The Official Unofficial Top 32 Guildhall

[Tripp Elliott]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Any of these? Dang, I only got one! (I assume the other was Cities of Golarion?)

Cities, Towns, and ISWG.

[James Casey]

I was wondering how I can get my town and state to be listed after my name in the top 16. Is it a setting I need to fix in my profile? I was looking there but couldn't find anything.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

James, did you send the info to Paizo? They added it in.

[Andrew Marlowe]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

So I decided to break away from the grid paradigm with my map, and used a Jackson Pollock painting instead. How do you think that will play with the voters?

It depends, which one?

[James Casey]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

James, did you send the info to Paizo? They added it in.

I thought I sent it with my bio info.

[Joseph Kellogg]

Andrew Marlowe wrote:

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

So I decided to break away from the grid paradigm with my map, and used a Jackson Pollock painting instead. How do you think that will play with the voters?

It depends, which one?

I don't remember, but the playtest sure was interesting:

Player: "Can I 5-foot step into flanking here?"
GM: *looks at map, tilts head* "I've got no idea."

[Mike Welham]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

So I decided to break away from the grid paradigm with my map, and used a Jackson Pollock painting instead. How do you think that will play with the voters?

I'd be impressed. :)

[Victoria Jaczko]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

So I decided to break away from the grid paradigm with my map, and used a Jackson Pollock painting instead. How do you think that will play with the voters?

It'll be a hit with the abstract expressionist crowd. Unfortunately, they're all way into Burning Wheel more than Pathfinder.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

So we've got nice writeups on six of our 10 possible locations in "Cities of Golarion" and "Towns of the Inner Sea": Corentyn, Diobel, Nisroch, Pezzack, Solku and Vigil.

If we want similar gazetteers for the rest, where should we look?

Bloodcove: "Heart of the Jungle" has a couple pages; anywhere else?
Caliphas: Looks like "Rule of Fear" has a full gazetteer.
Katapesh: Looks like "Dark Markets — A Guide to Katapesh" covers it.
Riddleport: "Shadow in the Sky" looks like it would be a better bet than "Varisia, Birthplace of Legends" from what I can see.

[Jacob Trier]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

So we've got nice writeups on six of our 10 possible locations in "Cities of Golarion" and "Towns of the Inner Sea": Corentyn, Diobel, Nisroch, Pezzack, Solku and Vigil.

If we want similar gazetteers for the rest, where should we look?

Bloodcove: "Heart of the Jungle" has a couple pages; anywhere else?

-PFS Scenario #2-01: Before the Dawn Part I - The Bloodcove disguise

Caliphas: Looks like "Rule of Fear" has a full gazetteer.
-Ashes at Dawn also contains a gazetteer

Katapesh: Looks like "Dark Markets — A Guide to Katapesh" covers it.
- The Jackals Price contains an in-depth look at the Katapesh markets.

Riddleport: "Shadow in the Sky" looks like it would be a better bet than "Varisia, Birthplace of Legends" from what I can see.
- That is correct, Shadow in the Sky contains a full gazetteer.

[Andrew Marlowe]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Good Resource Tips

Jacob Trier wrote:

More Good Resource Tips

Thanks Jacob and Jacob!

[Tripp Elliott]

Tick tock, tick tock, can't wait until the reveal Tuesday!

Guess I'll watch some Olympics in the interim!

[Victoria Jaczko]

Yay, they changed your name!

[Tripp Elliott]

Victoria Jaczko wrote:

Yay, they changed your name!

In fact, Chris directed me to my profile, and I changed it myself!

[James Casey]

Hmmm, alright, not to beat a dead horse... (i don't want to let a chwal loose in the guildhall), is everyone able to see my hometown after my name? Is everyone able to see their hometown listed after their name? The reason I ask? I hadn't considered that I am unable to see my own hometown because it is my name and of course, I already know where I live.

[Emmanuel Greene]

James Casey wrote:

Hmmm, alright, not to beat a dead horse... (i don't want to let a chwal loose in the guildhall), is everyone able to see my hometown after my name? Is everyone able to see their hometown listed after their name? The reason I ask? I hadn't considered that I am unable to see my own hometown because it is my name and of course, I already know where I live.

James, I don't see your location listed either, and I do see my own. So I don't think it's that :-(

[Mikko Kallio]

Yep, for some reason, James is the only one whose location is not shown on the main page.

Anyway, it looks like everyone else is from the US. I'm feeling a bit lonely here. :D

[Andrew Black]

With one day left until the next round is revealed...has anyones head exploded yet?

[Joseph Kellogg]

I was too busy all weekend to obsess. I had to set up and play my first online PFS game with my girlfriend, run a PFS game at the local comic shop, go to a bachelor party, then try to figure out a contract before I sign it (Why the heck would both parties indemnify each other? Doesn't the defeat the purpose of indemnification? I guess I need a lawyer after all).

[Jacob W. Michaels]

I'm more busy trying to decide which module idea would be best (I wouldn't have minded having an extra week before having to pitch it to James and one less to do the final R4 writeup, since I think the latter will flow relatively easily once the former's done) and finding a place to get married (Oh, and thanks weather, just heard that later this week you may cancel my THIRD attempt to visit this one particular venue).

I'm sure I'll be incredibly nervous tomorrow, though...

[Tripp Elliott]

I took the time to get my module idea approved by JJ! My plan was to get that step out of the way and not need to worry about it.

Attended a wedding this weekend, so that kept my mind off things. Looking forward to tomorrow's reveal.

[Rich Malena]

I've got some module ideas in mind, but I'm letting them sit until tomorrow. I need a little more feedback before I start pitching fantasy remakes of 80's romantic comedies.* John Cusack is clearly a cavalier, and I might steal the chimney troll for that "I want my two dollars" kid...

Sorry, Portland is shut down from ice and snow, and I'm definitely going stir crazy.

[* Official note: this is a joke. ]

[Mike Kimmel]

Rich Malena wrote:

...and I might steal the chimney troll for that "I want my two dollars" kid...

Approved!

[James Casey]

Rich Malena wrote:

I've got some module ideas in mind, but I'm letting them sit until tomorrow. I need a little more feedback before I start pitching fantasy remakes of 80's romantic comedies.* John Cusack is clearly a cavalier, and I might steal the chimney troll for that "I want my two dollars" kid...

Sorry, Portland is shut down from ice and snow, and I'm definitely going stir crazy.

[* Official note: this is a joke. ]

Suuuuuuree it is... I vote for 16 Candles though instead of Better Off Dead, although I like better off dead better. I really want to see what you would do with the Geek. Of course the Nafligo might make a good Johnny the paperboy. Oooo what about One Crazy Summer? That way you still get to use John Cusack but you also get Bobcat Goldwaithe!

[Garrett Guillotte]

James Casey wrote:

Bobcat Goldwaithe!

A group of good-hearted but incompetent misfits enter the Pathfinder Academy, but the Decemvirate are not going to put up with their pranks. Also starring Steve Guttenberg as Valeros Mahoney.

[Christopher Wasko]

Got my pitch approved by the Big Cheese yesterday, been trying to catch up on grad work after two weeks of pneumonia and brainstorming my actual proposal. Very eager to see the judges' comments!

[Tripp Elliott]

Christopher Wasko wrote:

Got my pitch approved by the Big Cheese yesterday, been trying to catch up on grad work after two weeks of pneumonia and brainstorming my actual proposal. Very eager to see the judges' comments!

Sweet dude! You going with the young farmer being co-opted to save his sister the princess from the dark knight that is his father?

[cartmanbeck]

Question for the masses: especially those who were in previous contests.

Do you think it would be a bad idea for one of us to make use of our own content from previous rounds in the module pitch round? Would it turn people off?

I've got a concept that I really like, and some stuff may fit really well into it, but I don't want to make people think "oh, he must be full of himself cuz he's using his own stuff in subsequent rounds"... ?

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Tyler, my impression is the key part is to pay attention to what people said about the content.

I think the only person who's really done a lot of building on his own content from round to round was Steve Miller two years ago, and it didn't go well in the final round. That said, I think the big reason he ran into trouble is it didn't appear he was responding to the judges (and voters)' concerns, especially as it related to aspects he took into his module pitch from his encounter round.

If you're looking to incorporate your encounter, for example, into the final adventure pitch, I'd probably recommend waiting and seeing what the judges and voters say about it. Then incorporate that feedback into however you use it down the road.

[Emmanuel Greene]

I'm still trying to figure out my pitch. I think I have the end figured out, but I'm not sure how to get there :-/

On the upside, worrying about that is keeping me from fretting too much about the encounter reveal tomorrow! ;-)

[cartmanbeck]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Tyler, my impression is the key part is to pay attention to what people said about the content.

I think the only person who's really done a lot of building on his own content from round to round was Steve Miller two years ago, and it didn't go well in the final round. That said, I think the big reason he ran into trouble is it didn't appear he was responding to the judges (and voters)' concerns, especially as it related to aspects he took into his module pitch from his encounter round.

If you're looking to incorporate your encounter, for example, into the final adventure pitch, I'd probably recommend waiting and seeing what the judges and voters say about it. Then incorporate that feedback into however you use it down the road.

Thanks Jacob, that's exactly the type of feedback I was looking for. :)

[Tripp Elliott]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

If you're looking to incorporate your encounter, for example, into the final adventure pitch, I'd probably recommend waiting and seeing what the judges and voters say about it. Then incorporate that feedback into however you use it down the road.

I imagine some encounters might be more portable and fit more easily into some modules. However, I would guess that most of our encounters and their locations are reasonably set geographically, so if one of the available cities is where your encounter was, then you might be all set to incorporate it. As you'll see tomorrow at the reveal, my encounter isn't in a "legal" city for the module round. In many ways that was nice, as I felt no pressure to link them together, and could just go and do something completely separate.

[Robert Brookes]

So, who's excited about their Know Direction interview?

And if your first question is, "what interview?" You may want to check your email!

[Tripp Elliott]

Robert Brookes wrote:

So, who's excited about their Know Direction interview?

And if your first question is, "what interview?" You may want to check your email!

I've emailed them, and would love to do it, but need to find a good time.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Same here. Unfortunately, I'm at work at all the proposed times. (And of course days aren't much better this week since I'm off looking at wedding venues if the weather lets me.)

[Tripp Elliott]

I heard back from them, and apparently alternate times won't work. They'll let you write responses to questions, 500 words max per question. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time to write that up.

[Rich Malena]

I wanted to be a little more prepared for the interview, so I watched an important documentary on journalism called Anchorman 2. Now I need a trident.

[Mikko Kallio]

Tripp, I may have to use the same option they offered you -- I'm in Europe so the time slots are less than ideal for me. I think it's better to write short responses than to write nothing at all. Focus on the questions that you think people want to know about. That's probably what I'm going to do, anyway. :)

[Kalervo Oikarinen]

Mikko Kallio wrote:

Tripp, I may have to use the same option they offered you -- I'm in Europe so the time slots are less than ideal for me. I think it's better to write short responses than to write nothing at all. Focus on the questions that you think people want to know about. That's probably what I'm going to do, anyway. :)

Just wake up right before the interview in the middle of the night. What could possibly go wrong?

[Joseph Kellogg]

Oh man, this pitch idea is blowing my mind right now...

[Tripp Elliott]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

Oh man, this pitch idea is blowing my mind right now...

2-3 sentences is all you need. Think high level. "Haflings returning the evil ring to its maker and facing peril along the way. Encounters elves, orcs, nazgul, and a balrog."

[Jacob W. Michaels]

I'm down to two pitch ideas. Trying to decide which is better.

And getting nervous now about the reveal in less than four hours...

[Tripp Elliott]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

I'm down to two pitch ideas. Trying to decide which is better.

And getting nervous now about the reveal in less than four hours...

Yep, stand by for radio silence once the reveal comes and voting starts.

[Joseph Kellogg]

Tripp Elliott wrote:

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

Oh man, this pitch idea is blowing my mind right now...

2-3 sentences is all you need. Think high level. "Haflings returning the evil ring to its maker and facing peril along the way. Encounters elves, orcs, nazgul, and a balrog."

True, but I want to develop it far enough to be confident I can pull it off before I commit.

[Victoria Jaczko]

I was crabby and on edge all day yesterday. Didn't feel like I had an idea to pitch I was excited about and was anxious about the reveal. Finally got whacked by an idea in the middle of the night, sent off the pitch, and got it approved quick-like (at 2 AM no less!)

Now I feel so much better. I'm all cool cat about the reveal today. It'll go how it goes!

Interview tonight should be fun. I'm scheduled to be one of the last ones on. Sucks not everyone can participate. Stupid work schedules and/or separate continents!

Tripp Elliot wrote:

Yep, stand by for radio silence once the reveal comes and voting starts.

Ditto here. Well, podcast excepted.

[Robert Brookes]

I submitted my pitch within a couple hours of the rules being released. Once I saw the setup, I *knew* what I had to do.

[Emmanuel Greene]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

Tripp Elliott wrote:

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

Oh man, this pitch idea is blowing my mind right now...

2-3 sentences is all you need. Think high level. "Haflings returning the evil ring to its maker and facing peril along the way. Encounters elves, orcs, nazgul, and a balrog."

True, but I want to develop it far enough to be confident I can pull it off before I commit.

Same here. I don't want to pitch something, and then have to renge when I discover a massive plot hole that I can't repair!

Plus, coming up with the title of the adventure ahead of the actual writing is going to be very challenging for me. Usually I write the thing first and then decide on a title at the very end, once I know exactly what's in it.

Oh, well! Hopefully inspiration will strike tonight!

[Joseph Kellogg]

Oh yeah, I still need a title...

[Tripp Elliott]

Joseph Kellogg wrote:

Oh yeah, I still need a title...

In my note to JJ, I made it clear that what I gave him was my "working title."

[cartmanbeck]

Pitch approved by JJ. (I also have a working title, cuz I feel like that's one of the last things you can reasonably come up with based on how the proposal ends up at the end).