Software category?

[HellHound]

It seems, in my limited view, that with the 'unless we get 8-10 products' mindset, software will never get it's due at the Ennies. How often are you going to get 8-10 rpg-related software applicants ever, much less every year? However, if/when WotC decides to publish their virtual tabletop, I suspect that app will find itself in a category or two for Ennie-lovin'...just a speculation/opinion I am postulating.

How else are you going to produce a field of 5 worthy candidates to be nominated for the award? After all, it is important to keep the nominations as something of value to maintain the current rep of the ENnies.

If five pieces of software are submitted and only 2 are of a quality that the judges feel is appropriate to nominate for an award, should a category be created for 2 products (and both nominees win ENnies)? Or should all 5 be given nominations even though some of them might be incredibly awful?

Last year, both miniatures and software were included in one category with other RPG aids and accessories.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Software tends to be a kind of continuing thing given the way most of the programs keep evolving with patches -- so it's sort of like websites.

Perhaps allow software from previous years to keep entering and the award indicate which of the various applications current patch versions/editions is doing the best.

I figure you'd have several character generators, at least three mappers, and so on. That should be a big enough field.

 

[rom90125]

I guess what I am trying to say is this:

Have the brain-trust formally announce that a software category has been created for the Ennies. If developers wish to submit a product (or two, depending on what the rules/guidelines state) then fill out the form and submit the request.

If, at the time the judges begin their evaluations, the group finds that there were not enough participates, then post something along those lines on the official Ennie site (as well as on Enworld). Drop the software category from that year's categories.

It is my opinion that once the developers see there is a category for them, they will fill out a request form and you will have the 8-10 entries you want to make it a worthwhile category.

 

[HellHound]

Have the brain-trust formally announce that a software category has been created for the Ennies...(more)...

This is purely from my perspective as someone who has inside knowledge from sleeping with (and thus talking to) Dextra, and is not official in any way:

I believe this is being discussed as one of two sub-categories that may be announced prior to the finalized listing, with the exact caveat that you mentioned of it being folded back into the aid / accessory category if there are not enough products to make the category worthwhile.

 

[rom90125]

thanks for the 411. And if the Ennies are a part of your pillow talk...wow. Hardcore my friend, hardcore.

 

[HellHound]

I got sucked out of my hibernation from these forums by the ENnies.

The last time I posted on ENWorld was just before GenCon last year because certain people were ragging on the ENnies staff so hard that I came in to tell them to shut up and save it for CONSTRUCTIVE use after the awards are over, instead of increasing the stress level in my household right as the voting is wrapping up and Dextra has to get everything else together for GenCon.

So yeah, the ENnies take a LOT of Dextra's time. And since I'm the one who introduced her to ENWorld (and am more of a gamer than she is), I get to hear about everything going on with them.