Pathfinder 1E Paizo's RPG SuperSTAR Contest Top 32

[WhiteClaw]

Hi,

Let's talk about this contest on www.paizo.com. I heard about it and checked it out. I'm not sure we're the judges were when the evaluated some of these entries. Some of the entries on the message boards were better than the 32 winners!!!

Anybody out there tracking this thing?

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Umm, agreed.

I was really disappointed in the level of writing of the winning entries overall. It seems like the judges got very hung up on how cool the concepts were and overlooked some pretty glaring writing deficiencies.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

While I didn't check them out- and lord knows I should have entered!- I'll say this as a person who has been on both sides of the creative process: it is a lot harder to come up with good, solid creative ideas than to present any idea in a coherent fashion.

Or, to put it a different way, today, there are legions of guitarists who can play "Stairway to Heaven," but it took Jimmy Page to write it.

Paizo probably figures that they can use their editorial staff to correct the writing deficiencies of the entries they liked.

 

[WhiteClaw]

I agree with you Danny. They are stuffed with professionals able to shine up the entries.

I also agree with Justin. The mechanics of the winning entries are very bland, but the style of the items are so cool. Aside from the item that blanked out a portion of an area effect spell (I think it was a BlindedSpot something) there was nothing else "wondrous". Wasn't there a cat of some sort spat in the entries as well????

I am remaining anonymous throughout this discussion, but I've already had communications with a few developers who feel it was a big marketing ploy. How do they actually know whether these people can write a module - unless of course, they just team the person up with Nick Logue or someone. (No, I'm not Nick).

 

[Erik Mona]

We'll know by the end if they can write a module because they will have to survive challanges with increasing levels of difficulty. The next challenge, for example, is a pure writing test (1000 words of fluff designing a nation for a gazetteer), so some of the folks with neat ideas but limited writing skills are going to find it very difficult to advance to the next round.

 

[WhiteClaw]

Hi Erik,

Well, there's certainly no debating that 1000 words on a primarily fluff-based entry will cut through the ranks and scope out those in the contest with some creativity. I'm still a bit hung up though on why you decided to leave the "encounter" entry for so late in the game. That's where the real "art" is. After all, you know that a module's genius displays itself at the gaming table. I'd hate to see your top 6 fumble that challenge.

I'm also not sure why a wondrous item was the breach test - and why you want them to create a "country". Both wondrous items and countries usually (read: usually) serve as side-dishes in a module anyway.

Erik, before you reply, understand that I am in no way down-grading your venture - contests are cool. I'm also hoping to be even more impressed if I receive another respectful post from you, and not a snippy reply like the ones by Orcus on your message boards (who - BTW - has always been very nice on a personal level...)

WC

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

There is at least one of those that I am putting into my game right now.

 

[Odhanan]

There is at least one of those that I am putting into my game right now.

Let me guess: the Lantern?

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Let me guess: the Lantern?

No - I've got players on the boards so I don't want to be too specific -- let me just say that one of my players is playing a ship captain with command of a warship...

 

[sjmiller]

There is at least one of those that I am putting into my game right now.

You are not the only one. I just emailed a player in my game about one of them, I think it works perfectly for her Bard who is working towards being a Shadowdancer.