Nominations are up!!

[woodelf]

By the way, many thanks to the judges for their hard work and Dextra and Co for another great round of nominations. It is truly an honor to be nominated so many times. It is really great to be in the company of so many other cool products. We publishers are all a bit competitive and all really passionate about our products and so we all want the best shot at recognition for our products (and having SCAP in the category against your personal favorite definately bites ).

I've got no sympathy for you. Dread's up against Spycraft 2.0 and M&MM2. You know, the game that got me, a don't-like-espionage-genre don't-like-high-crunch-games gamer, dying to play crunchy spies; and the game that has Hero diehards switching to it for their supers gaming. I mean, we're talking perhaps the two best D20 System games to date, and a couple of the best RPGs of all time. And that's not even considering the other exceptionally fine products (Artesia, A Game of Thrones RPG, ShadowRun 4th, and Aces & Eights) in the categories. Heck, i've got a game in the running, and i'm still not 100% sure what i should vote for (though i think i know what'll win out in the end, for me ). And have i mentioned that Dread is a small-small-publisher's product, with around 100 total copies having ever been sold? Not exactly a good position to be in when it comes to the popular vote part of the contest. But, damn, am i flattered!

But that shouldnt cloud the fact that there really are a great, great set of products in the running this year and we should all step back and soak in the coolness of all these products.

Yeah, what he said. This is one of the few times (with the Origins *or* ENnies) when, setting aside my personal preferences, i can look at nearly every product in most categories and say 'they're all so good i don't know who i think should win.' Usually, there are a few products that i can't figure out how they made the cut, and/or a product or two that so clearly outshines the rest as to be a clear winner. Not so much this year. Certainly not in the categories i've paid the most attention to (those Dread is in). And, in all seriousness, despite my pessimism about Dread's chances of actually winning, i sincerely am honored to have even been nominated, especially given the uniformly excellent calibre of the games we're up against. Finding this out Monday night was the coolest, most-happyifying surprise i've gotten in years. No matter who wins.

 

[woodelf]

Kudos to the nominees, and the honorable mentions!

And countless thanks to the judges, and to Dextra, and all the others who give of their time to make the ENnies happen. As Pramas mentioned, you guys have helped to bring the ENnies from simple fansite awards to "without a doubt the most prestigious RPG award in the game industry now." That is high praise. Keep up the good work!

Well, i'd argue the Diana Jones Award is the most-prestigious award an RPG can get, but, yeah, the ENnies are right up there. Heck, the fact that a non-traditional, super-small-press, not-published-by-an-established-company, not-Forge-affiliated, RPG can get nominated has significantly upped my opinion of the validity of the ENnies as being quality-driven rather than popularity-driven (as so many awards are). And this would be true even if that super-small-press RPG hadn't been mine.

 

[diaglo]

My main gripe about SCAP being in the Best Campaign/Setting Supplement is that it will most likely win and that means our Wilderlands Boxed Set--which in my view is 100% campaign setting unlike SCAP's 15%--wont win.

i don't know about that assumption.

i know i had much love for the Wilderlands even though it was d02.


edit: and on the adventure side i voted for the The Whispering Cairn from the Age of Worms adventure path in #124 over SC.

 

[Psion]

Actually, the only people who should really have a say in the awards are the fans & consumers. The publishers most definitely should not be making any of the decisions.

And yet, the credibility of the awards is largely informed by how many publishers choose to participate.

 

[Jonny Nexus]

And yet, the credibility of the awards is largely informed by how many publishers choose to participate.

Who did and who didn't participate?

I know Mongoose didn't (and I'm aware that people have "varying" opinions on Mongoose products, but I've heard very good things - for example - about stuff like The Drow War campaign).

 

[Psion]

Who did and who didn't participate?

I beleive those who entered are a matter of public record, though I couldn't point you too the page right off. Perhaps some kind soul who doesn't have to walk out the door in 30 seconds could pull up a link.

 

[Psion]

Well, i'd argue the Diana Jones Award is the most-prestigious award an RPG can get, but, yeah, the ENnies are right up there. Heck, the fact that a non-traditional, super-small-press, not-published-by-an-established-company, not-Forge-affiliated, RPG can get nominated has significantly upped my opinion of the validity of the ENnies as being quality-driven rather than popularity-driven (as so many awards are). And this would be true even if that super-small-press RPG hadn't been mine.

Well, on the flipside, I think the fact that an award with independant sensibilities recognized a rules-heavy d20 derivative game instead of a forge-derived product upped my opinion of the validity of the Diana Jones Award.

 

[diaglo]

Who did and who didn't participate?

i think it is on this page: http://www.dreadgazebo.com/ennies06/links.html

 

[DaveMage]

Actually, the only people who should really have a say in the awards are the fans & consumers.

It's been made very clear that Gen Con is helping to finance these awards and has set certain parameters for the awards.

The fans get to vote (and gripe if we want), but we don't get a final say (although we can certrainly make helpful suggestions). Decisions are up to the judges within the parameters set by the producers. (And, frankly, without the producers funding these awards, they ain't happening.)

 

[kigmatzomat]

Actually I don't have a problem with judges vs. internet voting. Voting is not a simple thing to do as there are various ways to stuff the ballot boxes. And no, I don't mean publishers are prone to do it but that a few intrepid fanboys might, kinda like Lazlo manhandling the Frito Lay's "enter as many times as you'd like" sweepstakes.

Maybe some more clarification or at least guidance wouldn't hurt, like telling publishers if they can enter a product under multiple categories and what the normal expectations are of a category. IMO it should not be a bullet point list of qualifications ("settings must contain dieties, rely on core system dieties or be athiestic") but an idea of what the judges are typically expecting.

Why no hard & fast rules? I want that completely unconventional, breaks-all-the-standard-tropes product to be able to win rather than being disqualified on a technicality. It can't win if it can't enter.

And the truth is that I think the judges get the spirit of the categories. Can a gamer use this in a particular way? No? Then it's a crappy product for that role even if it has high production values.