The writers of the competition

[EOL]

Re: Comments on the First Batch of Entries

Put to the Sword (EL 2) Nice encounter, and I really like the fresh background provided for the Feast of the Kindred and the Quest of Draahl. However, each element (encounter, setting, and NPC) is directly linked to the other elements. It’s fine to link the encounter itself to the NPC and location (expected even). It isn’t okay to have, under this set of rules, the location (labeled specifically for Therva and the alligator), and the NPC (who’s description is directly linked to the encounter and location) linked to the others.

I'd liked this encounter, but it doesn't have anything in it which screams run-away winner. The NPC is cool, but the encounter seems pretty generic and sparse, despite that it is currently the run-away winner, by a margin of 2-1 over every competitor but one (whom it leads by 50%).

I would feel a lot better if I knew there was some method to keep people from voting multiple times. No accusations (it's the first adventure it could be any number of things), but does anyone know the answer to this? Anyone, anyone? Beuller?

 

[Morrus]

Re: Re: Comments on the First Batch of Entries

I would feel a lot better if I knew there was some method to keep people from voting multiple times. No accusations (it's the first adventure it could be any number of things), but does anyone know the answer to this? Anyone, anyone? Beuller?

Bravenet polls are about as secure a poll as you're likely to get on the internet without writing a specific application to handle it. The prevent multiple votes from the same IP addresss which, while not infallible, does do a pretty good job.

 

[EOL]

Re: Re: Re: Comments on the First Batch of Entries

Bravenet polls are about as secure a poll as you're likely to get on the internet without writing a specific application to handle it. The prevent multiple votes from the same IP addresss which, while not infallible, does do a pretty good job.

Thanks Morrus!

 

[Corporate Dog]

Re: Re: Comments on the First Batch of Entries

I'd liked this encounter, but it doesn't have anything in it which screams run-away winner. The NPC is cool, but the encounter seems pretty generic and sparse, despite that it is currently the run-away winner, by a margin of 2-1 over every competitor but one (whom it leads by 50%).

Speaking as someone who voted for it, I liked it for it's twist on a standard D&D trope (heroes kill monsters because that's what heroes do) and for the moral dilemna at its chewy, nougatty center.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

[Mistwell]

Of course, you can pull a "Kirk & the Kobayashi Maru test" (boy is my serious geek side showing) in the "Put to the Sword" senario by just putting Terva the wounded lizardman to sleep (its a first level spell, and likely to be one the party has memorized for a 2-3 level adventure), and then healing him. He'll wake up, have no idea what happened, and be discovered by his tribe relatively unhurt and with a dead gator. Sure, he might deduce that he was healed by the party, but he might not also, and he won't have any real "proof" he was healed by the party either, instead of "the gods". Yes, it might not work (particularly with that relatively high Int and Wis), but it seems worth a shot. I do agree, the moral delema in this senario is a good one. I just wish the author had followed the rules and made the NPC and Location independant of each other and the Encounter (I mean, the NPC even has it's HP's reduced in the description specifically based on the encounter, and has a little icon right there on the map!).

 

[der_kluge]

Mistwell, since my encounter is one in your review, I do appreciate the feedback. And, without mentioning which one it is, I would have to agree with your perceptions.

I'll try to post my opinions on them without sounding too biased towards my own.

 

[Victim]

Many of the encounters in the first set seemed to have rule errors, or certain things that would not be very plausible if the rules are taken into account.

For example, the lizardfolk fighter didn't have HD from being a lizardman, seemed to have to high an AC. Also, I wouldn't like the odds on first level lizardfolk fighter versus a croc (closest thing I could find in the MM, and I can't remember which type is biggest).

In the "cough" I feel great "cough" adventure, I have a problem with the use of suggestion. Okay, so the Goddess suggests to someone that they are fine and have been cured by her amazing power. That's fine. But what happens 9 hours later when the spell wears off? The suggestion wears off, and they no longer feel cured. You'd think even dumb peasents would be able to realize something was wrong.

 

[Mistwell]

I just watched the voting on one of the entries leap from near last place to first place in an hours span of time. I'm not going to mention which one, or accuse anyone of stacking the vote (in fact it could be my server messed up and didn't load it properly earlier), however I would like to know if only registered members can vote in this, or can any visitor to the site vote? I hope it's registered members only, since I would hate to see someone request every friend they had on ICQ or email list or something go to the web page and vote for their buddy, or jump from desktop to desktop in a computer lab or something (to switch IPs). At least registered members are more likely to read the entries...

Mistwell

 

[Krug]

I feel there should just be a panel of judges. Internet polls are very easily rigged.

 

[Frostmarrow]

My entry is not in the first batch but I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival. The suspense is killing me.

About the voting... I like the fact the everybody gets to vote and I know that the ENBoarders are an honest bunch. I don't think we should worry about cheating. The only thing I think we will see is more of what was mentioned above; Authors requsting their friends to vote for their entry. I thought about that too. My group has accounts (for use in Story Hour) and I figured I'd tell them to vote for me. However, I have decided not too. I don't mind losing but losing while cheating is detrimental to my self-esteem.

By the way, I wrote enchanted sword, do you think Sean K Reynolds will vote for me?