So who's getting ulcers from anticipation?

[jgbrowning]

search

more than likely whoever wins, there will be triple that number.. of equally good settings.

of the 10 or so, i imagine all of them will be damn good. i think its probably more a matter of "sellablity" than "quality".

whatever the hell that means.

joe b.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html

he he, this isn't aimed at you hak, just a thought for many who don't seem to realize who they are up against. i, too, took the plunge and sent something in, but i think we may all be seeing some very familiar names on the short list

That was an interesting article. Those who are incompetent cannot see their own incompetence due to their incompetence. I think what was key was that the incompetent always rated their own competence as disproportionately higher than the competent did. That is, they always felt they did much better than they did, while the competent - especially those who were really good - always underestimated their own performance. Yeah, I know it seems obvious once you think about it, but it was fascinating to read how the study came to this conclusion.

 

[Xeriar]

George R.R. Martin?

Do you think he would enter this? Has he ever done any work with gaming?

He roleplays using GURPS, according to an IRC interview I found through Fantasy Flight Games' GoT message board (and a license for a Song of Ice and Fire RPG is in the works).

So yeah, I'd bet real money that he sent something in. Which means he can't win because that would delay his work on A Dance With Dragons

John Wick?

The talented guy from White Wolf? Do you really think he'd stoop so low?

Anyway, you're right. Martin would be a five hundred pound guerilla. And Wick might wiegh in with other gamers at 350

John Wick has an attitude, but I've at least seen enough of him to know that yes, even he would sell his soul for $120 grand

If only to put Orks back in the limelight

 

[Xeriar]

That was an interesting article. Those who are incompetent cannot see their own incompetence due to their incompetence. I think what was key was that the incompetent always rated their own competence as disproportionately higher than the competent did. That is, they always felt they did much better than they did, while the competent - especially those who were really good - always underestimated their own performance. Yeah, I know it seems obvious once you think about it, but it was fascinating to read how the study came to this conclusion.

Which is why I had my best friend, who is the most brutal, scathing critic I know of, go over my submission. Setting went from 'eh' to 'ooh' in days

 

[National Acrobat]

I haven't wasted any time or effort thinking about the search results. The open call basically forced me to do something that I had never done before-organize all of my home brew campaign world information in a nice, easy to use indexed and coherent form. I have been using the same home brew world for 20 years. Now I know where all of the resources for it are.

"Americans Don't want to be saved, they just want to be left alone"-Dave Mustaine

 

[Henry]

All that barely contained anxiety from the suspense of waiting for Anthony Valterra's return and the results of the first round of the Setting Search!

Please -- I get more profound ulcers making out my monthly bills...

It's best to simply let it be. Check the boards approximately once a day, especially Krug's "News" threads, and then let it leave your mind. There are far better things to do in a day that worry about something that won't be announced likely AT LEAST until wednesday of next week or later...

And plus, you know that when Morrus returns to update the site, that if it happens then, it will be front page news.

Good luck, and relax a little!

 

[jester47]

I dont worry, In the end it is a trivial thing. I have better things to do with my time. I sent in the most hacked spun-off thing I could think of and have essentially forgotten about it.

Aaron.

 

[Chromnos]

Just to put in my two cents worth-

Despite the very well written article and study describing how people who are incompetent think over-highly of themselves, I do not feel the sample or the corollary is entirely valid. Though I do not have access to scientific data, I can point to a number of individuals that are both egotistical as all hell and are also (unfortunately) very talented. Take Eminem, for example, who is quite competent and possesses an ego that would put most gamers to shame. Or take Jack Kerouac who sold most of his stuff by bragging his ass off.

Also, the very nature of competition breeds egoism. Certain personalities react to stress by puffing up their own self-worth (which may or may not be justified).

Within the realm of this competition, I feel, there are a wide range of people with varying motivations. You've got you're lottery players who enjoy the fantasy of winning, you've got the "aww shucks- what the hell, but I don't expect to win" crowd. But you've also got the people who put together some SERIOUS submissions.

Me, I found out at the last minute (3 days prior to deadline) and it ruined my week. I spent the good portion of those three days refining my submission and making it shine as much as possible (Drawing on friends and editors with experience in various related fields for criticism). All for a single submission.

Now, you've got others. Like those who put together teams for their submissions or those who pumped out submissions en mass (I know one guy who sent in 37). And you've got the likelihood that professionals (fantasy-fiction and high profile game designers) put their two cents worth in.

I think how great a person thinks there stuff is (with regards to writing) is directly proportional to how much effort they put into it. Then the self- the ego- has a stake in all this work being of high quality. Even those who may seem uncertain and humble on the surface, IMHO, think their stuff is the 'bomb'. Otherwise they wouldn't continue to work on it and love it as much as they do. And eventually, those who do make it are not often those with the most talent. Instead they are those with the most love for what they do.

You've gotta have confidence to succeed. And if you don't believe in the value your own stuff, then no-one else will.

 

[Henry]

Chromnos -

I agree that confidence is important to success, but I also know that if this submission were the ONLY thing someone has written, and they are eagerly awaiting its announcement, and they don't have any other submissions pending, then it really isn't worth worrying about to the extent that it interferes with your enjoyment. Our gaming group (composed of several different creative writers and talented artists) put together a submission based on one DM's concept world, modified by the others to introduce elements to make it more connectible to other product lines besides RPG supplements.

I myself think our chances are good - same as most of the other entrants who read these boards. However, time will tell, and most of us have plenty of other things in life to worry about than whether we are chosen. If we are, then we are prepared to move to the next stage. If not, then we have been tossing around the idea of offering the idea to other d20 publishers looking for submissions (several have expressed an interest on these boards, I've noticed.) But for sure, worrying never made an envelope travel any faster by mail.

 

[Chromnos]

But for sure, worrying never made an envelope travel any faster by mail.

Ain't that the God's honest truth.

Worried? I'd say I was more worried before after my first submission to a professional publication. Now, five hundred odd rejection letters later (and about five acceptances), I'm too well aware of reality to be worried.

Not that I don't feel wistfully hopeful sometimes.

Honestly, I think what tends to draw one back to these threads is curiosity. Sure, I'd like to win as much as anyone. But I'd be curious as to who among us did win and to find out more about them.

I guess what really is interesting is how semi-professional writers and first timers stack up to the big boys.

Finally, I'm not sure if I would sign off all my rights even if I did win. Some people drew their settings from scratch or from games they'd been playing for years. My setting was developed to flesh out a fantasy world on which novels would be based. Some thousand pages of notes and one 150,000 word book later, I'd want first refusal rights at least for fiction before selling the whole concept.

-C