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What are the requirements to be a venture captain (the OOC position)?
Is there a proper forum or place to voice complaints/feedback in regards to a currently acting VC?
You are probably looking for this and you'll want to email hyrum.savage@paizo.com directly with any concerns you have about an acting Venture-Captain.
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Regional Venture-Coordinator, Baltic
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Thanks a ton. I find it interesting that rules and mechanics understanding is not a requirement for being a VC.
Hyrem expect an email in a few.
You might say understanding rules and mechanics falls under point 6:
6. Be a Paizo Publishing product expert. Familiarize yourself with all of our product lines and be comfortable talking about all of them.
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In my area, there were two canidates for local venture captain. One had years of experince organizing conventions. The other had business experince and had built up around 70% of the store games in our Metro area and was personally responsible for our metro area being an 'early adopter' of Pathfinder.
Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.
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Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.
I don't believe this to be the case at all, but I guess your regional MMV.
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Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.I don't believe this to be the case at all, but I guess your regional MMV.
I'm in agreement with Mark, we all know he's not qualified. ;-)
In all seriousness though, I haven't applied to be the regional coordinator of my area (even though I seem to act as one for the moment), only because for a volunteer position, its requirements, specifically those centered around "giving up" one's GenCon and/or Paizocon to help out, just don't appeal. I love helping out when I go to those two conventions, but at GenCon I'm not giving up my all the time I dedicate to my board game obsession, and I can't guarantee my Paizocon attendance to make it up.
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Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.I don't believe this to be the case at all, but I guess your regional MMV.
It is what I saw, based on my conversations with the person who didn't get the job. One of those two types of experince was more valued then the other.
That said, I could see it going to canidates based on what was availible in a local area. But basically, it seems to be based on some sort of involvement in tournament GMing and organizing or retail (Robyn Nixon has the title Minitures Peddler for example).
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Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.I don't believe this to be the case at all, but I guess your regional MMV.It is what I saw, based on my conversations with the person who didn't get the job. One of those two types of experince was more valued then the other.
That said, I could see it going to canidates based on what was availible in a local area. But basically, it seems to be based on some sort of involvement in tournament GMing and organizing or retail (Robyn Nixon has the title Minitures Peddler for example).
Well obviously the job would go to the most qualified person, but every area won't have someone of that caliber who can meet all of the requirements. For instance, in Houston we have two extremely qualified individuals but neither of them have shown any interest in an official position.
I was considering applying, but after reading the requirements I can see now why nobody in Houston wants the job. As such, the eventual Venture-Captain for our area will probably not need a long list of recommendations. Supply and demand, my good dear, supply and demand!
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In my area, there were two canidates for local venture captain. One had years of experince organizing conventions. The other had business experince and had built up around 70% of the store games in our Metro area and was personally responsible for our metro area being an 'early adopter' of Pathfinder.
Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.
Did they both apply?
We have a similar experience down here, both I and another think we both qualify for the position. We decided to have only one of us apply based on the fact he has already been in contact with Hyrum, kind of a first come first server thing. Though we are both in different cities we are close enough to be considered the same region in our heads. Though I will have my application in the wings if for some reason he does not get the VC position, either way we will be helping each other out. There is also always the chance even if we do both apply we both don't get it... ;)
Talking to others in Texas it seems the biggest thing stopping people in Dallas and Houston from applying is the requirement to go to GenCon or PaizoCon and volunteering all your time for that. I fully understand why that requirement is there, but it does make it hard.
Back to the OP, though I think a VC should have a good Grasp of the system, I don't think they need to be an Expert of the system, more importantly they need good social skills and Organization skills since both of those are what are used most as a VC.
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In my area, there were two canidates for local venture captain. One had years of experince organizing conventions. The other had business experince and had built up around 70% of the store games in our Metro area and was personally responsible for our metro area being an 'early adopter' of Pathfinder.
Basically, if you want the job you need qualifications of this type, things that take years to build up, if you want to be taken as a serious canidate for this job. If you don't have something like that you won't have a response other then being politely turned down.
That's funny because I had no experience organizing conventions at any level and I don't own a gaming store or have any affiliation to one. I am a police detective.
My application was based off my roleplaying experience and my love of Pathfinder. In the two conventions I have organized since being named VC, I think both were run ok.
So, whomever told you that was most definitely only speaking from their area.
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Heck, I'm an art student who just really loves the game. Do I know every single rule inside and out? No. And if I make a poor judgement call if one of those rules comes up that I'm not familiar with, and someone else -is- familiar with it, I'll always admit my mistake and resolve things with a fair ruling. I'm sorry that the need is felt to voice a complaint (since that's what it seems like this is angled toward) about any VC.
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Talking to others in Texas it seems the biggest thing stopping people in Dallas and Houston from applying is the requirement to go to GenCon or PaizoCon and volunteering all your time for that. I fully understand why that requirement is there, but it does make it hard.
I actually don't understand the requirement. I mean, I get what they're trying to accomplish, but I think it's fairly short sighted.
I've talked to several friends who coordinate volunteer efforts for non-profit organizations and they both stood slack jawed (seriously, one just stared at me) when I told them the requirements for the volunteer position. It's hard enough getting good people to volunteer for something with this hefty of a time commitment, but to tie it into the other laundry list of requirements makes it all a pretty significant burden for a number of reasons. I think this may already be evidenced by the number of open VC positions.
Coordinating GMs, preparing for modules, and GMing already takes a pretty significant chunk of time, but the list of other requirements is pretty extensive. Now some of those things are pretty important, like keeping up with the conventions, and being up-to-speed with the full compliment of Paizo materials, but the ones that surprise me are the ones that come with a rather significant financial burden for the volunteer. While overall it's a pretty darned inexpensive vacation, travel to GenCon or PaizoCon can be considered "too expensive" for a lot of people. Getting a free ticket, and getting crammed in a double bed doesn't quite make up for that expense (at least for some of us). Even something as minor as keeping tabs on all the local game stores can be a pretty significant effort, and with the rising price of gas, very expensive. As an example, if I were to go to each game store in the Twin Cities metro area and spending some quality time networking, I'd be looking at a full weekend at least simply because there are so many, and they're spread out from here to Timbuktu.
I know what they were trying to accomplish, but I really feel, after talking to those aforementioned friends, that the requirements are too tough. The pool of people willing to give up as much free-time as the post requires are already fairly small, but add to that some pretty hefty costs to the VC and you're reducing that pool to people who have good jobs, and have more free-time. No offense intended to those people at all, for I could classify myself as one, it's just that they represent a much smaller portion of the available pool in some areas.
So until those requirements change, I'll coordinate in my area (I'm the only coordinator I know of), I won't worry about the fact that I'm not "officially" recognized as a Venture-Captain by Paizo, and I'll retain my free time at the major conventions.
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Did they both apply?We have a similar experience down here, both I and another think we both qualify for the position. We decided to have only one of us apply based on the fact he has already been in contact with Hyrum, kind of a first come first server thing. Though we are both in different cities we are close enough to be considered the same region in our heads. Though I will have my application in the wings if for some reason he does not get the VC position, either way we will be helping each other out. There is also always the chance even if we do both apply we both don't get it... ;)
They both applied, one because he felt the other had a conflict of interest. The one who probably had less local support at the time got the job, though he has since done a very good job and there appears to be no hard feelings, at least openly.
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Stuff
One of the reasons I think that the requirement to "serve" at the cons exists is so that Mark/Hyrum can be assured there will be a certain number of fully committed volunteers to help out. Although, based on board feedback, I don't think that would be a problem anyway, I can see why the requirement exists. During conventions, when the largest groups of players are together, that is when volunteers are needed most.
Plus the VC's are a small group that can, relatively speaking, be "sworn" to secrecy and the developers could bounce ideas, issues, future release stuff against them to get a feel for local response.|
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Given a choice between organizational and people skills and crunchy rules knowledge? Rules lose, every time.
Let's put it this way:
Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (PFRGP) +2 is a VASTLY BETTER Venture Captain candidate THAN is:
Diplomacy +2, Knowledge (PFRPG) +10
I can't agree more with this.
Just like Pathfinder Society play itself, the most important thing is the ability to be a passionate, social, diplomatic, and friendly influence to all involved is infinitely more important than knowledge of the rules.
Well stated, Steel.
-Pain
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Given a choice between organizational and people skills and crunchy rules knowledge? Rules lose, every time.
Let's put it this way:
Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (PFRGP) +2 is a VASTLY BETTER Venture Captain candidate THAN is:
Diplomacy +2, Knowledge (PFRPG) +10
Agreed. That is precisely why I want to be an apprentice to a VC. Should I ever move somewhere that doesn't have a PFS presence, I want to hit the ground running and build one. I also love organizing and running events, especially meeting and greeting all types of folks.
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Agreed. That is precisely why I want to be an apprentice to a VC. Should I ever move somewhere that doesn't have a PFS presence, I want to hit the ground running and build one. I also love organizing and running events, especially meeting and greeting all types of folks.
You are hereby dubbed my apprentice :)
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Michael Brock wrote:
You are hereby dubbed my apprentice :)
DougDoug has at least a half-dozen minions :-)
but you are only allowed to use one at PFS. :)
Yeppers .. we keep ourselves available, however, he gets to pick and choose which minion he will use for the time being .. the rest of us get the leftovers :D
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Yeppers .. we keep ourselves available, however, he gets to pick and choose which minion he will use for the time being .. the rest of us get the leftovers :DMichael Brock wrote:
You are hereby dubbed my apprentice :)
DougDoug has at least a half-dozen minions :-)
but you are only allowed to use one at PFS. :)
Im sure, if only to compare party kill points. ;)
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Im sure, if only to compare party kill points. ;)Yeppers .. we keep ourselves available, however, he gets to pick and choose which minion he will use for the time being .. the rest of us get the leftovers :DMichael Brock wrote:
You are hereby dubbed my apprentice :)
DougDoug has at least a half-dozen minions :-)
but you are only allowed to use one at PFS. :)
I'm proud to say that I don't have a kill record .. I'm the cute gnomish bunny GM
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I work with several apprentices in the Northeast.
(My Neighbor Venture Captains are Niel in Canada, Doug Doug to the West and someone - I am not aquainteted with in the Carolinas. I am told the Boston area and the DC area's have organizers, but no one is willing to meet the Gencon/Paizo Con requirements among other obligations)
One of my Padawans is considering throwing his hat in the ring to be a Venture Captain.
Huzzah!
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but I bounce, nose wiggle and rawrrrrrrrrr and try to find lairs .. what else could I be.I'll just leave this right here...
*rolls on ground giggling all over herself*
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I haven't applied to be the regional coordinator of my area (even though I seem to act as one for the moment), only because for a volunteer position, its requirements, specifically those centered around "giving up" one's GenCon and/or Paizocon to help out, just don't appeal.
+1. My feelings as well.
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Since the requirement are to volunteer at PaizoCon OR GenCon, if you attended both, could you divide the minimum slots over both, so you could still have some "free" time to play or just relax?
Heck, it would almost make more sense to me to have the requirement be something like: "Personally 10 slots at PaizoCon/GenCon or twist the arms of your region's minions/padawans/slaves to judge 10/15/20 slots at Paizon/GenCon."
If others are like me in that they don't like to judge ad naseum, they could use their considerable contacts and 'charisma' (aka whips) to fill judge slots instead.
I don't know that shackling all the VCs to tables is the best use of their time and best way to use them, but letting them do their thing in organizing and coordinating spots just might be.
My two coppers and a random thought.
-Pain
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@Demoyn, I think I know one of the qualified individuals that possibly lives down south of Houston? His initials wouldn't happen to be RL would they? I agree he would make a good one.
You know both of the qualified individuals I refer to. The other has a relatively long history of running PFS at conventions in the area. ;)
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Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau
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In all seriousness though, I haven't applied to be the regional coordinator of my area (even though I seem to act as one for the moment), only because for a volunteer position, its requirements, specifically those centered around "giving up" one's GenCon and/or Paizocon to help out, just don't appeal. I love helping out when I go to those two conventions, but at GenCon I'm not giving up a good portion of my time, and I can't guarantee my Paizocon attendance to make it up.
Exactly why I didn't push for it either. The requirements, for the most part, I'm already doing (though with far less reward), with the notable exception of attending those two conventions. And it is not fiscally possible for me to do both... I will be attending my first GenCon this year to GM and play Pathfinder. Will I volunteer for PFS? Definitely. Can I commit to attending both conventions every year? Not likely.
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In all seriousness though, I haven't applied to be the regional coordinator of my area (even though I seem to act as one for the moment), only because for a volunteer position, its requirements, specifically those centered around "giving up" one's GenCon and/or Paizocon to help out, just don't appeal. I love helping out when I go to those two conventions, but at GenCon I'm not giving up a good portion of my time, and I can't guarantee my Paizocon attendance to make it up.Exactly why I didn't push for it either. The requirements, for the most part, I'm already doing (though with far less reward), with the notable exception of attending those two conventions. And it is not fiscally possible for me to do both... I will be attending my first GenCon this year to GM and play Pathfinder. Will I volunteer for PFS? Definitely. Can I commit to attending both conventions every year? Not likely.
Just as a point of clarification it is not a requirement to attend them both, just one of them :)
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If you have an issue with a particular Venture-Captain it might be best - and one that you might have already tried - to talk to that person directly first through in-person if possible, phone call, or some other real-time chat mechanic with an e-mail follow up well before any message board posts.
Since the announcements of the Venture-Captains, the reasons why some regions have them and some don't are varied and why someone was chosen over another are particular to the region.
As the Las Vegas Lodge Venture-Captain, I've been doing what I can to get our GM count up, our in-store play and our game days to be more active with Pathfinder. But with Las Vegas, we have about 4-5 stores that cater to the hobby, with most of those either catering to Magic or some miniatures game with a small PF and 4e shelf and another being HobbyTown USA - which has no gaming space and is for models and RC's.
So what a region needs in terms of who is a Venture-Captain for the region really depends upon the make-up of the town/region as well as those that are players/GM's and proponents of the Game.
Why someone would want to be a Venture-Captain? Didn't Paizo say they were paying for my flight and hotel to GenCon? If not, I resign. It's pretty much doing the same thing that I was doing before Oct. 2010 when I was 'promoted'. Except now I use the "But I'm a Venture-Captain" excuse at the table when I GM and want to get a re-roll or some other "cheat" but it seems that it has the same effect that it had previously. 99% of the people ignore me and the one that didn't - well he joined the Army. We get no special powers, except having people think we should know the PF Rules. I can't even keep up with reading all the PFS modules, much less knowing all the rules. I use PainLords notes much of the time.
Be Well. Be Well "cheated"
Theocrat Issak
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Didn't Paizo say they were paying for my flight and hotel to GenCon? If not, I resign.
Actually... Paying for your flight is not part of the Venture-Captain Gig..Granted they could have changed it, but I have seen no information on that.
Here are is what you get for your hard work as a Venture-Captain
Rewards for Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinators
1. Free attendance at PaizoCon or Gen Con (or both), including free badges, a portion of a hotel room, booth vouchers, and possible product rewards. In order to receive the free attendance, the regional coordinator must arrange his or her own travel to and from show, must provide for his or her own food, and must volunteer for a minimum of eight slots at Gen Con and a minimum of four slots at PaizoCon.
2. Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator dinner at PaizoCon or Gen Con (or both).
3. Free PDFs of every new PDF product Paizo Publishing releases added to your My Downloads section on paizo.com.
4. Annual exclusive special scenario available to regional coordinators and 5-star GMs only for one year.
5. Messageboard tag in the Pathfinder Society messageboards: Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinator. (Note: this tag will trump all other tags while posting on the Pathfinder Society messageboards.)
6. Special exclusive events at PaizoCon and Gen Con.
Unless they changed that, you have to pay for your flight
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I suppose I should edit my previous post and show a sarcasm face. Especially since I'm busting through the reading of that special scenario so that I can run it.
Yes, we get PDF's. But we need to get PDF's of the Flip-Maps and Map Packs.
I'm totally excited about the Venture-Captain Tag. It's all worth it now.
I guess I have to find a job now.
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At NeonCon 4 - Nov. 2010 - there were only a total of 18 VC's at the time. Six of us were at NeonCon. Robyn, JP and I had breakfast a couple times. Mike (SF) and I pointed at a couple of the hot girls that were walking around in skimpy costumes and Eric and I reminisced about his Ulfen PC throwing my naked halfling into the drink at NeonCon 3. Rene was the PFS Coordinator, so he was busy.
There was "no" Shadow Lodge "discussion." But we did have 1/3 of the Venture-Captain's in attendance and I seemed the be the only one that wanted to overthrow the Paizo Overlords. Of course, I'm Taldan.
I have a dog that sips my drinks as to protect me from potential assassination attempts and smoke cigars to prevent others from being around me. Besides, being the religious and political might of a deity has prepared me for much. Except it is a bit of a title - Venture-Captain Theocrat Issak.
Theocrat Issak
