Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
White Dwarf Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Nest
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
EN Publishing
Twitter
BlueSky
Facebook
Instagram
EN World
BlueSky
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Twitch
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
2008 ENnies Judge Nom Q&A Thread
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Crothian" data-source="post: 3673399" data-attributes="member: 232"><p><strong>Chris Gath</strong></p><p>Chris "Crothian" Gath started in gaming when Santa Claus brought him the D&D</p><p>Basic Game in 1980. Since then he has organized many groups of gaming and even</p><p>helped organize two college gaming clubs, a pair of Ohio Game Days, worked at the</p><p>Marcon Convention for many years, and finally found his way into online reviews at</p><p>EN World and RPGNow. Chris served four years as ENnies judge, a task that he has</p><p>thoroughly enjoyed. He has been a firm supporter of the smaller press companies</p><p>and of the PDF market.</p><p></p><p><em>2008 ENnies Judge Questionnaire</em></p><p></p><p><strong>1. When did you join the RPG hobby and what inspired you to become</strong></p><p><strong>involved and stay with it?</strong></p><p>I started gaming back in 1980 but it really was not until college that I really joined</p><p>the hobby. I was introduced to a dozen new games and really got to experience the</p><p>creativity and friendships that role playing games inspire. Each year I meet new</p><p>people through the hobby and it is the people that make it the great fun that it is.</p><p></p><p><strong>2. Since you joined the hobby, what roles have you played (e.g. vending,</strong></p><p><strong>professional writing and publishing, reviewing, convention organizing,</strong></p><p><strong>homebrewing, playing, GMing, etc.)?</strong></p><p>I have mostly been a GM and Storyteller. I have done a few hundred reviews and</p><p>had the opportunity to organize a couple Ohio Game Days, two college gaming clubs,</p><p>and help out for a few years at Marcon. I have my own little homebrew that I have</p><p>made a wiki for and organize message boards for my groups.</p><p></p><p><strong>3. The ENnies require a major commitment of time and mental energy. What</strong></p><p><strong>resources do you bring that will help you discharge these responsibilities?</strong></p><p><strong>Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you?</strong></p><p>This year I have gather together a few good groups so I can do more playtesting for</p><p>my reviews and hopefully for the ENnies. I have a job that I can take time off from</p><p>if it is needed. My family and friends are fully aware of the time commitment it takes</p><p>from my judging in the years past and are fully supportive of it.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>4. What interests, experience and skills do you bring from outside the hobby</strong></p><p><strong>that you think will make you a more effective judge?</strong></p><p>I’m an avid reader and a hiker. Reading only game books for a few months can</p><p>drive anyone nuts so I have found that reading a good novel really helps relax the</p><p>brain. Physically sitting and reading for hours is also not good so I get out and hike</p><p>a few miles every day. It helps my organize my thoughts and go over what I have</p><p>read. I am a notorious list maker and note taker which makes keeping track of what</p><p>is good about what books really easy.</p><p></p><p><strong>5. What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles</strong></p><p><strong>or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you</strong></p><p><strong>like?</strong></p><p>This year I am really experiencing the almost opposite ends in gaming. I run D&D in</p><p>Eberron using the Shackled City with minis and battle maps. And then I’m also</p><p>running Changeling with has no premade adventures that I am using and is very</p><p>character oriented. I prefer the fantasy games and the fantastic along with the pulp</p><p>to games like super heroes or Noir. I have found White Wolf games like Adventure</p><p>and Changeling really have what I am looking for in them.</p><p></p><p><strong>6. What system do you think is best designed? Is it the one you play most?</strong></p><p><strong>The best designed system I have seen is Dread. It is very simple and the mechanics</strong></p><p><strong>reinforce the horror. But the game I play the most is D&D. It is what many of my</strong></p><p><strong>friends know and understand best.</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>7. What games have you played in the past year? List up to 10 RPGs you</strong></p><p><strong>have played the most.</strong></p><p>I’ve gotten to play many games in the past year thanks to conventions and just</p><p>wanting to try out games. The ones I played the most were D&D, Changeling the</p><p>Dreaming, Paranoia, Scio: Hero, Dread, Exalted, Spirit of the Century, Passages, Call</p><p>of Cthulhu, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.</p><p></p><p><strong>8. Briefly summarize the criteria you will use for judging products in the</strong></p><p><strong>different categories. How will you deal with comparing products of vastly</strong></p><p><strong>disparate lengths, medium (PDF vs. print), or mechanics to prose ratios?</strong></p><p><strong>Will innovation and originality play a major role?</strong></p><p>I am a big fan of creativity. I like games that attempt to push the boundaries and</p><p>try something new. But I still want a coherent game that I can understand and</p><p>teach people. I find that I just rate a book for what it is and not be more impressed</p><p>with things in print over PDF.</p><p></p><p><strong>9. How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose</strong></p><p><strong>core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed? What</strong></p><p><strong>about for systems that are out of print?</strong></p><p>Judging games that I am not familiar with is always tough. I go out and buy the</p><p>core rules to such games and teach myself how to play them. I feel that is the only</p><p>way to accurately judge anything. For games I am not a fan of I have to work</p><p>harder to see what the supplement does and how well it does it for that game. For</p><p>games that are out of print it can be tougher. Luckily, many of them are now out in</p><p>PDF even after the print run sells out and I can easily get them. Otherwise I will find</p><p>someone locally who has it and borrow it from them.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>10. How would you like to see the ENnies change (categories, policies, etc)?</strong></p><p><strong>What should remain inviolate?</strong></p><p>I would like to see the ENnies find a way to get more books entered even when the</p><p>publisher does not enter them. I would like to see a few more people on Staff so</p><p>that Densie has a little less to do. I also would like to see a little more of the process</p><p>become transparent so that fans and publishers have a better understanding of what</p><p>goes on.</p><p></p><p><strong>BONUS: (optional) If you were an RPG, what would it be, and would you</strong></p><p><strong>play it?</strong></p><p>I’d be a rules game that tries to be a little artsy. It would work really well if I ran it</p><p>but it would not always make a lot of sense for other people</p><p></p><p> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Crothian, post: 3673399, member: 232"] [B]Chris Gath[/B] Chris "Crothian" Gath started in gaming when Santa Claus brought him the D&D Basic Game in 1980. Since then he has organized many groups of gaming and even helped organize two college gaming clubs, a pair of Ohio Game Days, worked at the Marcon Convention for many years, and finally found his way into online reviews at EN World and RPGNow. Chris served four years as ENnies judge, a task that he has thoroughly enjoyed. He has been a firm supporter of the smaller press companies and of the PDF market. [I]2008 ENnies Judge Questionnaire[/I] [B]1. When did you join the RPG hobby and what inspired you to become involved and stay with it?[/B] I started gaming back in 1980 but it really was not until college that I really joined the hobby. I was introduced to a dozen new games and really got to experience the creativity and friendships that role playing games inspire. Each year I meet new people through the hobby and it is the people that make it the great fun that it is. [B]2. Since you joined the hobby, what roles have you played (e.g. vending, professional writing and publishing, reviewing, convention organizing, homebrewing, playing, GMing, etc.)?[/B] I have mostly been a GM and Storyteller. I have done a few hundred reviews and had the opportunity to organize a couple Ohio Game Days, two college gaming clubs, and help out for a few years at Marcon. I have my own little homebrew that I have made a wiki for and organize message boards for my groups. [B]3. The ENnies require a major commitment of time and mental energy. What resources do you bring that will help you discharge these responsibilities? Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you?[/B] This year I have gather together a few good groups so I can do more playtesting for my reviews and hopefully for the ENnies. I have a job that I can take time off from if it is needed. My family and friends are fully aware of the time commitment it takes from my judging in the years past and are fully supportive of it. [B] 4. What interests, experience and skills do you bring from outside the hobby that you think will make you a more effective judge?[/B] I’m an avid reader and a hiker. Reading only game books for a few months can drive anyone nuts so I have found that reading a good novel really helps relax the brain. Physically sitting and reading for hours is also not good so I get out and hike a few miles every day. It helps my organize my thoughts and go over what I have read. I am a notorious list maker and note taker which makes keeping track of what is good about what books really easy. [B]5. What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you like?[/B] This year I am really experiencing the almost opposite ends in gaming. I run D&D in Eberron using the Shackled City with minis and battle maps. And then I’m also running Changeling with has no premade adventures that I am using and is very character oriented. I prefer the fantasy games and the fantastic along with the pulp to games like super heroes or Noir. I have found White Wolf games like Adventure and Changeling really have what I am looking for in them. [B]6. What system do you think is best designed? Is it the one you play most? The best designed system I have seen is Dread. It is very simple and the mechanics reinforce the horror. But the game I play the most is D&D. It is what many of my friends know and understand best.[/B] [B]7. What games have you played in the past year? List up to 10 RPGs you have played the most.[/B] I’ve gotten to play many games in the past year thanks to conventions and just wanting to try out games. The ones I played the most were D&D, Changeling the Dreaming, Paranoia, Scio: Hero, Dread, Exalted, Spirit of the Century, Passages, Call of Cthulhu, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. [B]8. Briefly summarize the criteria you will use for judging products in the different categories. How will you deal with comparing products of vastly disparate lengths, medium (PDF vs. print), or mechanics to prose ratios? Will innovation and originality play a major role?[/B] I am a big fan of creativity. I like games that attempt to push the boundaries and try something new. But I still want a coherent game that I can understand and teach people. I find that I just rate a book for what it is and not be more impressed with things in print over PDF. [B]9. How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed? What about for systems that are out of print?[/B] Judging games that I am not familiar with is always tough. I go out and buy the core rules to such games and teach myself how to play them. I feel that is the only way to accurately judge anything. For games I am not a fan of I have to work harder to see what the supplement does and how well it does it for that game. For games that are out of print it can be tougher. Luckily, many of them are now out in PDF even after the print run sells out and I can easily get them. Otherwise I will find someone locally who has it and borrow it from them. [B] 10. How would you like to see the ENnies change (categories, policies, etc)? What should remain inviolate?[/B] I would like to see the ENnies find a way to get more books entered even when the publisher does not enter them. I would like to see a few more people on Staff so that Densie has a little less to do. I also would like to see a little more of the process become transparent so that fans and publishers have a better understanding of what goes on. [B]BONUS: (optional) If you were an RPG, what would it be, and would you play it?[/B] I’d be a rules game that tries to be a little artsy. It would work really well if I ran it but it would not always make a lot of sense for other people :cool: [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
2008 ENnies Judge Nom Q&A Thread
Top
