How did you experience the WotC Setting Search

[JoeGKushner]

Obeserver who didn't care one way of the other.

Too many good settings left behidn so that they could get to the "next big thing" TM as opposed to say, brining Greyhawk or for a more edgy setting, Darksun or Planescape.

I enjoy Eberron but...

 

[Belen]

Obeserver who didn't care one way of the other.

Too many good settings left behidn so that they could get to the "next big thing" TM as opposed to say, brining Greyhawk or for a more edgy setting, Darksun or Planescape.

I enjoy Eberron but...

Agreed!

 

[Henry]

My experiences are as follows:

When the setting search was announced, I and my friends got together and pooled our talents on a single submission, rather than shotgunning. We came up with a great idea, mainly by the work of a co-DM, and submitted it. It was original without being original, and actually involved several elements that Eberron also had! It let us know at least that we were on the right track.

Jürgen, One thing in your report/article not to neglect are the outcries of "stolen" settings, nepotism (which was funny), and the general hesitation of amateur writers to send in their materials. If anything, the search taught me more of what professional writers and authors DO go through regularly, it taught me about the nature of actual writing talent versus perceived talent, and it taught me about human nature concerning rejection in a professional setting.

 

[Belen]

Jürgen, One thing in your report/article not to neglect are the outcries of "stolen" settings, nepotism (which was funny), and the general hesitation of amateur writers to send in their materials. If anything, the search taught me more of what professional writers and authors DO go through regularly, it taught me about the nature of actual writing talent versus perceived talent, and it taught me about human nature concerning rejection in a professional setting.

I prefer to get rejection letters. It beats getting no letters at all.

 

[DaveMage]

I entered one submission, which, of course, was so unbelievably fabulous that Wizards was afraid that if mine was selected, people would whimper because everything else in their lives would be so bland compared to it. They were worried about mass suicides, etc.

Reluctantly, I agreed, and said, "go ahead with Baker's submission."


Ahem.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Jürgen, One thing in your report/article not to neglect are the outcries of "stolen" settings, nepotism (which was funny), and the general hesitation of amateur writers to send in their materials. If anything, the search taught me more of what professional writers and authors DO go through regularly, it taught me about the nature of actual writing talent versus perceived talent, and it taught me about human nature concerning rejection in a professional setting.

Yeah, I remember those conspiracy theories... Does anyone still have a link?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

That's simply not true.

<snip>

the original context of his words have been misinterpreted quite broadly and ubiquitously in the gamer community, mostly because nobody bothers to look at the original context in which he said it, they just make vague (and inaccurate) statements like, well, like, "The original guidelines had asked for something more traditional."

Yeah, I probably fell for that. Hearing what I wanted to hear instead of what was being said. Ah well.

 

[Mallus]

The setting searched prompted a long, furious email exchange between me and my buddy Steve, which resulted in our current homebrew, The World of CITY. Those collected emails (about 90 pages in Word) still make up the bulk of our 'campaign guide'.

A few weeks before the 1-pager winners announcement, Steve got an email from someone at Wizard's, telling him joint submissions required both authors signatures, and could you please have me sign a form and get it to them ASAP...

Needlless to say, we took this as a fantastic sign and got very, very drunk that night at a great bar on South St.

Then we found out we didn't make it round 2.

Which is a fine. Did me really have a chance with a world where the Grand Canyon was carved by a god's dragging penis, Yeti demonstrate they're civilized by wearing pants, and the Devil has a fondness for canasta and gin?

 

[hong]

Yeti demonstrate they're civilized by wearing pants

WELL, THAT WAS SILLY, WASN'T IT?

 

[Desdichado]

the Grand Canyon was carved by a god's dragging penis

Hey, you've convinced me anyway. What do those damn geologists know, anyway?