Graf
Explorer
[So I just lost this post.... I expect serious good karma for re-typing this whole thing.]
Sumo (yeah, with the big virtually-nekked fat guys) is basically about size. The highest ranked grappelers are basically always hulking monstrosities and the chance of a smaller guy getting to the upper ranks is just about zero. So what keeps the little fellas going (other than the love of the sport?). Each tournament the judges give out three awards (fighting spirit, superiour technique and something else I forget).
I propose/submit/suggest that the Ennies have 2-3 awards handed out by the judges.
Possibilities
Especially Creative ~ This would be story oriented. The sort of thing that Planescape might win if someone invented it now. Or might be a place for products like Requiem for a God, or other, hard-to-catagorize products to have a chance at recognition.
tight new mechanics ~ A product which introduces some good new (balanced) but innovative mechanics. For example: Last year OA had monk progression PrCs, fighting styles, taint rules, a balanced character class with arcane spells and healing (IMHO anyway), a new way to advance arcane PrCs, a better wizard (the wu-jen), etc. IMHO it added a lot of tools to the toolbox. I've heard positive things about the mechanics in Wulf"s books and the alt.paladins in the Book of the Rightious.
OGL contribution ~ maybe a company award? A way to reward/recognize those companies who contribute to the community.*
Paupers Paradise ~ Some folks have less dough for their hobby than others and everybody likes a good deal. The publishers who occupy the lower end of the hobby provide a lot and are recognized infrequently. This would remedy that. I think a cap of US$6 or so is right.
[IMHO A PDF award is nonsensical, but this would certainly allow -certain- PDF products a chance to compete on different criteria....]
reasons
Showing off hidden gems
The ENnies are basically a popularity contest. While some folks (and I can, sort of, see their point) complain about it most people don't read every product nominated but go through the list and pick they already know and liked (or pick anything other than the product they hated).
So there is a strong tendancy for products with higher exposure to win.
Is there anything wrong with allowing the products to compete on another level?
Let the judges shine
The judges have actually seen and read the (probably close to 500 dollars worth of) products. They have been nominated for their experience and informed views on the hobby (or in Teflon Billy's case tight buttocks).
I say we shamelessly use them for their insight.
problems/issues
workload (maybe some of the previous judges could chime in here?) ~ I would expect that the judges would (after taking a few days off) decide on the awards after the nominations were complete during the online voting for the main catagories. So it wouldn't need to conflict with the main judging.... though it might draw out the process a bit.
*I tend to think that WotC, the only company that provides all of its OGL content on the web in an organized fashin is actually the winner but then I'm not a judge so my opinion wouldn't really matter.
[edit for HTML issues]
Sumo (yeah, with the big virtually-nekked fat guys) is basically about size. The highest ranked grappelers are basically always hulking monstrosities and the chance of a smaller guy getting to the upper ranks is just about zero. So what keeps the little fellas going (other than the love of the sport?). Each tournament the judges give out three awards (fighting spirit, superiour technique and something else I forget).
I propose/submit/suggest that the Ennies have 2-3 awards handed out by the judges.
Possibilities
Especially Creative ~ This would be story oriented. The sort of thing that Planescape might win if someone invented it now. Or might be a place for products like Requiem for a God, or other, hard-to-catagorize products to have a chance at recognition.
tight new mechanics ~ A product which introduces some good new (balanced) but innovative mechanics. For example: Last year OA had monk progression PrCs, fighting styles, taint rules, a balanced character class with arcane spells and healing (IMHO anyway), a new way to advance arcane PrCs, a better wizard (the wu-jen), etc. IMHO it added a lot of tools to the toolbox. I've heard positive things about the mechanics in Wulf"s books and the alt.paladins in the Book of the Rightious.
OGL contribution ~ maybe a company award? A way to reward/recognize those companies who contribute to the community.*
Paupers Paradise ~ Some folks have less dough for their hobby than others and everybody likes a good deal. The publishers who occupy the lower end of the hobby provide a lot and are recognized infrequently. This would remedy that. I think a cap of US$6 or so is right.
[IMHO A PDF award is nonsensical, but this would certainly allow -certain- PDF products a chance to compete on different criteria....]
reasons
Showing off hidden gems
The ENnies are basically a popularity contest. While some folks (and I can, sort of, see their point) complain about it most people don't read every product nominated but go through the list and pick they already know and liked (or pick anything other than the product they hated).
So there is a strong tendancy for products with higher exposure to win.
Is there anything wrong with allowing the products to compete on another level?
Let the judges shine
The judges have actually seen and read the (probably close to 500 dollars worth of) products. They have been nominated for their experience and informed views on the hobby (or in Teflon Billy's case tight buttocks).
I say we shamelessly use them for their insight.
problems/issues
workload (maybe some of the previous judges could chime in here?) ~ I would expect that the judges would (after taking a few days off) decide on the awards after the nominations were complete during the online voting for the main catagories. So it wouldn't need to conflict with the main judging.... though it might draw out the process a bit.
*I tend to think that WotC, the only company that provides all of its OGL content on the web in an organized fashin is actually the winner but then I'm not a judge so my opinion wouldn't really matter.
[edit for HTML issues]
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