Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
An adventure made sense back in 2008, when Paizo was mostly "the adventure company" and needed to find freelancers they could tap for Adventure Paths.
But Paizo publishes fewer modules now (and has doubled the size) and after this year will have seven years of winners, runners-up, and trusted freelancers to draw on for APs. Winning RPG Superstar is less a doorway into the industry as follow-up work is sparser.
How about being able to pitch write a Player Companion instead?
Player Companions the same size as the modules used to be, and Paizo publishes twelve a year and likely needs good ideas to keep the line interesting. Writing a good Players' Companion involves much more diverse talent, potentially involving flavour text, feats, world lore, magic items, and more; a Player Companion shows off more of an author's range. And it grows a different pool of freelancers for Paizo and other companies to draw from.
Thoughts?
Considering how many winners have gone on to do other work besides modules, I'm not sure there is any particular need to change it up.
Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
|
By having one module per year be allocated to the winner of RPGSS, it frees up someone else (a freelancer or staff member) to do another project ... say, write a player companion. While the number of modules has shrunk due to the increase in the module size, between the modules, APs and PFS scenarios, there is still a good amount of adventure material being produced.
To say "follow-up work is sparser" seems a bit of an assumption. Do you have anything to back up the claim?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I venture to say that it's because adventures form the backbone of Paizo's business, from the Adventure Paths to Modules to Pathfinder Society Scenarios. Finding a good adventure author is harder to find than someone who can write feats, lore, or class archetypes.
An adventure made sense back in 2008, when Paizo was mostly "the adventure company" and needed to find freelancers they could tap for Adventure Paths.
But Paizo publishes fewer modules now (and has doubled the size) and after this year will have seven years of winners, runners-up, and trusted freelancers to draw on for APs. Winning RPG Superstar is less a doorway into the industry as follow-up work is sparser.
How about being able to pitch write a Player Companion instead?
Player Companions the same size as the modules used to be, and Paizo publishes twelve a year and likely needs good ideas to keep the line interesting. Writing a good Players' Companion involves much more diverse talent, potentially involving flavour text, feats, world lore, magic items, and more; a Player Companion shows off more of an author's range. And it grows a different pool of freelancers for Paizo and other companies to draw from.
Thoughts?
Even though a RPG Superstar would have proved their chops in the contest, there is always the risk that they would fail to deliver the adventure manuscript on time. As the winner is supposed to be new talent, this would be a big risk on Paizo's part. By making it an adventure, little is lost if that were to happen since no future products rely on it.
I also imagine that a Player Companion must be planned well in advance and cleared with the right individuals to ensure that it expands the game in the direction the company wants to take it. Only established designers with a track record of delivering work on time would be trusted with this kind of work. Small parts might be given to freelancers but that wouldn't be a very sexy prize for the RPG Superstar or give them a chance to shine.
I venture to say that it's because adventures form the backbone of Paizo's business, from the Adventure Paths to Modules to Pathfinder Society Scenarios. Finding a good adventure author is harder to find than someone who can write feats, lore, or class archetypes.
It also taps into the desire of all us who want to write the next big adventure, move over temple of elemental evil, wave adios tomb of horrors, we have you beaten now!
|
Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
Considering how many winners have gone on to do other work besides modules, I'm not sure there is any particular need to change it up.
To say "follow-up work is sparser" seems a bit of an assumption. Do you have anything to back up the claim?
While 2010 Matt Goodall has gone on to do a lot, 2011 Sam Zeitlin has not done much. 2012 Mike Welham has some earlier credits but doesn't seem tapped to do much future Paizo work.
I venture to say that it's because adventures form the backbone of Paizo's business, from the Adventure Paths to Modules to Pathfinder Society Scenarios. Finding a good adventure author is harder to find than someone who can write feats, lore, or class archetypes.
True, but it could be argued that Paizo has enough adventure authors already. And as the Pathfinder grows in prominence, it seems risky to put an AP volume in the hands of someone who only wrote a 32-page adventure.
And now that PFS is becoming the biggest Organized Play campaigns in the hobby, attracting authors for that who know the campaign and nuances of what makes a good PFS Scenario should be easier.And one of the goals of the contest is to help push new talent into the industry. But fewer 3rd Party Products focus on adventures.
Remember, Paizo's not the only company around, though. Mike's getting work from 3PPs too (I think it's Raging Swan that's got something from him coming out as its first 2014 product?).
And Sam may not want to be doing a lot of freelancing. Sure, I'd love to get work from Paizo, but I don't know if I'd be as prolific as Neil or Jim Groves, for example.
|
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
I think there's two audiences going on here though and that makes changing the prize a little problematic. They both overlap significantly, and some people are firmly rooted in both, but that doesn't change the fact that both exist and have different priorities.
The extremes are:
1. Those that use nothing but modules. These are going to be cautious about buying player supplements that do not affect official modules and/or correspond directly to their race and class.
2. Those that would never dream of buying a module. They buy supplements. At the extreme of this one, they won't even buy Golarian supplements because it's not their world.
The common factor for most becomes the modules I think. I get them for resources even if my players will never play them. I can pull an encounter up rapidly if I need one and it will even have appropriate treasure. Without official numbers, I'll admit, I'm guessing on this.
That's not to say that Paizo doesn't make money off supplements and that they are not important, but I'd guess they make the most money off modules.
That said, looking at the contest shows some interesting skills that culminate with, but are not limited to, writing a module. You have to have the skills to write supplemental material to get that far. But it would be hard for Paizo to reverse their thinking and view anything other than a module as being the big prize.
All that said (yes, I talk too much), I wouldn't mind seeing a contest that built up to different opportunities. I just don't see it as being part of their thinking. That doesn't mean that third party publishers are exempt from creating something that does that. I'd be happy to try, but I doubt I have the clout. =P
It would be cool to have starvation games regathering of past winners to each contribute a chapter to a full path with the new one doing the pitch...
|
Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
I don't mean to belittle the contest. I enter every year and while I'm not a star voter yet I hope to be soon (Darn parenthood and needy toddlers).
I just wonder if adventure modules are still the way to go.
Paizo is "The Adventure Company." But they've moved to releasing three super adventures each year, and those are really suited for exploring small parts of Golarion that in house staff or trusted freelancers really want to explore. Canon expanding tales.
The RPG Superstar Module is really an odd fit for that, not being able to delve into secrets as much.
And while there's the potential to move into APs. Off the top of my head, I can only think of a single Superstar that has made the leap. I'm likely forgetting someone though, so don't quote me on that.
There's currently 31 people with cover credit on APs (out of 84). And excluding Paizo staff, there are sixteen writers with credits on two or more APs. Paizo could release an entire year of APs with trusted names and tap a single author twice. (Or, if Greg Vaughan makes his usual court mandated contribution, three full APs.)
Paizo is also attracting experienced writers now, people with past credit at WotC or even TSR.
Paizo is putting out four times as many Player Companions as modules now. It's certainly a product more in need of writers than modules.
RPG Superstar 2015
,
Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka mamaursula
|
An adventure made sense back in 2008, when Paizo was mostly "the adventure company" and needed to find freelancers they could tap for Adventure Paths.
But Paizo publishes fewer modules now (and has doubled the size) and after this year will have seven years of winners, runners-up, and trusted freelancers to draw on for APs. Winning RPG Superstar is less a doorway into the industry as follow-up work is sparser.
How about being able to pitch write a Player Companion instead?
Player Companions the same size as the modules used to be, and Paizo publishes twelve a year and likely needs good ideas to keep the line interesting. Writing a good Players' Companion involves much more diverse talent, potentially involving flavour text, feats, world lore, magic items, and more; a Player Companion shows off more of an author's range. And it grows a different pool of freelancers for Paizo and other companies to draw from.
Thoughts?
There would be some very unhappy people if that were to happen.
True, but it could be argued that Paizo has enough adventure authors already. And as the Pathfinder grows in prominence, it seems risky to put an AP volume in the hands of someone who only wrote a 32-page adventure.
And now that PFS is becoming the biggest Organized Play campaigns in the hobby, attracting authors for that who know the campaign and nuances of what makes a good PFS Scenario should be easier.
We may have a large stable of adventure authors, but writing an AP volume adventure is a HUGE commitment, and requires working with both developers and other authors to create the kind of adventures that our customers have come to expect and that we demand of ourselves. This is not something that can be churned out in a weekend (unless you're Nick Logue, apparently), and requires sacrificing a lot of personal time to do it. Writing burnout, life, family, day jobs, and plenty of other reasons prevent our normal authors from being able to commit to lengthy projects. Having a larger array of authors to choose from only benefits us (and you), as it allows us to rotate through our authors and give our writers a chance to recharge their creative juices.
As for third-party products focusing on adventures...well, I can speak to that. When I first started this position at Paizo, there was maybe a handful of adventures per year for Pathfinder. Now there are dozens of them—you can find some of them here. :)
To sum up, good, consistent, and reliable adventure authors are hard to find. That's why we hold this contest, to find our diamond in the rough that may just be out of our view and waiting for a chance to shine in the light. :)
Considering how many winners have gone on to do other work besides modules, I'm not sure there is any particular need to change it up.To say "follow-up work is sparser" seems a bit of an assumption. Do you have anything to back up the claim?While 2010 Matt Goodall has gone on to do a lot, 2011 Sam Zeitlin has not done much. 2012 Mike Welham has some earlier credits but doesn't seem tapped to do much future Paizo work.
Note that I didn't specifically call out "Paizo work" when I mentioned winners have gone on to do other work. Many of them have produced material for 3rd Party Publishers and Wayfinder.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
There are quite a few of us regulars in the Wayfinder route too. I have my first encounter design coming out in Wayfinder 10 soon, and this is the start of what I hope to build as a portfolio of past work.
That said, any work I take on is performed while I have to keep a day job down, something prior winners may also have - real life time demands that mean they may not be as active as others.
There are many factors that affect a writers outputs and workloads. For all we know, some of these winners may be working on long term projects under non disclosure.
I think adventure/module pitches give the best start to new talent. They are focused projects that can be restricted by existing lore and world geography allowing the new talent to build their skill on their likely first major piece of work.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I don't think the Prize should change.
I have often wished there were a smaller, more limited scope contest that really was just a fun little thing where winners maybe got a free .pdf and their "item" (whatever the entry was) published. I think when I've said this before the response I've gotten is "that's for Wayfinder/Kobold Quarterly/Insert Your Favorite 3PP Publisher here" -- but it doesn't have the draw of course that Paizo does. One reason is I think it would actually be the nice "fun" thing that a lot of people want Superstar to be when they don't realize it's rounds of competition to get a contract, and might attract different groups of people.
Of course for Paizo to be able to do two contests, they'd need more time and staff and patience and sanity. But I've generally assumed they're all vampire zombie ninja golems anyway... they don't need to sleep do they? ;)
And yes, I KNOW this is not going to happen, and I do not need to be lectured to as to why not. Just wishing aloud.
|
Marathon Voter Season 7
|
The community here is pretty wonderful. I think it could happen. Maybe get a few 3PP on board so the weight isn't so heavy and run it off these boards with just a few blog posts and a logo to click on provided by Paizo. If you work it right, it could start just before PaizoCon and have the winners of the first round announced there.
The key is the resources. RP Games, Open Games, Rite Publishing, PFU and all don't have the resources to staff it or even split the staffing on it alone. But I can spare all of Anthony's time.... er, some of my time to help out.
Same goes for the prize, in addition to the bragging rights, I can't chip in much, but a collective group could.
In answer to the query posed by the tittle of this thread....No.
We can never have enough adventure writers in our freelancer pool.
Never.
I might not have ever won RPG superstar... but you know I am always available, right Erik? right?
|
Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
Player Companions, by the way, usually have several writers—almost never just one.
I did know that. And the new Zoobooks format does lend itself to multiple authors. But there's no reason a book couldn't be written by a single author if it they were truly invested in the subject.
And with three times as many Player Companions as Modules and as many Player Companions as AP volumes - and each with multiple authors - it seems like the sort of place freelancers might also be needed.
Anyway... it was just a thought.
To say "follow-up work is sparser" seems a bit of an assumption. Do you have anything to back up the claim?While 2010 Matt Goodall has gone on to do a lot, 2011 Sam Zeitlin has not done much. 2012 Mike Welham has some earlier credits but doesn't seem tapped to do much future Paizo work.
Remember, Paizo's not the only company around, though. Mike's getting work from 3PPs too (I think it's Raging Swan that's got something from him coming out as its first 2014 product?).
Mike isn't a badger to toot his own horn, but he's done a number of products for Rite, Rogue Genius, Raging Swan, Kobold Press, and Clockwork Gnome, and I know he has new stuff coming out in the Deep Magic (KP) and Christine Stiles' Bite Me! Kickstarters. I'd love to see more Paizo products with Mike in them, but he seems to keep pretty busy with repeat work for several 3PPs.
|
Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
|
To say "follow-up work is sparser" seems a bit of an assumption. Do you have anything to back up the claim?While 2010 Matt Goodall has gone on to do a lot, 2011 Sam Zeitlin has not done much. 2012 Mike Welham has some earlier credits but doesn't seem tapped to do much future Paizo work.Remember, Paizo's not the only company around, though. Mike's getting work from 3PPs too (I think it's Raging Swan that's got something from him coming out as its first 2014 product?).Mike isn't a badger to toot his own horn, but he's done a number of products for Rite, Rogue Genius, Raging Swan, Kobold Press, and Clockwork Gnome, and I know he has new stuff coming out in the Deep Magic (KP) and Christine Stiles' Bite Me! Kickstarters. I'd love to see more Paizo products with Mike in them, but he seems to keep pretty busy with repeat work for several 3PPs.
It is hard to fault loyalty to a repeated publisher.
(I probably shouldn't have used names. Uncool of me.)
Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9
|
I have to say one of the big reasons why I want to do the competition at all (besides the opportunity to be noticed as a freelancer) is the thrill of knowing that so many GMs will be putting my adventure to use at their table. The exciting action scenes and strange scenarios will be played and enjoyed by so many.
A player companion, or rulebook is enjoyed mostly on one's own. An adventure is the thing you bring to the table, and it's the experience that gets shared. Having your adventure published is a true prize worth striving for.
Publisher, Chief Creative Officer
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
There's also this: A Player Companion can involve setting background, feat design, item design, spell design, and other neat little bits.
A Module puts it all together. There is no writing task like an adventure to really push your understanding of the game and how it all works together as a whole. It's the best test for a Superstar.
Lots of people can "fake it" or luck their way into writing a neat item, or having a good idea for a spell.
It is impossible to "fake" writing a good adventure.