d20Dwarf
Explorer
Nope, not a question, a preview statement. 
I've been a great fan of the ENnies for quite some time, from attending the first "ceremony" to being nominated at the first live show out in the hallway of Midwest Express Center to seeing both Midnight and Dawnforge take home the gold. The awards absolutely did represent a community, one of the largest, most active, and most collegial online communities I've ever been a part of. The early days of d20 were heady for those involved: we had a lot of fun, made a lot of money, and had a seat for one of the most exciting periods in hobby game history.
Each year, the ceremony grew, the number of nominations and categories grew, and the process began to evolve as new people came in to help organize and run things. The answer to why things happened the way they did is simple: because they did. As with anything, possibilities narrow as real events define the parameters of growth. Rather than seeing this as a grand conspiracy, I see it as a beautiful act of creation fueled by the passion of gamers who cared enough to participate more fully in their hobby. One of the beauties of the roleplaying hobby is that we have that kind of access. We can matter.
The ENnies are beautiful precisely because they are a spawn of fan enthusiasm. I say "are" rather than "were" because they are still in the act of being created. This is a frontier. Nothing is set in stone, creative ideas like the VIP Reception, Polyhedrals performance, and RPG Dream Date are being tried...and enjoyed! Those who *do* things are driving the action, but there is no lineage...the ENnies are not a bloodline. Voices are heard, but in the end it's those who *do* that drive things. I wanted to add an entertainment portion to the awards show, so I approached the organizers and we put it on. I didn't just complain that there was no entertainment. Power, creativity, action.
Even now, as things seem to be crystallizing (stagnating?), the awards dance through the lavafires of creation at every turn. EN World has changed. The game did not remain ze same. Insularity, or the perception thereof, is only a problem because of outreach. More fans want their voices to be heard. More gamers want their categories recognized. The fires of ENnie evolution burn white hot with the increasing sound of more diverse voices. We care, even when we say we don't. We care, because we matter.
I love the ENnies.
I've been a great fan of the ENnies for quite some time, from attending the first "ceremony" to being nominated at the first live show out in the hallway of Midwest Express Center to seeing both Midnight and Dawnforge take home the gold. The awards absolutely did represent a community, one of the largest, most active, and most collegial online communities I've ever been a part of. The early days of d20 were heady for those involved: we had a lot of fun, made a lot of money, and had a seat for one of the most exciting periods in hobby game history.
Each year, the ceremony grew, the number of nominations and categories grew, and the process began to evolve as new people came in to help organize and run things. The answer to why things happened the way they did is simple: because they did. As with anything, possibilities narrow as real events define the parameters of growth. Rather than seeing this as a grand conspiracy, I see it as a beautiful act of creation fueled by the passion of gamers who cared enough to participate more fully in their hobby. One of the beauties of the roleplaying hobby is that we have that kind of access. We can matter.
The ENnies are beautiful precisely because they are a spawn of fan enthusiasm. I say "are" rather than "were" because they are still in the act of being created. This is a frontier. Nothing is set in stone, creative ideas like the VIP Reception, Polyhedrals performance, and RPG Dream Date are being tried...and enjoyed! Those who *do* things are driving the action, but there is no lineage...the ENnies are not a bloodline. Voices are heard, but in the end it's those who *do* that drive things. I wanted to add an entertainment portion to the awards show, so I approached the organizers and we put it on. I didn't just complain that there was no entertainment. Power, creativity, action.
Even now, as things seem to be crystallizing (stagnating?), the awards dance through the lavafires of creation at every turn. EN World has changed. The game did not remain ze same. Insularity, or the perception thereof, is only a problem because of outreach. More fans want their voices to be heard. More gamers want their categories recognized. The fires of ENnie evolution burn white hot with the increasing sound of more diverse voices. We care, even when we say we don't. We care, because we matter.
I love the ENnies.
