Branstorming for ENnies 2003 -- improvements, changes, etc

[ColonelHardisson]

I've been reading the posts and I don't think that anyone is really accusing anyone involved of fixing the competition.

I have to disagree. There was one poster who pretty much said it flat-out. There was no way to rationalize what was being said other than that the judges fixed it in favor of WotC, and that we - and EN World - were, essentially, shills for WotC.

EDIT: Crap. What I wrote after the first paragraph just didn't look right, and sounded unfair. I'll try to think of a better and more accurate way to put it later.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

OK, let me put it this way: the judges were well aware of WotC's likelihood of winning any category they were nominated for. We made sure that anything by them that was nominated was fully deserving of that nomination, and wasn't being nominated because it "had" to be nominated because it was from WotC.

Regarding Oriental Adventures: it deserved nomination, simply because it fulfilled the criteria for the category. It wasn't a perfect fit, the same as a few others submitted for that category, but it was of higher quality overall than others that didn't get nominated. Just because it wasn't like some of the other nominees doesn't mean it didn't deserve to be in there.

 

[DPGDarrin]

I myself jokingly said that having WotC products involved was like one of those Quiznos unfair matchups commercials. I still don't believe that everyone had an equal opportunity to take home an award, and that is largely due to the whole marketshare issue. My comment had nothing to do with anyone intentionally fixing the competition, but rather the results when you put up an enormous corporate force against much smaller companies that were often spawned by forementioned corporate force. Or, to put it another way, I believe that no one could really gauge what the results would be if WotC were allowed entrance. If my comments were interpreted as suggesting that the contest was fixed, then I apologize, because that wasn't what I meant to imply.

For others who would even suggest that the judges intentionally set WotC up to win, I just don't feel that this was the case, mainly because I have too much respect for the people that were involved in that process. The only possible payoff for doing something like that would be to help legitimize the awards by involving WotC, but doing so runs the risk of diminishing the prestige of the award by allowing an unbeatable juggernaut to compete. After the excellent start the award got off to in year 1, I just can't understand why anyone would intentionally fix this award. For anyone who feels actually otherwise, I would like to call them out and ask what the judges could possibly stand to gain by fixing it.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Darrin - I know you were kidding.

 

[Nightfall]

Coln,

You'll forgive me if I find my creduality strained regarding OA. Yes it's a good book. Yes it's deserving of nominations. But Best SETTING?! I'm sorry I don't see it. I didn't see one freaking map in that book. Nor did I see any reference to a city, it's population or laws. I'm sorry but to me, if it doesn't have that, it's a suppliment, not a setting. Again that's just my opinion and certainly I'm not taking it out on ANYONE in charge. I just think that maybe something like that needed to be rethought is my only gripe.

 

[Drawmack]

Okay people want to "level the playing field" without excluding any publishers. I agree that this is a great idea. People also want to have more awards, I will comment on these seperatly as one really has nothing to do with the other, what's to stop WotC from putting out a pdf release, and actaully it could be argued that they already do on a monthly basis with their adventures and side trecks. anyway onto the comments.

Leveling the Playing Field
Maybe I've had one to many classess in statistical analysis but give this so thorough though.

First add an abstain radio button to every catagory this way people will not feel like they have to vote in every catagory.

Second instead of just voting for a product the person also mandatorily rates their exposure to every product (unless abstaining). This process could be on a scale of something like own it, have read it, perused it, seen the cover and never heard of it. Now we have 5 moninations and 5 levels of exposure. For every product that a person lists as never heard of it in a catagory their vote in that catagory is weighted to be worth 20% less. For every product in a catagory that a voter lists as seen the cover their vote is worth 15% less. For every product that a voter lists as perused it their vote is worth 10% less. Finally for every product in a catagory that a voter lists as read it their vote is worth 5% less. Default this to never heard of it so if the person doesn't fill this in for a catagory their vote will not count at all. Now we will have votes that are weighted by the amount of exposure that the person has has to all the products in the catagory. So if someone has only seen one product in a catagory they can still vote for that product but their vote will in essence count as 1/5 of a vote. I think this would take care of all the issues with popularity and distribution.

More Catagories
Here are my ideas for additional catagories:
1) Best FanBook or NetBook, we put blood sweat and tears into this out of pure love and deserve the recoginition.
2) Best Digital Release - this covers all digital formats and not just pdf.
3) Best Role-Playing Aid Program - Let's give these people some credit most of the give the stuff away.
4) Best Product - over all.
5) Best Writter
6) Best Artist
7) Best Cartographer

Just some food for though.

 

[DPGDarrin]

But Best SETTING?! I'm sorry I don't see it. I didn't see one freaking map in that book.

I am just splitting hairs here, but there is a map of Rokugan that comes with OA.

 

[Nightfall]

Well my friend must have destroyed it since I didn't see it in his copy of OA. But I'll take your word Darrin.

 

[Grazzt]

I am just splitting hairs here, but there is a map of Rokugan that comes with OA.

I'll have to check my book again, but I dont remember a map being in the book either.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Expansion of the awards to include the Annual T-Bill Coolness in Publishing award! Chosen completely by Teflon Billy and given to the publisher that makes sure he has a good time at the convention...

Well, I'd love to have this included as a category, but please folks, don't think of not getting picked as "losing" per se...

it should all be about the joy of competiton