Before reveal unusual feelings...

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

I felt sure I was in this year, but alas it was not to be. Hope is a tricky thing.

I'm happy to see many of my favorites go through this year though!

[agirlnamedbob]

gbonehead wrote:

Well, the judges and I agreed on precisely 4 items.

Given that they've been exuberant about being in complete agreement on nearly the entire set of 36 items selected (32 + 4 alternates), I'd say I should take that as a quite significant piece of information :)

I'm feeling similarly. I was actually surprised that I remembered seeing almost all of the items, and while there were quite a few that got me to fist-pump, I was surprised how many of them surprised me. I need to finish reading through the judges comments. I think this is going to be very illuminating.

[Jeff Lee]

agirlnamedbob wrote:

gbonehead wrote:

Well, the judges and I agreed on precisely 4 items.

Given that they've been exuberant about being in complete agreement on nearly the entire set of 36 items selected (32 + 4 alternates), I'd say I should take that as a quite significant piece of information :)

I'm feeling similarly. I was actually surprised that I remembered seeing almost all of the items, and while there were quite a few that got me to fist-pump, I was surprised how many of them surprised me. I need to finish reading through the judges comments. I think this is going to be very illuminating.

Only six of the Top 32 were in my own top list, but twenty of the others were on my keep list. I certainly wouldn't say that any of them weren't good, I guess I just didn't see them in the same light the judges did.

[R D Ramsey]

Yeah, there's some significant differences of opinion between my keep/reject list and that of the voters and judges. In some ways, that's more worrisome for future prospects than not making it this year.

But there's 5 of the top 32 that were on my list, and a couple more that were near-keeps. So...

[Garrett Guillotte]

Of my 38 keeps, five made the top 32. Of my 63 rejects, two made the top 32.

I either didn't vote on or don't remember seeing 21 items that made the Top 32, but I only had about 200-250 votes under my belt.

[Feros]

Well, I remember all of the items that made the Top 32, and only 5 were on my list while 7 (!) were ones that I rejected outright. I've already read the comments from the judges on one and found that it was accepted because they liked the imagery of it in addition to decent (not perfect) design. Interestingly, the imagery was what made me reject it each and every time. So the imagery is something that I will be looking at more closely.

[agirlnamedbob]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who was a little surprised.

Again, not to say that I feel like the Top 32 are bad. I'm digging the picks this year and I'm very happy to see the names attached to several of these items.

[Feros]

I agree, bob. Aside from my 7 rejects, I upvoted all the other items at one time or another. Sadly, 3 of my four favorites didn't make it. The one that did (Cobra-Hood Cloak) was my favorite overall, so I'm not griping about the judges' selections.

I'm a little sad that none of the Jacobs or Epic Meepo made it in. I really wanted to see what Eric could bring to the Monster round!

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Me too, Feros, me too. : (

There's a couple items I have to admit I really didn't care for and that I'm surprised to see in the Top 32. That said, there are also a lot of them that were in my keep file, so it was nice seeing those.

[agirlnamedbob]

You know, I had been banking on at least one of the Jacobs getting in...And I was hoping for Eric/Epic Meepo, too. It's hard because you get to know how awesome these people are and it's kind of heartbreaking when they don't make it.

Though, there were a couple people who I know have been active in the community and also-rans for quite some time that are finally getting a shot, so for that I am psyched. It's good motivation to learn and keep trying.

It is really interesting to see how divergent the voting public and the judges tastes can be at times. Even before the big announcement, I was wondering if the same 32 would have been chosen if there hadn't been voting this year.

[Sean K Reynolds]

When we open up the Critique My Item thread, it'll be interesting to see how an individual's keeps and favorites rank up compared to others. After all, even the judges can disagree on something—so something you have in your top 10 may be something most other voters hated, for different reasons.

[Kiel Howell]

I was about 25 or 26 items in agreement with the judges and matched my keep pile.

But the ones I didn't agree on...boy did I really NOT agree.

I'll be interested in the Critque My Item and especially interested in the next round!

[Jacob W. Michaels]

agirlnamedbob wrote:

You know, I had been banking on at least one of the Jacobs getting in...And I was hoping for Eric/Epic Meepo, too. It's hard because you get to know how awesome these people are and it's kind of heartbreaking when they don't make it.

Thanks, girl. It's certainly much appreciated. I imagine I speak for my fellow Jacobs when I say we'll be back to try again next year.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

theheadkase wrote:

I was about 25 or 26 items in agreement with the judges and matched my keep pile.

But the ones I didn't agree on...boy did I really NOT agree.

I'll be interested in the Critque My Item and especially interested in the next round!

25 of the 32 were in my keep file as well.

[ciretose]

I don't think my item was that great, I have no issue or complaint with not making it. But a lot of items I thought were really good didn't make the top 32 and well...congratulations to all the winners and I will not be making any comments, but I am surprised with some that did instead.

I would love to see the top 90 to get an idea of where things were, but there are a couple of items I am absolutely shocked didn't make it and a couple I am equally shocked did.

But hey, I'm not a judge :)

[Garrett Guillotte]

The upsides of public voting were the incredible transparency into the RPGSS process and the unmatched opportunity for the public to see thousands of unfiltered game-design exercises.

The downside is clearly going to be some public and intense disagreements over what made one item better than another.

There's two things to keep in mind:
* The judges are looking for the best freelancer, not the best item. A great freelancer might not have item-creation or game-balance chops yet, but fluff and flavor in spades; if their item showed that off, even if it fell short on being a great item, the judges will pay attention to the promise as much as the present.
* There's 36 picks and 32 qualifiers, but Clark's already said the top 89 items after voting were quality. That's a lot of applicants for a small number of seats. I'll bet at least one and probably two judges have great things to say about items 37 on down--but the competition rightly focuses on the Top 32.

Bottom line: Participating is itself a victory, and the critique and voters' favorites threads should celebrate the items that inspired the voters and provide feedback for next year.

The Top 32 is a really, really high bar. I've got nothing but respect and cheers for all of them.

[Nickolas Floyd]

Clark Peterson wrote:

See, I'm actually a paladin at heart. I could only tease you because I knew you were in. :)

I got a hunch that I was going to be in when you singled me out to rib me a little, but it just made the anticipation that much worse. I figured I was in, or you were seriously, a really mean person. I banked on the former as I have met very few gamers who fit the latter description. Thanks and I hope I can work on my flaws for the coming rounds and really show this contest who is boss.

[Clark Peterson]

Phloid, thanks for being such a good sport. :)

[Sean K Reynolds]

Nickolas, when you posted this yesterday:

Phloid wrote:

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath. I've entered all six years now and, though I feel this year was by best entry yet, I'm not getting my hopes up...

I knew at that time that you were one of the Top 32 and I was secretly anticipating your reaction once you found out. I'm glad you took all of Clark's teasing in stride.

But I think Clark owes you a drink. :p

[Clark Peterson]

Looks like he was right about this year being his best. Now it's time to deliver!

[Eric Morton]

Of the 84 items in my Keep folder, only 12 made the Top 32.

I'm a bit dismayed that my tastes are so different from those of the voting public and the judges. (I'm not angry or bitter about anyone's preferences, mind you; I'm just dismayed that I operate on such a different wavelength when it comes to wondrous items.) In previous years where I didn't make the Top 32, it was disappointing, but in the end, it was just a single idea being rejected. As a freelancer, individual ideas I propose get rejected all the time, to the point that it doesn't phase me anymore.

But this year, the voters and judges didn't just reject my item; they rejected 72 other items I thought had Superstar potential. That doesn't feel like having a single idea for a wondrous item rejected. That feels more like having 73 consecutive ideas for wondrous items rejected. At that point, I have to wonder if it's even worth trying again. I could submit an item a year for the next 72 years without creating a single one which impresses the voters and judges.

[ciretose]

Eric Morton wrote:

Of the 84 items in my Keep folder, only 12 made the Top 32.

I'm a bit dismayed that my tastes are so different from those of the voting public and the judges. (I'm not angry or bitter about anyone's preferences, mind you; I'm just dismayed that I operate on such a different wavelength when it comes to wondrous items.) In previous years where I didn't make the Top 32, it was disappointing, but in the end, it was just a single idea being rejected. As a freelancer, individual ideas I propose get rejected all the time, to the point that it doesn't phase me anymore.

But this year, the voters and judges didn't just reject my item; they rejected 72 other items I thought had Superstar potential. That doesn't feel like having a single idea for a wondrous item rejected. That feels more like having 73 consecutive ideas for wondrous items rejected. At that point, I have to wonder if it's even worth trying again. I could submit an item a year for the next 72 years without creating a single one which impresses the voters and judges.

I felt the same way, although I didn't keep a "keep" folder. I think I will next year.

I would love to see your list. Others have been posting lists in the other thread.

[Jeff Lee]

Eric Morton wrote:

Of the 84 items in my Keep folder, only 12 made the Top 32.

I'm a bit dismayed that my tastes are so different from those of the voting public and the judges. (I'm not angry or bitter about anyone's preferences, mind you; I'm just dismayed that I operate on such a different wavelength when it comes to wondrous items.) In previous years where I didn't make the Top 32, it was disappointing, but in the end, it was just a single idea being rejected. As a freelancer, individual ideas I propose get rejected all the time, to the point that it doesn't phase me anymore.

But this year, the voters and judges didn't just reject my item; they rejected 72 other items I thought had Superstar potential. That doesn't feel like having a single idea for a wondrous item rejected. That feels more like having 73 consecutive ideas for wondrous items rejected. At that point, I have to wonder if it's even worth trying again. I could submit an item a year for the next 72 years without creating a single one which impresses the voters and judges.

Eric, take a moment and look at the titles posted to the right of your name. You've made it not once, but twice, into the Top 32. I don't think you should be as dismayed as you are. I've submitted items five out of the last six years and just this year achieved a position as an alternate, with an item that is mechanically solid and (in my opinion) chock full of mojo and badassery. Only six of my personal top 32 are in the winners' circle. You've managed something I haven't been able to do not once, but twice. If I were in your shoes, I'd be less inclined to count my losses and more inclined to count my wins. That's the kind of attitude that will definitely keep any more accolades from appearing next to your name.

[Curaigh]

Eric Morton wrote:

But this year, the voters and judges didn't just reject my item; they rejected 72 other items I thought had Superstar potential. That doesn't feel like having a single idea for a wondrous item rejected. That feels more like having 73 consecutive ideas for wondrous items rejected. At that point, I have to wonder if it's even worth trying again. I could submit an item a year for the next 72 years without creating a single one which impresses the voters and judges.

To be fair, by this logic even if all Top 32 were in your Keep Folder the judges would have REJECTED 50 of them. They only have room for 32. But that doesn't mean they rejected them, just that others were better. How many of those 84 would you have lifted to the top (& is that the same as rejecting the others?) You need to think of the 12 they DID accept, & that is a pretty significant average. Also looking at your tags, I think you know better than most what SuperStar is. I'm still pulling for ya :)

Me on the other hand... I feel clueless (but still having fun :)

[Sean K Reynolds]

Always remember that "not superstar enough for the Top 32" doesn't mean "not worth publishing." Many items get bumped from our Top 32 every because they're "good enough for a book of magic items, but not good enough for the Top 32."

The take-away value of that quote is "This item is good enough to publish." Ignore the "but," focus on the positive.

Steven Helt only made it into the Top 32 for the first time this year, and he's written articles for us before.

Russ Taylor didn't win RPG Superstar, but he is one of my go-to guys for every single hardcover book we publish.

Rob McCreary didn't win RPG Superstar, and now he's a developer for the Pathfinder AP.

Adam Daigle never even made it into the Top 32 in any year, and we used him as a freelancer for several years before hiring him as a developer. And now he assigns me articles for the AP.

"I didn't make it into the Top 32 this year" does not mean "I'm not good enough." The Top 32 is (generally) the top 5% of the submissions we get; in school terms, that's a solid "A" grade. But being in the top 6% is also an A, as is being in the top 9%. An A is an A.

And you did it twice (2009 and 2012), that's nothing to scoff at.

[Eric Morton]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to belittle the amount of work the contestants put have into this contest to get as far as they've gotten. Nor I am trying to say I'm not grateful that Paizo has given me the opportunities that I've been given.

But open voting has shown me that I have a completely different approach to item design than the one which most appeals to the Superstar audience. So I am forced to ask if the Superstar venue is really the right venue for me. Instead of honing my Superstar mojo, I could just as easily devote my free time to honing my "not Superstar but good enough for publication" skills and crank out a some additional 3PP products.

It's not clear to me that honing my Superstar mojo is the more advantageous of these two options. I've made the Top 32 twice, and if I keep making adjustments, I could make it again. But I seem to recall insanity being defined as doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results. My results so far have been Top 16, nothing, nothing, and Top 32.

What does it really matter that I'm gradually learning the formula for further Superstar success? The best that formula can do is earn me one Superstar title. And, having seen the expectations of the audience, I know how hard I'll have to work to earn that title. But is that pursuit right for me, or is it just a distraction from my other design-related goals?

Jeff Lee wrote:

If I were in your shoes, I'd be less inclined to count my losses and more inclined to count my wins. That's the kind of attitude that will definitely keep any more accolades from appearing next to your name.

If I were interested in more accolades next to my name, I'd be pestering someone at Paizo about the Contributor tag I'm supposed to have right now. But forum tags don't mean very much to me. My reason for entering Superstar had nothing to do with a titles and everything to do with learning better design skills. But there are other avenues I can follow to achieve that goal, some of which might be better for me than RPG Superstar.

[R D Ramsey]

I've been wondering the same thing, Meepo, for similar but different reasons. I've known for weeks I wasn't making the top 32, from about the time that thread for disliking gory items came up. Oops, misjudged that approach to items. I made an intentional choice there and it was wrong.

But if it was just the one item, I'd figure I'd just adjust the next time.

The bigger concern this time around for me is that not only did just 5 of my keeps make the top 32, but worse, an equal number were in my outright reject pile. That's considerable distance between me and both the fans and the judges. Enough so that I'm forced to admit I'm wrong in what I think is important for the contest.

So I'm going to be sitting down with the 32, particularly those I thought were outright rejects, and seeing what I missed. And then seeing if that's something I can adjust or not.

I think what voting has revealed to some of us isn't that our items are off, but that our own judgement about items is off. It will require some thought.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Everyone has different criteria, from the voters to the judges. Just look at the projects each judge has worked upon. Each have different focuses, feels, and levels of usefulness. It all comes down to a matter of opinion and personal preferences.

I voted more for an item with balance/mechanics and average mojo than I did for a unbalanced/mechanically inept item with cool mojo. I think a core understanding of the rules is integral to game designer and so that was the person I voted, one who delivered a balanced design that is useable without having to be developed by someone else. My favorite items were the ones that were designed soundly and had plenty of mojo. There were not many of those. When I compare my item to my keep folder, I see my item lacks alot of the "OOH!" that screams superstar when compared to most of the Top 32. But I feel it is a good magic book item. Next year I need to channel more Boomer...

[MidknightDiamond]

Eric Morton wrote:

Of the 84 items in my Keep folder, only 12 made the Top 32.

I'm a bit dismayed that my tastes are so different from those of the voting public and the judges. (I'm not angry or bitter about anyone's preferences, mind you; I'm just dismayed that I operate on such a different wavelength when it comes to wondrous items.) In previous years where I didn't make the Top 32, it was disappointing, but in the end, it was just a single idea being rejected. As a freelancer, individual ideas I propose get rejected all the time, to the point that it doesn't phase me anymore.

But this year, the voters and judges didn't just reject my item; they rejected 72 other items I thought had Superstar potential. That doesn't feel like having a single idea for a wondrous item rejected. That feels more like having 73 consecutive ideas for wondrous items rejected. At that point, I have to wonder if it's even worth trying again. I could submit an item a year for the next 72 years without creating a single one which impresses the voters and judges.

I'm in the same boat here--it's gotten to the point where I just don't think I'm cut out for the sort of flexibility that this contest requires. I know I'm creative, I know I'm a good GM, but having such obviously different tastes I just don't think I'm capable of developing things that are what is wanted for this particular endeavor.

Mind you, I mean this in no way to be any sort of insult, flame, or any other sort of negative commentary about anyone--it is merely a realization and acceptance for myself that what I create just may not be "right" for this contest. And that's okay.

[Russ Taylor]

With two nods, I say absolutely take your ideas out to 3pp. Repeating says you've really got some design mojo going on, regardless of the final placement.

Less than 200 contestants out of tens of thousands of entrants, anyone who made that cut twice impresses the heck out of me.

[Andrew Marlowe]

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

I voted more for an item with balance/mechanics and average mojo than I did for a unbalanced/mechanically inept item with cool mojo. I think a core understanding of the rules is integral to game designer and so that was the person I voted, one who delivered a balanced design that is useable without having to be developed by someone else. My favorite items were the ones that were designed soundly and had plenty of mojo. There were not many of those. When I compare my item to my keep folder, I see my item lacks alot of the "OOH!" that screams superstar when compared to most of the Top 32. But I feel it is a good magic book item. Next year I need to channel more Boomer...

+1

Very much this!

[Andrew Marlowe]

Russ Taylor wrote:

With two nods, I say absolutely take your ideas out to 3pp. Repeating says you've really got some design mojo going on, regardless of the final placement.

Less than 200 contestants out of tens of thousands of entrants, anyone who made that cut twice impresses the heck out of me.

I think it impresses the heck out of a lot of us. As does the amount and quality of content attributed to the Epic Meepo screen name (without touching the 3pp credits bearing: Eric Morton). I hope to see you enter again next year but If you don't I certainly understand why.

[Cheapy]

Agreed. Eric's 100 New Archetypes was one of the most impressive things I've seen on the forums. Lots of dedication right there.

[frank gori]

Meepo you're monster design thread was epic, I'd take you as a designer in a heart beat if I became a 3PP (which I might try actually)

[bugleyman]

I am only able to conclude I have no idea what makes a good magic item. I consistently voted down several of the items that made the top 32, and loved a few that are nowhere to be seen. :)

[Eric Morton]

Thanks for the kind words, Everyone.

@Cheapy: I'm glad you enjoyed my archetype thread. You can find a link to even more of my archetype-related content in my profile.

@GM_Solspiral: My monster design thread is far from finished. Also, feel free to drop me a PM me once you've gotten your 3pp up and running.

---

Also, for everyone wondering how well your personal favorites were received by the voting public, the judges have just released the list of the voter's Top 89 items.