Outstanding!!

[Steven Helt]

So I've looked over each map and read the judges' comments as they deliberate whom to recommend.

I just have so say, as a group of contestants, you lot have just done a fantastic job. I confided to some friends that I thought this round was the absolute toughest round 2 in the contest's history. I thought on one hand we'd have a great round two because a looot of people were gonna learn a loooot of things about maps and design. I had a little concern becuase I feared such a difficult round might really throw some contestants, this being unlike anything we've seen in the contest before.

Well, I know a lot of entrants are gonna learn cool stuff about maps and design. And some seasoned designers are gonna learn. And the voting public is gonna learn, so that makes this one of the neatest round of Superstar ever.

But I have to give full credit to the congregation: these maps are really cool! Places that make me want to adventure, places where the map tells a story and inspires me to make a character and get down there FAST.

Y'all have done a great job with this round and I am just so impressed.

And no kidding..very grateful I didn't have to compete against you!

[Taylor Hubler]

Wow, this just makes me even more excited for tomorrow!

Thank you.

[Jacob Kellogg]

Okay, call me paranoid, but all I see when I read this post is "CAN I STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER I ACCIDENTALLY DQ'D MYSELF SOMEHOW?!"

[Mark Seifter]

Jacob Kellogg wrote:

Okay, call me paranoid, but all I see when I read this post is "CAN I STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER I ACCIDENTALLY DQ'D MYSELF SOMEHOW?!"

I'm sorry, that question just accidentally DQed you, though on the other hand, yes that means you can stop worrying.

Not really

[Jacob Kellogg]

*starts to give Mark the stinkeye, then collapses and starts twitching*

[Scott LaBarge]

Of course, the instinct is to say "Omigod that means there's 31 awesome maps, and then there's mine....o.O"
Even more eager to see the spread now. Tuesday 2:00 can't come too soon.

[Steven Helt]

I like inducing fear and panic. I'm a Horseman.

And doing it while paying people a compliment, that just means I have great social skills.

Disclaimer

Spoiler:

I do not have great social skills.

[Kiel Howell]

On the one hand, I didn't get to progress so that's saddening.

On the other hand, I get to enjoy calculated evil like this without the stress of experiencing it first hand.

Gotta enjoy the little things... :)

[Chris Shaeffer]

If you are worried about your map (like I am), then this means that you are facing stiff competition! Give up all hope now. ;)

Despite that dread though, I can't remember the last time I was this excited to see what everyone has come up with for a round!

[Gabriel Almer]

Oh, man! I knew I should have made a map of Castle Happydeath...

[Template Fu]

Hmmm, can I join in the contestant baiting... please?

I wonder how many maps were underground? :P

Steven Helt wrote:

...places where the map tells a story and inspires me to make a character and get down there FAST...

Now I really wonder that! *evil grin*

[Garrick Williams]

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

[Adam Daigle]

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

As someone who read and judged 32 monster entries over the weekend last year, I totally agree. :)

[Liz Courts]

Adam Daigle wrote:

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

As someone who read and judged 32 monster entries over the weekend last year, I totally agree. :)

Indeed. :D

[Taylor Hubler]

I actually ended up being burned out on the contest in past years because of all the reading I had to do in round 2 to make an informed decision. I am now paying for it by forcing myself to go back and read every monster entry submitted to each year.

Brain hurts.

[Neil Spicer]

Adam Daigle wrote:

As someone who read and judged 32 monster entries over the weekend last year, I totally agree. :)

That's why the early years had somewhat "softer" assignments (i.e., flavor vs. crunch) focusing on conceptual designs for nations (world-building skills), villains (characterization skills), and organizations (combination world-building and characterization skills). It tested everyone on important stuff, but it also eased the judges into the crush of having to review 32, several-hundred-word submissions over a single weekend. When the 2nd round turned to designing archetypes and monsters with full stat-blocks, I pitied the judging crew for taking on that kind of workload. Just doing 16 monster reviews in the 3rd round of earlier contests was difficult.

[Ben Parkin]

Wow. Very stress. Much sweat.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Agreed that a lighter Round 2 is to everyone's benefit. I'll withhold judgment on maps until I see how the round works out (I still loved organizations, though I can see why it needed a bit more of a crunch element to go with it), but I think it'll be good overall for the contest to have a less mechanics-intensive round at this point.

[Monica Marlowe]

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

Having to create a map without the benefit of encounter notes or anything like that is a great round, having survived to the point of turn over, I also think it's a great Round 2. It gives a look at a whole different aspect of where the designer's mind is at and where they think is a cool place to illustrate. I hope that future RPG SS runners will consider keeping this as a regular round.

[Joel Flank]

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

Ugh, not me. I was dreading this round if I had made the cut this year, and I'm still dreading it not having done so. A map without context can be bad, but I'm simply not that inspired by a map without at least a few hundred words describing what it's a map of. I'm much more inspired by reading than just visually. I'm envisioning not voting in round 2 because none do much for me.

[Jensen Toperzer]

I'm just sad because since I'm an Alternate, this means I'm probably not in this round :( I think my map is great, but if everyone else is great... welp.

[Taylor Hubler]

Jensen Toperzer wrote:

I'm just sad because since I'm an Alternate, this means I'm probably not in this round :( I think my map is great, but if everyone else is great... welp.

We won't know if anyone DQ'ed until tomorrow, so you still have a chance.

[Adam Daigle]

Jensen Toperzer wrote:

I'm just sad because since I'm an Alternate, this means I'm probably not in this round :( I think my map is great, but if everyone else is great... welp.

Only a few alternates have ended up being in the competition. (And as someone who has always fought for the underdog, I love seeing it happen.) Some alternates have gone on to get close to the end and other alternates in the first few years of the competition have gone on to keep doing freelance work (mainly because they were actively seeking it out to begin with).

For example, Russ Taylor (one of our regular freelancers) was an alternate the first (or second, correct me here) year, and he has gone on to contribute to dozens of books since then.

[Eric Morton]

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2.

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 1.

Sorting 800 maps two at a time would be so much more enjoyable than sorting 800 magic items. After side-by-side voting ends, you could have the Top 64 map designers submit some descriptive text to accompany their maps (or reveal descriptive text they already submitted for their map) and let the public ballot-vote finalists into the Top 32 based upon a combination of mapping skills and writing skills.

[Mikko Kallio]

Jensen Toperzer wrote:

I'm just sad because since I'm an Alternate, this means I'm probably not in this round :( I think my map is great, but if everyone else is great... welp.

As Adam mentioned, alts more often than not don't advance, but for example, Robert Brookes from last year's batch started as an alternate and made it to the top 4.

Actually, I was an alternate in 2011, and that year, no-one dropped out or was DQd, so I didn't advance. It was particularly excruciating because my archetype received generally positive reviews from the judges; Mark Moreland said he wished I had been in the actual top 32 and I was the only one to get 5/5 points from Ryan Dancey.

So yeah.. I think I know the pain you, Jensen, and other alts are going through.

However, I never gave up trying. I came back year after year, made the top 4 last year, and am now a freelancer with many writing credits in upcoming Paizo products. And I was even invited to be an RPG Superstar judge.

So if you don't advance to the next round, I hope you come back next year. Meanwhile, practice, enter other contests, and contact 3PPs to get freelance work.

[Anthony Adam]

As a long term contestant who hasn't made even Alternate, I can confirm that you can break into the industry by building a board presence, learning and showing a work ethic and willingness to learn that encourages 3PP to give you the opportunities you need.

Once you get that opportunity, by working hard and trying your best to impress, more opportunities will follow.

I have this week completed the first draft of my first paid gig and the 3pp has already approached me for more work! So it is possible to become a freelancer without even placing in this competition.

The fact you made alternate gives you a boost, so make those approaches for work, write for Wayfinder, for PF Society scenarios open call, build your portfolio of example work.

You are off to a good start, each and every one of you, alternate and Top 32, but now the ball is in your court as to whether you pursue further or not.

The ball wont come to you, you have to chase it!

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Sadly for the alternates, it's an odd-numbered year. Contestants tend to get DQ'd/drop out for some reason -- often meaning alternates get to advance -- in the even-numbered years.

[Jensen Toperzer]

Yeah, I'm already doing layout work for Adventure A Week (though I gotta talk to them about rates soon...) and THIS VERY DAY I'm going to be pitching some 5e stuff to ENWorld. I'm actually considering heavily re-vamping my magic item for 5th edition and handing that over (if... that's allowed. It's enough of a revamp that while the theme will be the same the name and mechanics are going to be very different, and, well, different rule system).

I'm also hoping that Judy Bauer gets back to me soon-ish about copy editing work for Paizo. I should probably shoot her an email this week about that. She said she was interested and I responded, but, well, y'know. Peeps be busy.

*e* My thing is, for the past two years, I've tried desperately to land A Stable Respectable Office Job, and that's only ended in stress, pain, and tears for me. Trying to do Respectable Office Work with a learning disability whose symptoms can be boiled down to "Does not behave like a respectable worker and can't focus during meetings" doesn't make for a stable career. Doing freelance RPG work isn't paying me enough to really live on yet, but it's so much more rewarding and with far less risk of Terrible Stuff happening because I zoned out during a meeting or had to ask the same question sixteen times or got distracted for an hour. When you're a freelancer, no one knows you're secretly a kitten with a keyboard as long as you get the work in by the deadline.

[Garrick Williams]

Jensen Toperzer wrote:

I'm just sad because since I'm an Alternate, this means I'm probably not in this round :( I think my map is great, but if everyone else is great... welp.

*Gives a bro hug* I feel your pain. I feel your pain.

[Steven Helt]

Jensen Toperzer wrote:

Yeah, I'm already doing layout work for Adventure A Week (though I gotta talk to them about rates soon...) and THIS VERY DAY I'm going to be pitching some 5e stuff to ENWorld. I'm actually considering heavily re-vamping my magic item for 5th edition and handing that over (if... that's allowed. It's enough of a revamp that while the theme will be the same the name and mechanics are going to be very different, and, well, different rule system).

I'm also hoping that Judy Bauer gets back to me soon-ish about copy editing work for Paizo. I should probably shoot her an email this week about that. She said she was interested and I responded, but, well, y'know. Peeps be busy.

*e* My thing is, for the past two years, I've tried desperately to land A Stable Respectable Office Job, and that's only ended in stress, pain, and tears for me. Trying to do Respectable Office Work with a learning disability whose symptoms can be boiled down to "Does not behave like a respectable worker and can't focus during meetings" doesn't make for a stable career. Doing freelance RPG work isn't paying me enough to really live on yet, but it's so much more rewarding and with far less risk of Terrible Stuff happening because I zoned out during a meeting or had to ask the same question sixteen times or got distracted for an hour. When you're a freelancer, no one knows you're secretly a kitten with a keyboard as long as you get the work in by the deadline.

not only does your entry belong to Paizo, but the eventual winner of superstar might include your item in the text to the adventure. make sure you don't reproduce the item somewhere else.

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

One of the cruel realities of a contest like this that more people will turn in worthwhile things than will win. One of the reasons I designed round 2 the way I did was to serve as a harsh weeding out. It's the same reason talent contests often force people to sing songs outside their style, make functioning machines out of scrap in 2 days, and design costumes in ridiculously short timeframes and while periodically changing the rules.

I hope everyone who wants to be an rpg freelancer who makes it even to be a Round 1 alternate decides to keep working on improving and getting published. A lot of 3pp are interested in new folks, and people who have reached the alternate level have a step up from the untested masses.

I also wanted this round because maps are something I think don't get talked about enough in rpg adventure design. Great maps start with great ideas and great sketches - the best cartographer in the world can't turn a boring map layout into something brilliant without making so many changes it doesn't match the associated text anymore. If a map includes rubble, furniture, a lone tree, a gentle slope, a change in ground cover, then that information either came from the designer, or resulted from a question from the cartographer (which slows the process).

Some freelancers turn over awesome map designs, and we love them. Some turn over a few crayon lines, and it's clear if we are going to get a better map we have to draw it ourselves. That second type tend not to get as much work... but momentum can get a freelancer a pass or three before we realize there's a trend.

One advantage of this system is that when we get a winner, I'll be able to say "Make sure you maps turnovers are at least as good as" and point to some entires. And I'll be able to give notes on how even those maps could be made better.Combined with the fact the winner will have an adventure worth of context and won't have to cram all maps into three days we choose (though make no mistake - deadlines don't often leave you much more than a few days per map), and I expect to get the best freelancer maps ever for the next Superstar adventure!

Even if you don't make it to the next round, going over the judges comments this round can teach you a lot about what we need from freelancer map designs.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Owen, I remember that in Cities of Golarion, the map actually came before the write-up. Was that a one-time thing or has Paizo (or anyone else, I suppose) used that style elsewhere?

That said, I also expect this to be a good learning experience. Before the Top 32 reveal, Curaigh and I were going through all the encounter rounds and pulling out which ones had good feedback on mapping, but there are so many aspects of Round 4 that it was often tricky to get more than a couple lines about the maps themselves.

[Curaigh]

Joel Flank wrote:

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

Ugh, not me. I was dreading this round if I had made the cut this year, and I'm still dreading it not having done so. A map without context can be bad, but I'm simply not that inspired by a map without at least a few hundred words describing what it's a map of. I'm much more inspired by reading than just visually. I'm envisioning not voting in round 2 because none do much for me.

Joel, I hope you find something that changes this perspective. One of my favorite parts of Dungeon was the full page map at the end. I used multiples of those as fill-in encounters when the whole group couldn't make a game night.

This may be the easiest round tojudge or the hardest, but I think I will have lots of inspiration either way!

Good luck everyone :)

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Owen, I remember that in Cities of Golarion, the map actually came before the write-up. Was that a one-time thing or has Paizo (or anyone else, I suppose) used that style elsewhere?

Every product is going to have its own needs and schedule, and that's going to determine what happens in which order. When I wrote the Guide to Absalom, for example, I did a sketch of Absalom that I turned in with an early milestone, but it turned out Jasob Bulmahn had a specific vision he wanted, so I got a new sketch back from him. Then I added and modified things on that sketch, and sent it in with a final draft. THEN Sean got hold of it as the developer, and made yet more changes I didn't see until the book came out.

Even when we do a write-up before a map, we generally have an idea what the map should look like. Even we we do a map before a write up, we have a general idea what the write-up will say. And in both cases, there's often a lot of parallel back-and-forth.

[Joel Flank]

Curaigh wrote:

Joel Flank wrote:

Garrick Williams wrote:

I'd honestly like to see future years have maps as Round 2. Plus, way more fun to see 32 maps than reading 32 monster stat blocks.

Ugh, not me. I was dreading this round if I had made the cut this year, and I'm still dreading it not having done so. A map without context can be bad, but I'm simply not that inspired by a map without at least a few hundred words describing what it's a map of. I'm much more inspired by reading than just visually. I'm envisioning not voting in round 2 because none do much for me.

Joel, I hope you find something that changes this perspective. One of my favorite parts of Dungeon was the full page map at the end. I used multiples of those as fill-in encounters when the whole group couldn't make a game night.

This may be the easiest round tojudge or the hardest, but I think I will have lots of inspiration either way!

Good luck everyone :)

Not surprisingly, that was my least favorite part of the magazine. I'd have rather had another ad. Even a great map isn't worth much if the encounters built for it are bland and don't make use of the terrain effectively. I view maps and text as two sides of the same coin - you can't really have a coin with only one, and you can't really have an encounter/location in game with only one either.

I hope I'm wrong too, we'll see in about 30 minutes.

[Steven Helt]

Ooh, I can't agree Joel. Good maps are useful for mor than the encountees published with them. I ran 3-year Forgotten Realms and Planescapes, and rarely ran published stuff. But I cannibalized hundreds of maps and art bits to cobble my encounters and plots together. If a map is great but the encounters are bland and unsuitable, the map is very valuable to me.