us so she has to put up with the gaming group once or twice a month) told me about RPG Superstar 18 months ago, just in time to get an item in for RPG Superstar 2011, I went for it.Burning Question: How did she find out about it?Hmmm... she "has to put up wiith it -- yet, is the one who told you about the contest?!?
Methinks she doth protest too much.
Put up with it is probably not the best way of describing it. She likes having our friends over to talk with them and enjoys cooking for people. She is usually listening in on the game from either the kitchen or the spare bedroom and will jump in with snarky comments. We've yet to convince her to actually sit down with us and join, but she pays enough attention to what is going on in the games to know what our characters look like. She was online buying miniatures for my wife and that's how she found out about Superstar.
She sounds like she might be the best mother-in-law ever, Alkwraith.
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What convinced me to submit was all of Clark Peterson's threads about why you should submit.
Woo hoo! It worked!
Steve, thanks for saying that.
I hope you felt it was worthwhile to submit an item to the contest.
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I've been around these boards since the old magazine days (I think my first post was in 2006), but somehow I managed to never enter into RPG Superstar until this year. Of course I've known about it, but I never really thought anybody would be interested in my ideas.
I credit some great people on these boards for actually taking interest in my ideas and encouraging me to contribute more. (Especially the players in my Ravenloft PbP, who are all stellar.)
My item didn't make it, mostly because I didn't pay enough attention to plugging holes in the mechanics, but if anything it's only increased my desire to prove myself in future years.
That's the spirit!
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I already stated my reasons for entering the contest, but there's something that occurred to me only after I was told I made the top 32.
During these five of RPG Superstar, I've written a whole lot of material based on the judges' advice, feedback and things I've figured out myself. It's stuff like heuristics and checklists for wondrous item analysis, and theories about and methods for "escaping the SIAC and SAK traps", and so on. Considering I made it into the "top 36" last year and top 32 this year, I guess I have also successfully applied those methods in my wondrous item designs.
So, it occurred to me that maybe this opportunity will enable me to raise awareness of RPG Superstar and the Pathfinder RPG here in Finland. I could share my ideas and theories, and hopefully also learn something in the process. And so, I already kind of promised to hold a workshop about wondrous item design at an RPG convention in the summer... :)