
Anne Sullivan Marathon Voter Season 8 |

Mine made it! Very exciting. :)
I totally agree with what has been said. For those who didn't make it, you should still be proud! There's a lot of people who didn't make that first step of entering. I bet you've learned a lot and your next entry will be even better! And of course there are many other entry points into writing. I know I'll be checking out 3PP opportunities. :)

Ovid's Oversight Star Voter Season 8 |

The way Paizo has set the contest up, helps train you and prepare you for the ultimate prize of getting a paid gig, which can and often does lead to more paid gigs. So if you hit submit to early with out reading all the rules for clarity..learn from this. There is always next year and you will be more prepared when that contest opens up.
What everyone needs to remember, while this is supposed to be FUN (and it is) it is also a JOB INTERVIEW. The ultimate prize is not a take home item, it is the opportunity to get paid to write an Adventure Module.
Part of the contest is being able to follow directions and produce work in the same situations that freelancers often face. If Paizo is going to pay the winner to produce a quality product at their high standard, they want to ensure the winner is capable of meeting deadlines, following directions, learning from critique and adjusting to suit the developer's needs, and handling themselves as a professional.
Good Luck Ovid's Oversight, you might not be out of the running...many of us second guess everything the moment we hit submit.
I don't need to be patronized to, thank-you very much. Perhaps you are a well-meaning person without tact; but, this isn't my first rodeo, and I accepted my disqualification... Your sympathy is admirable, but ill-expressed and misplaced.

Andrew Black RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka MythrilDragon |

I don't need to be patronized to, thank-you very much. Perhaps you are a well-meaning person without tact; but, this isn't my first rodeo, and I accepted my disqualification... Your sympathy is admirable, but ill-expressed and misplaced.
Absolutely didn't mean to come off as patronizing, just helpful and encouraging while reminding everyone this rodeo is taken pretty seriously by some. I have been a fan of the contest since year one and just want to see everyone who participates have fun and learn. Sorry if my comments came off as tactless.

Uncommoner |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

First timer here, too! I survived the cull, but that's not making me any more nervous!
By the way, I run Flaming Crab Games, and I'd love to have anyone who submitted an item this year on board for my next book (a not yet named magic item tome exclusively for people who've submitted to Superstar 2015)!
I have just posted about that here

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1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I'm a first timer.
I missed the call for entries for RPGSS '13 and RPGSS '14, but I'm very glad that I heard the call and submitted this year.
Just entering has been awesome. I've gotten to know the community much better, found great advice and had a blast.
I've entered a couple of RPG related contests over the years, but this is the biggest and the best, IMHO.
Now, will someone please shoot me a message when RPGSS '16 opens up ;-)

Jensen Toperzer Star Voter Season 8 aka TealDeer |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Jensen Toperzer wrote:No time for an anxiety attack. As a former alternate, I know how you feel, but you're on a time crunch. You're one bad case of the flu away from the Top 32. Get your map finished and turned in. :)I am the first timer alternate, yeah.
Time to have a massive anxiety attack.
Tomorrow morning, 9 AM, I start my research crunch to figure out wtf I'm gonna draw. Thursday, drawing crunch as I draw the thing. Thursday night, turn to pit crew, request critique. Friday, polish, submit.
I'm burning rubber and every candle I have. I have no fear. I know the mindkiller. I gaze into their eyes, and say, ye, I am still here. Victory will be mine.
(I can't help the anxiety sometimes, unfortunately. My health is terrible. The key, though, is knowing when to give ground to the beast, and when to hit back. Hit back: tomorrow morning, 9 AM est. It dies. I drink its blood. I continue. I endure, and in enduring, grow strong)
(it may be late & i may be sleepy)

hewhocaves Star Voter Season 9 |

I'm a first timer. As a person who, in real life, has been drawing cave maps, geology maps, fantasy maps and other maps since I've been old enough to hold a pencil, I'm really disappointed to not make it to 32.
The disappointment pales in comparison to the discovery that there are freelance map sketchers out there. I suddenly have a goal in life - to become a feelance map sketcher. After 42 years on this planet, this is a job that I feel I have the perfect toolset for. :D
So, to quote someone, somewhere -- you haven't heard the last of me! (In a good way, of course)

Jensen Toperzer Star Voter Season 8 aka TealDeer |

I'm a first timer. As a person who, in real life, has been drawing cave maps, geology maps, fantasy maps and other maps since I've been old enough to hold a pencil, I'm really disappointed to not make it to 32.
The disappointment pales in comparison to the discovery that there are freelance map sketchers out there. I suddenly have a goal in life - to become a feelance map sketcher. After 42 years on this planet, this is a job that I feel I have the perfect toolset for. :D
So, to quote someone, somewhere -- you haven't heard the last of me! (In a good way, of course)
DRAW A MAP ANYWAY
For real, for serious. My plan was that if I didn't make top 32 or Alternate, I was going to draw a map within the parameters and time limit of the contest ANYWAY, for practice. If I don't make the top 16, same with monsters... all the way to the top.
IT'll be good practice for next year, good practice in general, and FUN.

hewhocaves Star Voter Season 9 |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

:) I did. I put something together over the weekend based on what i knew about round 2 in the same amount of time. It was the backup map because when the final map rules came in I thought I could do something even better. I'm going to write up my thought process and publish it on my blog with the intermediate sketches (showing how the map evolved). For me I have to draw out my ideas - I can usually figure out if they will work almost instantly.

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I was a first timer, and immediately after submitting the item around 1:30 am and having a good night's sleep, I regretted ever sending that stinking pile of dung. I was so angry at myself for submitting such a poopy item.
And as it happens, it isn't anywhere in the Top 32. Or even mentioned in the favorites thread. I adhore the item for its unimaginativeness, and even refuse to say out loud what item it was.
Maybe... maybe next year I won't be in such a hurry to send something and get some time to thing about it.

hewhocaves Star Voter Season 9 |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

DRAW A MAP ANYWAYFor real, for serious. My plan was that if I didn't make top 32 or Alternate, I was going to draw a map within the parameters and time limit of the contest ANYWAY, for practice. If I don't make the top 16, same with monsters... all the way to the top.
IT'll be good practice for next year, good practice in general, and FUN.
Since you asked...
http://hexagonal-maps.blogspot.com/2015/01/step-one-inspiration.html
I wanted to wait until they were past the map round so as not to distract. But I also didn't want to wait too long because I'd forget what I was thinking lol. Its the aforementioned series of blog posts explaining my thought processes as I went through several drafts to make the 'final' map.

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First timer here, too! I survived the cull, but that's not making me any more nervous!
By the way, I run Flaming Crab Games, and I'd love to have anyone who submitted an item this year on board for my next book (a not yet named magic item tome exclusively for people who've submitted to Superstar 2015)!
I have just posted about that here
Um, I believe that Paizo owns the submissions now in their entirety. I could be wrong - you really should check the fine print.