How did you experience the WotC Setting Search

[Insight]

The main problem I had with the Setting Search is that one the foundations of the search was to bring new blood into the RPG industry and they end up going with someone with many published works to his credit. Hmmm.....

 

[JoeGKushner]

The main problem I had with the Setting Search is that one the foundations of the search was to bring new blood into the RPG industry.

Can you give me a direct quote as to where WoTC stated that was one of the foundations as opposed to it being open to 'new blood'?

 

[Numion]

The main problem I had with the Setting Search is that one the foundations of the search was to bring new blood into the RPG industry and they end up going with someone with many published works to his credit. Hmmm.....

That wasn't the case, but even if it had been, it would've been bad business sense. Should've they chosen a worse setting by a newcomer, just because he's a newcomer?

EDIT (removed a wrong sentence) and: I thought it was a good touch that they did it anonymously.

 

[Henry]

Not to re-spark the whole debate, but remember that the search was totally blind. They had no way of knowing that the winning entry was a previously published author, but the fact that it was makes perfect sense. After all, who was more likely to have the practice at properly putting their ideas to paper? In addition, it's not like Keith or Rich, or the third guy whose name I can't remember, were the top-known names in the industry. Even in a cottage industry like RPG's, none of these guys were on the "A-list." Anyone COULD have won, but the talent generally rises to the top if all things are equal, and Keith (in addition to Rich) has proven this in spades since then.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I am supposed to write an article about the (in)famous Setting Search

Why infamous?

Some acquaintances of mine submitted their rubbish setting, Pakh-Pakh. Needless to say, it got nowhere. I remember one of them saying he reckoned they had a 50% chance of making the top ten.

 

[Maggan]

The esteemed mister Baker

The main problem I had with the Setting Search is that one the foundations of the search was to bring new blood into the RPG industry and they end up going with someone with many published works to his credit. Hmmm.....

I remember Baker being in the process of being published, just breaking into d20 when he won the setting search. My impression was that he had one or two titles in print, no more.

And then he got more work, because he showed people he can write. And thus a multitude of Baker Books showed up. Don't know how many, though?

M.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Why infamous?

Well, I remember the flamewars. And the conspiracy theory. And the sulking and complaints when everyone heard about Eberron.

So I'd say it was definitely "infamous" in some quarters...

 

[Staffan]

The main problem I had with the Setting Search is that one the foundations of the search was to bring new blood into the RPG industry and they end up going with someone with many published works to his credit. Hmmm.....

Assuming you consider being an author or co-author of six or seven books as having "many published works to his credit". At the time of the setting search, the only things listed at pen-paper.net for Keith are: Complete Guide to Doppelgangers (2002, so may be post-search), At your service, Touched by the Gods, Forgotten Lives, and (noted in a comment by Keith) En Route, the Ebon Mirror, and Occult Lore (the last two also being 2002 items). Out of the four books listed in the database that Keith had to his credit before the setting search, he's only sole author of one (Complete Guide to Doppelgangers) and shares the credit with 5-7 other authors on each other one.

So while he was published at the time of the setting search, it's not like he was a major RPG-biz star.

 

[painandgreed]

I first experienced it when Dragon did their spread of the new upcoming Eberron campaign.

 

[The Shaman]

WotC had a setting search?