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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The_Universe" data-source="post: 4395148" data-attributes="member: 8944">Introduction:In my spare time, I’m a professional analyst, but most of the time I’m a gamer. I’ve been in love with games and gaming since I first saw an ad for Dungeons and Dragons on the back of a Transformers comic book, and hooked since an uncle, seeing a fledgling nerd, bought me a copy of HeroQuest for Christmas. Since then, I’ve played or run games in 4 editions of D&D, 3 versions of d20 Star Wars, d6 Star Wars, d20 Modern, Mutants & Masterminds, Savage Worlds, True20, Hollow Earth Expedition, Shadowrun, GURPS, Kobolds Ate My Baby, Torg, Dread, Warhammer FRP, and a few others too obscure to name.I’ve been deeply involved with the ENnies since 2007, and with the greater EN World community from when it was still Eric Noah’s 3rd Edition News. If chosen as a judge, I’ll judge the entrants fairly and systematically, using a weighted pair-ranking system that ensures each product’s merits and flaws are carefully considered.Finally, if elected, I promise to do my part to avoid destroying your puny world with space lasers. Honestly, where are you going to get a better deal than that?1. When did you join the RPG hobby and what inspired you to become involved and stay with it?I’ve been fascinated with the idea of roleplaying games since I first read a “choose-your-own-adventure” book in my grade school library, and involved in the hobby itself since shortly after seeing an ad for D&D on the back of a comic book. My first real game, though, was d6 Star Wars, which I played or ran more or less continuously throughout high school and the first couple of years of college. There’s never really been any question that I’d stick with the hobby. I love the action and heroism of any well-run game, and, as DM/GM, I love plotting out stories for my players.2. Since you joined the hobby, what roles have you played (e.g. vending, professional writing and publishing, freelancing, reviewing, convention organizing, homebrewing, playing, GMing, etc.)?I’ve spent the vast majority of my time in the hobby as a DM/GM, but I play whenever I can. I tend to run homebrew campaigns, but I’ve had a great time with published adventures when I can’t get things rolling on my own. I’ve had an article published in Dungeon, but that’s the extent of my publishing experience. I’ve also helped organize and run the recently resurrected National Capital Area Gameday, and attend regional conventions and gamedays when my schedule allows.  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?  Does your family support you?I’m well-organized, methodical, and (when not gaming) a professional analyst. I’ve got a huge extended “family” of gamers that can help me playtest anything that should need it, and a wife who games with me (Queen Dopplepopolis/DangerGirl!, who’s been an ENnies judge before).4. Judging requires a great deal of critical thinking skills, communication with other judges, deadline management, organization, and storage space for the product received. What interests, experience and skills do you bring that will make you a more effective judge?Aside from my secret underground lair, I have a basement that’s entirely dedicated to gaming, with bookshelves just waiting for ENnies entrants. I’ve seen the judging process in action for the past two years, when my wife, Liz, was a judge, and have a good idea of what the ENnies really entail. I teach critical thinking and structured analysis to adults as a part of my job, and can generally make myself understood in any medium (including messageboards, where a lot of the critical discussions will happen). 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?  Do you consider yourself a particular system’s, publisher’s or genre’s “fanboy/girl”?I’m a big fan of action/adventure, and find that I don’t often gravitate toward systems that depend on madness or horror (or emotional turmoil) for their core dramatic tensions (except Dread, from the Impossible Dream; I friggin’ love the Jenga mechanic). At the moment, I’m most fond of Green Ronin’s M&M (for it’s flexibility and excellent narrative-control mechanics). That said, I’ve had a good time with 4th edition D&D, had fun tinkering with Paizo’s Pathfinder update for the 3e ruleset (which I still deeply enjoy), and had a good time with Hollow Earth Expedition, which all, in their own ways, play to the “strengths” I like. But, as much as I like them, these systems have their flaws, and I’m not above looking at each of them with a critical eye.    6. What system do you think is best designed? Is it the one you play most?Mutants and Masterminds will handle almost any kind of game I’d routinely want to run, and, until recently, it would have been the game I played most often. My group is playing 4e right now, and, though they miss M&M’s flexibility, they’re enjoying the return to some classic RPG tropes. I think both systems are well-designed, but none of them beat Dread (mentioned above), which does a better job matching its task resolution mechanics to its theme than any other game I’ve ever played. It’s an incredibly simple, elegant design. It’s not overly versatile (which I do value), but it’s an unparalleled horror game. 7. What games have you played in the past year?  List up to 10 RPGs you have played the most.Dread, Savage Worlds, Star Wars Saga, D&D 3.5e, D&D 4e, Hollow Earth Expedition, Mutants & Masterminds, True20, d20 Modern, and Kobolds Ate My Baby.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?I think form should follow function (which should give you an idea of how I’ll judge products of disparate lengths, mediums, and mechanics/prose ratios). Some games and supplements work best as short PDFs, other things work best as long books. Innovation and originality will, of course, play a large role in my assessment of products, but I’m all about total quality, and ensuring that the product in question has a great “hook” and that, in the end, it lives up to the promise of that hook.To judge each product, I’ll use a weighted pair-ranking system originally developed for the CIA that I use at work, occasionally. As a part of that process, I’ll develop a list of elements that I consider essential indicators of quality in each category. You don’t judge “Best Interior Art” by the same standards you judge “Best Writing!”Then, I’ll exhaustively compare each product in that category to every other product therein (this is the pair-ranking part) until I have a final ranking for each product. It helps cut the work down into manageable chunks, minimizes bias, and helps ensure that I’m only judging products against the other products entered this year. 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?I’ll judge them like I’d judge anything else, I suppose, though I’m not sure we’ll see a lot of new entries for systems that are out of print. In any case, each entrant should be judged on its own merits and flaws (whatever they are), and not any “baggage” that it brings with it. As an example, I’m not a huge fan of any edition of GURPS, but I have a ton of supplements for that game on my shelf, because they’re almost uniformly excellent. When possible, I’ll try to find the rules I’d need to playtest the supplement. When not, I’ll try to evaluate how much value the supplement would add to the system its meant for, as well as the quality of the ideas that the book itself contains.10. How would you like to see the ENnies change (categories, policies, etc)?  What should remain inviolate?I’m perfectly happy with the ENnies officially stated categories and policies. The only thing that must remain inviolate are the judges’ discretion to consider entrants as they see fit. BONUS: (optional) If you were an RPG, what would it be, and would you play it?Let’s be realistic: if I was an RPG, it’d be something like… “Cubicles & Crusades, a game of cutthroat professional rivalries in which your character must fight to protect his three-hole-punch from a variety of horrific foes, including the dreaded MicroManager, the dead-inside Almost Retiree, and the uselessly meddling Deputy Branch Chief.  Can you convince IT support to install new RAM in your computer before the Budgetary Officer stops you? Can you finish writing that e-mail before the Ignorant Trainee attacks with a barrage of Banal Questions? Prepare for the Great Cubicle War, and find out what you’re made of!”Now that I think about it, that might be kind of fun. I might play.</blockquote>

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