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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dextra" data-source="post: 2597359" data-attributes="member: 5705">Hi all!The Board, Staff and last year's Judges are thrashing about some ideas, and I thought that I'd ask for your input.Up first are the ever-contentious categories.  What do you have to say about any of the following issues?<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I am tempted to make the Fan Site category a fans' choice one.  That way a judge could have contributed to a fan site without having to possibly excuse themselves from the selection process.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I would like to add a Fans' Choice for Best d20 Product and Fans' Choice for Best Product categories.  We are also contemplating changing the Best Game and Best d20 Game categories to Best Product and Best d20 Product categories instead.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">It has been siggested that we consider eliminating the Best Publisher category to be replaced by the Fans' Choice for Best Publisher category.  Personally, I dislike the whole popularity contest issue, and also the ability for a publisher who didn't actually enter the awards to be able to take away the biggest award.  I'm tempted to keep the best publisher award, and just be sure to hammer home the difference between the two.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I would like to fold the Best Setting/setting supplement and Best Monster/adversary categories into the best supplement category.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">With proper definitions, I would like to allow miniatures into the Aid/Accessory category.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">What did you think of the Production Values category?  I liked it because it allowed us to acknowledge some less tangible factors, but I wonder if anyone- fans or publishers- really cared about it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">What about the Best Rules and Writing categories?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">My kids are in competitive Irish Dance, and one of the things a competition will do if there are large numbers in a given category is to split the competition into smaller groups.  I think that this might be the way to go, especially in the Best Supplement category (if we fold the two other categories into it).  Thus I would like to enstate a ruling that should there be more than X types of product in an already bountiful category, the judges may choose to create new categories in which they may fit.  (Actually, the judges already have this ability, but have yet to use it- I just want to make sure that everyone is aware that this is an option, especially with the talk of collapsing some of the categories).  </li> </ol>Best Fan Site - Fan's ChoiceBest CartographyBest Art, CoverBest Art, InteriorBest Production Values (?)Best WritingBest RulesBest AdventureBest Supplement (incl. Best Campaign Setting/Setting Supplement, Best Adversary/Monster Product)Best Aid or AccessoryBest Free Product or Web EnhancementBest Electronic ProductBest d20 Product - Fan's ChoiceBest Product - Fan's ChoiceBest Publisher - Fan's ChoiceBest d20 Product Best Product Best Publisher That makes for 18 awards without any splits.  We could still feasibly come in under the 20 or fewer categories goal.  Any other comments?As for submission guidelines, I am contemplating adding the option for publishers to request that two of their products not be pitted against each other in the same category.  I hope to open up the floodgates for submissions by November 1st- once the guidelines and new judges (and submissions coordinator) are in place.  This would give the judges longer to evaluate product, and save us some money on shipping, too!   This brings me to my next issue.  Money.  I got my cell phone bill  and long distance bills in, and the ENnies are temporarily in the red again.  We worked really hard with fund raising, and will continue to do so.  However, shipping is still a real bone of contention.  If every publisher would ship the product directly to the judges, we wouldn't be in quite such a mess.  The Submissions Coordinator's position/life would be a lot easier, and we wouldn't have to spend a thousand dollars on shipping.  Last year we asked for $10 per publisher to cover the shipping costs for those using the central shipping via Submissions Coordinator option, but it barely made a dent in the costs.  However if we enstated a $5/product submitted (if you ship through the central option) it should cover everything.  Would this adversely affect your decision to participate?  Or affect the number of products you would submit?</blockquote>

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