What I'm picturing is two columns of checkboxes adjacent to each item.
One column is label "Did Well" and the other column is labelled "Needs Work". The rows would be thing like Naming, Template, Pricing, Mechanics, Theme, Similarity or something like those.
The goal is to let the voter say why they're voting the way they're voting. The benefits are potentially threefold:
- Datamining. Paizo will have hard numbers about what should be highlighted in the contest FAQ or Guidelines. Possibly it could also be used to understand player tastes better and used in product development. The voting portion of the contest is also a survey. It has the potential to create an absurd amount of value.
- Feedback. Possibly have the submission entry page reveal the final tallies after the contest. If a submitter sees 8:1 voted "Need Work" on the Pricing, but everything else was 8:1 Did Well, they have a starting point to improve from. This could increase retention across years as submitters could have a sense of building on experience.
- Negativity Sink. Possibly by having an outlet for criticism at the voting page, fewer people will use the forums to express distaste. Things could stay more upbeat for longer despite voter fatigue.