Customer Service & Community Manager
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Hello people who submitted events for PaizoCon 2018: I'm seeking feedback regarding the PaizoCon 2018 Event submission form. If there was a way for me to word things more clearly, additional information that should be/not be on the form, etc. (Here's a link to the form: Copy of PaizoCon 2018 Event Submission. I'm not 100% sure if it is visible as I've turned off accepting responses).
~sara marie
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Hi Sara Marie!
The form is no longer visible, but I don't remember having any difficulties with it when filling it out.
One thing I wouldn't mind adding to the age rating section is a text box for event runners to specify what type of content the rating is for, though? E.g. if it's rated high for language, for violence, if the game features drug use, if there's image content like provocative pictures or miniatures, any trigger warnings that might be applicable, things like that.
The 150 character limit for the event description was a little difficult to work with. I totally understand the need to limit this, but if we could get a little more text that would allow us to provide a more accurate description of the event.
I had no issues with the rest of the form, it was quick and easy to fill out.
On a related issue:
If there is any way we could get notified a couple of weeks before the lottery runs that our event made the schedule that would be awesome. It was nice getting a heads up email for pfs slots, something similar for lottery would be great.
Thank you for being open to feedback, It was awesome being able to run lottery events this year. I had a great experience.
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Customer Service & Community Manager
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The 150 character limit for the event description was a little difficult to work with. I totally understand the need to limit this, but if we could get a little more text that would allow us to provide a more accurate description of the event.
I had no issues with the rest of the form, it was quick and easy to fill out.
On a related issue:
If there is any way we could get notified a couple of weeks before the lottery runs that our event made the schedule that would be awesome. It was nice getting a heads up email for pfs slots, something similar for lottery would be great.
Thank you for being open to feedback, It was awesome being able to run lottery events this year. I had a great experience.
We had some internal feedback on the 150 character limit as well. Judy has offered to work out character limits for next year. We have to balance keeping things tight for the program book and enough descriptions for the online descriptions. I'm confident we can strike a good balance for 2019. Thanks!
Not emailing when events went up was all me. I'm sorry, I know it was not clear and caused confusion. I kept having reasons not to send it quite yet, one thing or another needing to get fixed and then I'd send it out (like the discussion threads on events breaking) and then suddenly it was the night before PaizoCon and I had a nasty realization that it never got done. Something that has been left off the to do list far too many times over the years. I'll talk with Katina and see if we can't figure out a better way for 2019. Thanks!
Overall I found the submission form worked pretty well. I liked it much better than the previous PDF (I do not remember what submissions looked like before PDF). The character limit was minor to me, but then I usually start a thread for Bestiary Bash with better details anyway.
I'd been storing these up for a week now, trying to get time to put them down for you.
This has probably become useless rambling, but I hope that even if my suggestions aren’t helpful, they will spark some discussion or maybe set someone’s brain to storming.
Thanks to all the team who have made Tim’s little idea grow so well.
And as always Sara Marie, thank you for all you do (including soliciting feedback :)
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Customer Service & Community Manager
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It would be helpful to have complexity better defined.
A lot of these categorizations precede my involvement and much is the submitter's discretion. I am definitely open to suggestions for how to rank complexity (Not Applicable, Easy, Average, Complex) for examples or even suggestions on dropping it altogether since it is so subjective. I am sure there are a lot of people who view Pathfinder as very complex and others who see it as simple. I tend to think of Pathfinder & Starfinder as "average" since that is what most people at PaizoCon are going to be used to, the Beginner Box or Pathfinder Academy as "easy". I see for 2018 James Jacobs' Jupiter's Hammer is the only game marked complex, so I can chat with him and see if I can get a better sense.
I would like a way to include a hyperlink. Ideally this would go to the event entry (product description?-the part that wasn't working this time) so if that is fixed it should be good. Even if it is working someone like me could include a link to a google.doc or a previous year's event. For the publishers and published authors, it could go to their website or even the product on Paizo's site. I realize creating a thread at submission time causes issues. At its simplest this could be a button saying thread needed? yes/no.
The discussion thread for events issue definitely was bad timing with the reduction in characters for the description. We used to have two fields, one for the book and one for the website. I found this very confusing for people submitting events and not worth while for several workflow reasons, but it might be time to revisit this, perhaps with better instructions. At the very least having the event discussion threads working for 2019 will help.
The event schedule has logos for Paizo events and PFS events. Under organizer I would like to see: ‘publisher, author, fan, PFU, organization,’ etc. buttons & then maybe let that translate into respective asterisks, pound signs, actual logos.
I'll talk with Chris and Andrew about this. I don't know enough about how the little logos are coded. I know we realized way to late we hadn't updated any of it for Starfinder, so this is a good time to look at how this works.
Event schedule of 'many' or 'all con long' might be useful. I am thinking of Majuba's Goblin Brains, which is a pretty solid PaizoCon tradition and deserves a place in the program :) and if it did I would want a 'tradition' logo for it. :) I know this exists for things like the delves and minis painting, but I do not see anything like it on submissions.
Excellent point. I'll have to think about how to collect details for unconventional events (there's a few others as well even internally) that need a more efficient way to organize.
Under scheduling conflicts, a yes/no button for 'other events' would be helpful for the biggest potential conflicts (PFS, Banquet, Special). Maybe this needs to be added to the GM list. I had three back up GMs and all of them were scheduled PFS tables at the time of my event. I usually run a PFS table or two myself. At the very least it would give Tonya & company a list to look at with their scheduling. Not really a submission issue, but some of the game I would list as 4 in the lottery, seem to be scheduled when I am. Someday Erik. Someday, I will sit at your table.
I used the paragraph answer so people could write in as much as they needed. I think multiple choice with an "other, use notes field if needed" might be more clear. Conflicts with the GM schedule are hard to navigate. I'll talk with Tonya about it.
'Help wanted' would be a nice addition. Some people are intimidated by organizing a game for hundreds of strangers, but would be happy to step in to assist as timers, scorekeepers, assistant GMs, or musterers. Granted most do so for PFS, but... I am just throwing out ideas.
I like this. My only concern is that I wouldn't want events to go up with "help wanted" and then people cancel because they didn't get anyone interested. i like this concept though.
I would also like some kind of legacy information. It would be cool to say 10th, ‘tradition’ etc. Even if it doesn’t go into the book or the website, I think it could provide useful information for Paizo. While not really a submission issue: I think it would be fun to have the top "fours" all scheduled at the same time and see who wins :) Ooh is that a new Monday event? Collect the top rated programs for a rehash?
I really want to be able to have historical event information available eventually. What do you mean by top "fours"?
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Your post was very helpful. Thank you! I enjoy seeing Bestiary Bash on the schedule every year and seeing it evolve as a tradition over the years!
Ahh... right email. This system is the best of the the three, PDF my least favorite.
I am definitely open to suggestions for how to rank complexity (Not Applicable, Easy, Average, Complex) for examples or even suggestions on dropping it altogether since it is so subjective. I am sure there are a lot of people who view Pathfinder as very complex and others who see it as simple. I tend to think of Pathfinder & Starfinder as "average" since that is what most people at PaizoCon are going to be used to, the Beginner Box or Pathfinder Academy as "easy". I see for 2018 James Jacobs' Jupiter's Hammer is the only game marked complex, so I can chat with him and see if I can get a better sense. ...
How many are marked complex is telling. If 'easy' only has one or two entries, and everything else is 'average,' I think it would be fine to drop the question entirely. The next question is 'experience needed' & I think it is much more translatable.
That said I like the beginner's box/pathfinder & starfinder rubric, but it really only has two modes (hmmm... Unchained could be between them). Regardless of the measurement, this should be determined with a survey of lots of folks. No group of less than a hundred will come up with an applicable measurement (again thinking of RPGSS voting). I think it would beWe used to have two fields, one for the book and one for the website. I found this very confusing for people submitting events and not worth while for several workflow reasons, but it might be time to revisit this, perhaps with better instructions. At the very least having the event discussion threads working for 2019 will help. ...
It makes sense to have only one field. And partly why I suggested a place for a link. You will not need the link for the book and it can be relatively small character limit. I imagine the issue for 2018 was related to the new website launch and will be working next year. :) Discussion threads are enough, IMHO.
Excellent point. I'll have to think about how to collect details for unconventional events (there's a few others as well even internally) that need a more efficient way to organize. ...
I would like to run an assassin game (using dice instead of mock weapons). If I knew a way to get the 'target' into a specific attendee's packet it would be enough. A localized time (pre-checkin dinner?) or a dedicated posting board (near the delves?) are my best solutions so far. Then again, Majuba just uses a thread and starts pretty early. :)
Conflicts with the GM schedule are hard to navigate. ...
Understood. And I am sure every solution creates more issues. I remember putting 'PFS GM' back in the day. And including 'Bestiary Bash' in the request to Mike. I blame myself for not mentioning it in the open paragraph that was offered. If the question listed 'conflicts' or 'PFS' I would have remembered. Since the two (PFS/fan) submissions are separate, using the same language and would be useful.
@ help wanted. It would also be hard to screen volunteers, but perhaps a single thread like the room sharing thread or the 3PP submission threads.
What do you mean by top "fours"? ...
A flashback to my NACURH days. Every program/presentation was rated by the attendees. Math happened. The "Top 40" were re-presented on the last day of the conference. In this case I meant looking through the lottery sign-ups and seeing which events had the most 'top priority' requests. The "4" rankings. These are then announced at the banquet or something (not a part of the lottery) and scheduled for an 'encore' presentation Monday. They could even be presented as a seminar presentation ala Twitch (I think it is Twitchfeed where people watch other people play games?) Come watch Paizo staff compete in an encore presentation of 'Green Blood on Black Rock" or James Jacobs tries to smash the 'fan favorites' with Jupiter's Hammer. I can go into waaay more information on this concept if anyone thinks ‘tis worth pursuing.*
Your post was very helpful. Thank you! ...
I hope so. *phew* I worried about sounding like 'that old guy' telling you how to mow your own lawn (internet lacking the non-verbal cues and all.) FWIW I understand the enormity behind your task better than most. My day job is at an events center and I help organize the county fair. My previous job involved assigning 1500 students by halls into rooms with roommates (3 cigarettes a day does not make me a smoker!). I have a great appreciation for what you do. These are meant as brainstorming suggestions only. All the better if you found them helpful :)