Finally - my pick for the 2010 ENnies Judges' Award

I had an extremely difficult time choosing my which one of the fantastic products we received to recognize with my Judges' Award, so in the end I went with the most important criteria I could think of - which one provided the most fun at my game table. To that end I've decided to recognize Fiasco from Bully Pulpit Games. It's extremely well written, and the kind of game that makes you want to stop reading and start playing. In my case, it took a group of people who barely knew each other and had us playing and laughing together for nearly 4 hours without any hesitation or awkwardness. I don't know that there is a better test for a roleplaying game.

Best Original Game

So, I'll admit it. I'm vain enough to go back through and look at sites that link to my blog. Today that exploration led me through one forum and over to another, one that I used to frequent before I stopped surfing the web at work all night.

There I found an extremely interesting thread asking the question, "Are the ENnies Broken?" What I found interesting however wasn't the actual question (though I'd be glad to discuss the points raised if anyone really wants to), but the discussion that lead from it. Specifically on the appropriateness of a Best NEW Game or Best ORIGINAL Game category.

Bias up front: I'm a new category junkie. Seriously; I'd argue for a 'Best Book Apparently Written by 12th Century Monks' category provided enough entries of quality to justify nominating a stand-out product from amidst the pack.

I like categories. I like adding more slots to fill up with games that deserve a nomination for something they do better than anyone else. I like being able to judge products on specific merits and common features rather than nebulous overarching monster categories. Every year I argue for the inclusion of a new category or the reworking of an old one, and every once in a while, they stick.

That out of the way, I actually kind of like this idea. When I first read it my instinct was that it was unnecessary like maybe people feel that the products we nominate somehow aren't capable of standing up against the big name products. As a judge you look at the games you've put on those lists and think "I've read all these, compared them side by side, why would someone think one isn't just as good as the other?"

But that's coming at it from the wrong angle of course, and that's where the misunderstanding lies. I'm thinking like a judge;. I look at Best Rules or whatever, and in my opinion Hero deserves its place every bit as much as Wild Talents or Atomic Highway does. But I'm not thinking like a fan, or like someone who is looking at a list of winners for that matter.

You see, Hero is fantastic. It's really the best iteration of that game I've ever seen, and it deserves recognition for that. I stand firmly behind my vote to call it one of the best games of last year. Then again, I get to pick five, don't I? Not only that, I get to pick five I like for Best rules, Best Setting... Would I say the rules for Hero are absolutely better than BASH if I only got one choice? If they are, why?

From this perspective a Best Original award makes sense. Not because the games can't stand on their own, but to celebrate a different kind of common ground: The designer came up with something from scratch. Innovation should always be recognized, maybe above all else.

Now, new categories are at the discretion of ENnies management, and I wouldn't campaign on the promise that I'd add one, but I find the idea intriguing, and I'd definitely like to discuss it. As seen over the last few years, they've been trying hard to find the right categories to fit the right products, and I think that Tony, the new manager will be open to anything that would help to continue this improvement. To see proof of that you only have to look at this year's categories, a mixture of proven favorites, reworked existing awards, and yet another new one - Best Blog, to show their difference in focus and technology from traditional websites.

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That out of the way, let me go ahead and say that I'm going to post at least a couple more of these updates soon. I'd like to touch on some of the additional issues in that thread and general questions I've seen floating around, so I'll do a Q&A style post (probably tomorrow). I'd also like to touch on the article I had planned for today: "(What I used to call) The other 80%".

If you have anything you want to talk about please let me know. I stopped updating regularly because I flat out ran out of content. Three years of telling how I do this and why makes me feel like I've covered it all, like I have nothing left worth sharing. If I'm wrong, let me know.

As always, you can leave comments here, or I'll do my best to keep up my forum lurking, but the absolute best way to talk to me or see my thoughts is always on Twitter. I'm @motg.

Why your product doesn't suck

This year, perhaps more than any other that I've been a part of, I've seen a great many publisher comments and questions. They're always polite, always good natured, and always reasonable. As someone who is sent a great many products at publisher expense every year, I can tell you they are always understandable as well.

Still, they usually come down to the same thing: "Why wasn't my product nominated." Publishers go through a lot of hassle to enter the awards, and with that hassle comes a not inconsiderable expense as well. This makes the question fairly natural.

So, here's my general answer:

If my little spreadsheet (see how we've come full circle? That's talent baby.) is to be believed, I received 301 entries for the awards this year. There are 20 award categories (now - the number has expanded as the awards have expended), each with six slots for recognition (counting Honorable Mentions); except for Product of the Year, which has 12. This year we also added five more slots to recognize great games, but we'll come back to that.

That's 126 slots available (131 if you'd rather count the Judges' Awards, which haven't been announced). By my count that means 60% - give or take a tad - will not see an award no matter how good they are. But of course there's far more to it.

Each category has 5 slots to fill with nominations. Your product isn't competing for 126 openings. You're competing 20 times for 5.

That's less than a 2% chance that you'll be recognized for anything.

So, if you don't get a nomination, does it mean that we didn't like your product, or that we think you need to change anything? No, it just means that 2% is a really small number, and there's not room for everything, no matter how much we like it.

I'm going to use Penny for My Thoughts as an example. I choose it because I'm familiar with the publisher and the author, and based on dealing with them in the past I trust them not to take my words the wrong way or find offense. The reason I have this trust is because it's come up with them in the past. Not that they questioned a nomination, but because my love of Don't Rest Your Head helped cost Spirit of the Century a much deserved nomination back in 2007. I've learned a lot since that first year, and it's a mistake I wouldn't make again, but their response to my admission was far more understanding than I deserved :)

So, Penny for My Thoughts was one of my favorite entries this year. I know it is because of those Judges' Awards. Each judge had to pick one game to give it to, and found myself torn between three, one of which was Penny. Its a fantastic game. It's well-written, fun, interesting, and different. Exactly the sort of thing I look for first in a nomination, and I couldn't recommend it more. Yet it didn't get a single nomination.

So, why is that?

Well, it's because it never quite seemed to make it. There's no doubting it's a good game, and worthy of recognition, but it always seemed to fall just short. Something always seemed to just edge it out. When it failed to make the final cut in Best Writing, the place I felt it best belonged, it became clear that the game, no matter how much I wanted it to, wasn't going to quite make it.

The fact disappoints me quite a lot, but I don't really think its the wrong choice. Finding a place to put it on the list means knocking out another game that deserves its place just as much.

Judges decide on nominations (at least in my experience) by mutual assent, not through arbitrary voting. If we don't all believe it needs to be on the list, it isn't, and by doing this we've created the most diverse list of nominations that I've seen in my time with the awards.

126 slots, 96 unique nominations. That's amazing to me, and I think it's a real testament to the work of the judges I worked with this year and the system we used. It's easy for one favorite product to completely dominate the awards, or for a handful to see nomination over and over again in a dozen categories. It's harder, and in my opinion better, for the judges to look at every product and honestly recognized their individual strengths in each category, rather than see a single much-loved product and nominate it over and over again until something sticks.

The downside of this, of course, is than many products that were really exceptional only received one - or a small handful - of nominations. That doesn't mean that the dominating products from previous years were better with their larger number of nominations, but is rather a reflection of the judges' dedication to putting the right product in the right place, and of the exceptional number of truly outstanding products that we received this year.

I want to thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to do this again this year, it's been quite an honor, and it's something I enjoy more than I can say. I hope this does something to explain why good games don't make the list. Choosing these games - making sure the right games make it into the right place - is harder than it seems. It's disappointing to see good games go without the recognition they deserve, as much to us as to the fans of the games that don't make it. As often as not, we're fans ourselves.

I think great strides are being made toward spreading the love around, and have absolute confidence that the awards' new leadership and new judges will be able to make use of all these new tools we've begun using to continue that trend. The Judges' Awards themselves are a great representation of this; a chance for each judge to pick just one thing that didn't quite make it, that they wish had.

I can't wait until they're announced so I can talk about them more.

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Just to head off the questions, no - Penny wasn't my Judges' Award. I'm not allowed to say what that is until the ceremony. For that I was forced into a tie breaker, and I chose the game I had the most fun with in actual play. Sadly I didn't get a chance to playtest Penny, but the guys who taught me [my Judges' Pick] made it one of the best times I've had playing a game the entire year. Maybe it was the group, maybe it was the game facilitating the fun, but I had a blast, and I had to put my award where I found the fun first-hand.

I love spread sheets

No, seriously, I do. This is going to be all over the place, but bear with me please.

My first year as an ENnies judge I wrote down all on my thoughts about books on post-it notes and littered my books with them. I created stacks of "yes", "no", and "maybe". I printed up sheets with the names of every book and every category and used different colored highlighters to show which ones I had read, liked, and needed to revisit. Finally I broke down and used lined paper with a category name at the top and went through each book one by one and wrote its name on the paper with the category I thought it belonged in.

Somehow it actually worked, and it worked well. I'm proud of the lists we produced that year, and I'm proud of the work I did to make it happen. I'm a closer you see. I listen and I discuss, but in the end, as time winds down the part of me that was a small business owner, the part that handled sales, marketing, and operations all by myself for 12 years kicks in. At that point I organize, gather everyone's opinion, then push through to consensus.

In 2007 we used a message board for that. Each award had its own thread, and each judge published their lists for what would be in the category. I then went through an organized them into a single list, ranked in order of what games had appeared the most on various lists. From that point discussion resumed with a focus on explaining our choices and wheeling and dealing our way to consensus.

In 2009 I updated my personal process to the use of a spreadsheet and everything got better. It was faster, easier to read, and I didn't have to look through the same books over and over again to compare my thoughts. I listed each book in one column, then created columns for every award category. As I read each book I scored it with a number in every column, followed by commentary on why it got that score. If the book didn't qualify I highlighted it red and ranked it "0". Books that had no chance got orange and a "1". A "2" was yellow and indicated a good quality submission that was lees than likely to make the final cut. "3" was green, and often the hardest category; these are books that deserved recognition in the area, but not instant winners. Finally there was "4"; I tried to be very stingy with these, 2 or three at most in every category. They were the books I read, and knew had to make the short list.

When time came to discuss what was getting the award I simply sorted each column by score, then compared the notes that followed until I had narrowed my choices to a reasonable number. this worked extremely well, and I still use it to help me narrow down my own thoughts. Then again, I still have my highlighters and paper too, so maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

The point of this whole thing is that this year we moved EVERYTHING to spreadsheets. Thanks to the easy and ubiquity of Google Docs we were able to make a spreadsheet with a column listing every category, and another for each judge. If a judge wanted to discuss a product for possible nomination he or she would add it under the appropriate category and then start an email (through Google Groups of course) discussing the product, what he/she liked about it, and asking for thoughts of the others. At the end this turned into emails about each category, and each judge went in and put an "X" in their column next to any products they supported.

These weren't votes precisely, more an idea of where each judge stood - a starting point for discussion. From there we talked at length in each category's email, while adding and taking away "X"'s on the spreadsheet.

I think that this system is the best we've ever used. There was no last minute scramble, no going-along to get-along; we came up with a solid list determined by mutual assent.

Did everything that deserved an award make it on to the list? No. That'll never happen. But I am firmly of the mind that everything that is on the list deserves to be there.

This method gave us the most diverse group of nominations I've ever seen in the awards, and I'm proud of it.

So, why waste so much of your time going over a long list of the "hows" of judging? I know it doesn't much effect anyone who is not a judge, but it lays the groundwork for my next post: "Why your product doesn't suck."

Do me a favor. Go vote for me before you read that one, okay?

Climbing back on the stump

As many of you know, for the last several years I have participated as a judge for the Ennie Awards. The ENnies – an annual award seeking to recognize the best in games and gaming – are held in August each year, and I have once again been nominated to serve as a judge.


This is an elected position however, and the judges are chosen from among the nominees in an online vote between August 16th and 25th. I'd appreciate it a great deal if you would go to the awards' web site (http://www.ennie-awards.com/voting/judgesballot.asp), and cast a vote for me and a couple of my friends! The election uses a Single Transferable Vote system, which means you must numerically rank the candidates, and margins tend to be in the tens, rather than hundreds, so every vote counts.

Please, take less than 60 seconds to vote, remembering the the number "1" denotes your top choice, going down to "5", the total number of judges that can be elected. If you have no preferred candidates of your own, I suggest the following:
1. Jeramy Ware
2. Tracey Michienzi
3. Kennon Bauman

4. Matthew Maddoux
5. Christopher W. Richeson

Voting has just opened, and I know the site can be hard to connect with right now, but I'd appreciate your persistence, as this is something I really enjoy doing. Thank you for your time.

2010 Nominations

Best Adventure

* The Grinding Gear (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
* Pathfinder AP #31: Stolen Land (Paizo Publishing)
* A Song of Ice and Fire: Peril at King’s Landing (Green Ronin)
* Trail of Cthulhu: The Armitage Files (Pelgrane Press)
* WFRP: The Gathering Storm (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows over Filmland (Pelgrane Press)

Best Aid or Accessory

* Battlegraph Dry Erase Boards (Longtooth Studios)
* Campaign Coins (King of the Castle Games & Paizo Publishing)
* Gaming Paper (Gaming Paper)
* Hero Lab v3.6 (Lone Wolf Development)
* Pathfinder GM Screen (Paizo Publishing)
* HM: A Song of Ice and Fire Narrator’s Kit (Green Ronin)

Best Art, Cover

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Trail of Cthulhu: Rough Magicks (Pelgrane Press)
* WFRP: The Gathering Storm (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Star Wars: The Unknown Regions (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Art, Interior

* Escape from Tentacle City (Willow Palecek)
* Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)

Best Blog

* Critical Hits
* Gnome Stew
* Kobold Quarterly
* NewbieDM.com
* One Geek to Another
* HM: Sarah Darkmagic

Best Cartography

* Aces and Eights: Judas Crossing (Kenzer & Company)
* Dungeon of Terror Virtual Box Set (0one Games)
* Maps of Mastery: Swamp Caves (Maps of Mastery)
* Pathfinder City Map Folio (Paizo Publishing)
* Revenge of the Giants (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Death Frost Doom (Lamentation of the Flame Princess)

Best Electronic Book

* The Great City Player’s Guide (0one Games)
* Heroes of the Jade Oath BETA (Rite Publishing)
* To Kill Or Not To Kill (Rite Publishing)
* Pathfinder Society Scenario #29: The Devil We Know Part 1: Shipyard Rats (Paizo Publishing)
* Shambles (A Terrible Idea)
* HM: Fey Folio: The Unseelie Court (Alluria Publishing)

Best Free Product

* Advanced Players Guide Playtest (Paizo Publishing)
* Combat Advantage #15 (Emerald Press)
* Lady Blackbird (one.seven Design)
* Warriors Adventure Game (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
* Wayfinder #1 (Paizo Fans United)
* HM: Hexographer (Inkwell Ideas)

Best Game

* Dragon Age: Set 1 (Green Ronin)
* Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)
* Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* HM: Labyrinth Lord (Goblinoid Games)

Best Miniature Product

* Alkemy Minis (Kraken Editions)
* D&D Minis (Wizards of the Coast)
* Fortress of Redemption (Games Workshop)
* Gaming Paper (Gaming Paper)
* Maps of Mastery: Swamp Caves (Maps of Mastery)
* HM: Battlegraph Dry Erase Boards (Longtooth Studios)

Best Monster/Adversary

* Aces and Eights: Rustlers & Townsfolk (Kenzer and Company)
* Hellfrost Bestiary (Cubicle 7 & Triple Ace Games)
* Pathfinder Bestiary (Paizo Publishing)
* Pathfinder: Classic Horrors Revisited (Paizo Publishing)
* Supernatural: Guide to the Hunted (Margaret Weis Productions)
* HM: Fey Folio: The Unseelie Court (Alluria Publishing)

Best Podcast

* All Games Considered
* Atomic Array
* NewbieDM.com Minicast
* Open Design
* Power Source
* HM: The Gamer’s Haven Podcast

Best Production Values

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Paizo Publishing)
* Rogue Trader Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* HM: Mysteries of the Hollow Earth (Exile Game Studio)

Best Regalia

* Battletech: 25 Years of Art and Fiction (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Buried Tales of Pine Box, Texas (12 to Midnight)
* Cthulhu 101 (Atomic Overmind Press)
* Grind (Privateer Press)
* Three Dragon Ante: Emperor’s Gambit (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Best of All Flesh (Elder Signs Press)

Best Rules

* Atomic Highway (Cubicle 7 & Radioactive Ape Designs)
* BASH Ultimate Edition (Basic Action Games)
* Diaspora (VSCA)
* Hero 6th Edition (Hero Games)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* HM: Earthdawn 3rd Edition, Player’s Guide (RedBrick LLC)

Best Setting

* Day After Ragnarok (Atomic Overmind Press)
* Goblin Markets (White Wolf Publishing)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* Judge Dredd (Mongoose Publishing)
* Rome: Life and Death of the Republic (Cubicle 7 & Alephtar Games)
* HM: Shadowrun: Seattle 2072 (Catylst Game Labs)

Best Supplement

* Lucha Libre Hero (Hero Games)
* Mysteries of the Hollow Earth (Exile Game Studio)
* Nobis: The City-States (Pantheon Press)
* Player’s Handbook 3 (Wizards of the Coast)
* Rebellion Era Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast)
* HM: Cthulhutech: Damnation View (WildFire)

Best Website

* d20PFSRD.com
* Epic Words
* Obsidian Portal
* Pathfinder Wiki
* Pen & Paper Games
* HM: Hexographer

Best Writing

* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* FantasyCraft (Crafty Games)
* How We Came to Live Here (Galileo Games)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* Victoriana 2nd Edtion (Cubicle 7)
* HM: Colonial Gothic (Rogue Games)

Product of the Year

* Doctor Who (Cubicle 7)
* Dragon Age: Set 1 (Green Ronin)
* Eclipse Phase (Catalyst Game Labs & Posthuman Studios)
* Geist the Sin-Eaters (White Wolf Publishing)
* Kerberos Club (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* Pathfinder (Paizo Publishing)
* Rome: Life and Death of the Republic (Cubicle 7 & Alephtar Games)
* Shadowrun – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Catalyst Game Labs)
* Warhammer Fantasy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)
* Wild Talents 2nd Edition (Cubicle 7 & Arc Dream Publishing)
* HM: FantasyCraft (Crafty Games)
* HM: Savage Suzerain (Cubicle 7)

This year

This is my third year participating as a judge for the awards, and it's been a ton of fun.

I'm not really sure why I feel that way. Maybe because it's been a slower, easier process, or maybe because I'm feeling pretty comfortable with it now.

2007 was my first year. All the other judges were very experienced, and they did a great job of showing me the ropes and leading me through it. It was an incredible successful year, with a ton of great products and a group that was really willing to listen to suggestions and ideas.

In 2009 I judged again, but that was only because Zachary Houghton withdrew and I always kind of felt like an outsider. Not because of anything anyone else did, but just because it was a different group than I had worked with before, and my excitement was tempered by the circumstances under which I received the job.

This year just feels like it's going fantastically. The judges did a whole lot of talking early on, which I think eased the transition and helped me to feel comfortable with them. Also, we really updated the tools we used for communication and tracking this year. Mostly thanks to google groups and documents I always feel like I can post what I need to and be sure that everyone is seeing and responding in a timely manner.

And of course there's the judges, who have been the real boon this year. I was a bit apprehensive after so many of the old guard left, leaving me as the most senior judge here. As I listed before I always felt a little separate from the others in previous years, and I certainly don't think I've done half the job of leading the way that those who taught me did, but still they really jumped right in and got down to work. Especially giving my own absence over the last couple months, it's left me humbled.

Anywho, there's not much point to my rambling I guess, just some thoughts that were on my mind that I figured I'd share. I'll try to give the next post some sort of value or at least meaning, I swear.

So yeah...

Ok, it's been a really long time, like six months long, but I haven't forgotten about my responsibilities. There are a lot of good reasons why i haven't been around much, but they're not really going to be of interest to those who read here. Really it comes down to a lack of time, a lack of anything interesting to say, and some changes in the procedures for releasing information which turned me off to the process for a while.

Those who voted for me did so because I try to post my thoughts though, and I do think it's important. Also, I really appreciate those who've made it possible for me to do this job, which I love.

So, what's going on?

As anyone who cares has likely seen, there have been a lot of changes to the awards. Entry forms have migrated online, the business manager is in the process of moving control over to Tony Law, who has done a wonderful job getting things moving, and the process for submitting electronic entries has changed considerably.

For my part I've completed the side project that was occupying my time, and have begun the process of building back to an acceptable amount of feedback. To aid in this I am now writing posts in advance so that I don't run into the stumbling blocks that cause me to lose initiative on keeping this blog up to date.

I'll still write timely posts on what I'm up to, but I can at least promise two posts a week, because I've already started writing them.

Thank you so much for you patience. As always, feel free to ask any questions you might have, and look for me on Twitter where I've been posting my thoughts and entries regularly.

As for my list of entries, My last post is current for now, and I'll update the list as more items arrive.

Thanks again for all the support.

The current list

Since the ENnies have their own blog this year the list on the site has been very well maintained, but I still like doing it, and I like people seeing what I actually have in hand, so I'm going to continue my online list.

Everything I've gotten is listed below, and I'll update this list as new products arrive.

Acheson Creations

• Cluster of Wooden Barrels, 28mm (resin miniatures)

AEG

• Legend of the Five Rings – Death at Koten
• Ultimate Toolbox

aethereal FORGE

• Vox

Anansi Games

• Terror Thirteen: A Horror RPG

Basic Action Games

• Basic Action Super Heroes: Ultimate Edition

Battlefield Press

• Gaslight Victorian Fantasy (Savage Worlds)

Blogs

• The Escapist
• Jonathan Drain’s d20 Source
• www.newbie DM.com
• The RPG Bloggers Network
• RPG Examiner
• Stargazer’s World

Box Ninja

• 3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars – Insignia (Sergeant and Brigadier)

Cellar Games

• Chronica Feudalis

Chimera Creative

• 44: A Game of Automatic Fear

CMON Miniatures

• Army Brat

Crafty Games

• Fantasy Craft

d20PFSRD

• Pathfinder SRD

Dagon Industries

• Mythos Chips

Dark Age Miniatures

• Outcast Manhunter

Dig a Thousand Holes Publishing

• Time & Temp – Unbound Edition

Dragon Roots

• Dragon Roots Magazine, #3

Expeditious Retreat Press

• 1 on 1 Adventures #13: The Pearls of Pohjola
• Advanced Adventures #10 – The Lost Keys of Solitude
• Castoff and Crossbreeds
• Freeport Companion
• Lands of Darkness #5.5 (April Fool’s Edition) – The Home for Wayward Minions
• Nevermore
• One on One Adventures Compendium

Gaming Paper

• Gaming Paper

Gamer’s Rule

• Dungeon Deck: Quests

Green Ronin

• A Song of Ice and Fire Narrator’s Kit
• A Song of Ice and Fire: Peril at King’s Landing
• Dragon Age: Dark Fantasy Roleplaying – Set 1
• Mecha & Manga
• Mutants & Masterminds: Warriors & Warlocks
• True 20 Freeport: The Lost Island
• Wild Cards: All In

Habitual Indolence

• Masterplan Adventure Design Studio

Hero Games

• Lucha Libre Hero
• Thrilling Hero Adventures

Imagination Sweatshop

• MonkeyDome

Inkwell Ideas

• Hexographer Map Making Software

Kenzer & Co.

• Hackmaster Basic

Kraken Editions

• Alkemy: Aurlok Nation Starter Box
• Alkemy: Khaliman Republic Starter Add-On

Lamentations of the Flame Princess

• Death Frost Doom
• No Dignity in Death: The Three Brides
• People of Pembrooktonshire
• The Grinding Gear

Margaret Weis Productions

• Supernatural RPG

Mongoose Publishing

• Judge Dredd

Obsidian Portal

• Obsidian Portal

Paizo Fans United

• Wayfinder #1 (OGL)

Pantheon Press

• Nobis: The City-States

Pelgrane Press

• Trail of Cthulhu: Rough Magicks
• Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows over Filmland

Pen & Paper Games

• Pen & Paper Games
  

Podcasts

• Lords of Tyr
• Power Source Podcast
• RPG Circus

Pirate Jenny

• Role Playing Girl Magazine, August 2009

Radioactive Ape Designs

• Atomic Highway – Post Apocalyptic Roleplaying

Red Brick

• Earthdawn 3rd Edition, Player’s Guide

Rogue Games

• Colonial Gothic
• Thousand Suns: Foundation Transmissions

Shard Studios

• Shard RPG Basic Compendium

Skirmisher Publishing, LLC

• Sight Unseen: A Script for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition

Stardust Publications

• Dark Aeons: The Atlantean Chronicles

Tangent Games

• Gem Cards

A Terrible Idea

• Shambles

Tracy & Curtis Hickman

• X-Treme Dungeon Mastery

Vigilance Press

• Wargames 1: Superhuman Threats of the Cold War

VSCA Publishing

• Diaspora

Wells Expeditions

• Arcane Legions

Willow Palecek

• Escape from Tentacle City

Zeitgeist Games

• Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor

The new year begins early

I know I've been basically silent since I started GenCon preparations, but I wanted to post and let people know that I haven't stopped working on the stuff I promised last year just because the new year has begun. I've just been trying to catch up on everything since I got home Monday.

In the mean time, I need to say thank you again to everyone who supported me this year, and voted for me in the elections. I've gotten a chance to talk to a few of the other judges online already, and it's going to be a great year.

I've also talked to Denise and Tony, and I think a lot of people are going to be happy with some stuff that's going on behind the scenes. As soon as it's finalized and announced I'll get on here to discuss it. Of the most immediate importance is the fact that, in answer to some complaints that it was awfully hard to find this place and see what has been submitted, the ENnies site will now be maintaining an official list there. I'll still post my stuff here as I get it, but I'm not particularly great at getting it done in a timely manner, and I've made mistakes, so for the official list it's best to look there.

Now for the fun stuff. My shipment from GenCon came in today. Unfortunately I had to leave before it was ready, but all the hard working people who don't get enough credit (like Denise, Tony, and Hans) shipped it out to me right away.

So here's what I got in:

1. Cluster of Wooden Barrels - Acheson Creations
2. Legend of the Five Rings: Death at Koten - AEG
3. Ultimate Toolbox - AEG
4. Terror Thirteen - Anansi Games
5. 3:16 Insignias - Box Ninja
6. Army Brat - CMON Miniatures
7. Fantasy Craft - Crafty Games
8. Mythos Chips - Dagon Industries
9. Outcast Manhunter - Dark Age
10. Dragon Roots #3
11. Home for Wayward Minions - Expeditious Retreat Press
12. Lost Keys of Solitude - Expeditious Retreat Press
13. Dungeon Deck Quests - Gamers Rule
14. Gaming Paper
15. All In - Green Ronin
16. Mutants and Masterminds: Mecha and Manga - Green Ronin
17. Song of Ice and Fire Narrator's Kit - Green Ronin
18. True 20: The Lost Island - Green Ronin
19. Lucha Libre Hero - Hero Games
20. Thrilling Hero Adventures - Hero Games
21. X-Treme Dungeon Mastery - Hickman, Traci and Curtis
22. Monkey Dome - Imagination Sweatshop
23. Time and Temp Unbound Edition - Imagination Sweatshop
24. Hackmaster BAsic - Kenzer
25. Alkemy Aurlok Nation Starter Box - Kraken
26. Alkemy Khaliman Republic Starter add-on - Kraken
27. Supernatural - Margaret Weis Productions
28. Judge Dredd - Mongoose Publishing
29. Escape from Tentacle City - Palecek, Willow
30. Nobis: The City-States - Pantheon Press
31. Mutant City Blues - Pelgrane Press
32. Trail of Cthulhu: Rough Magics - Pelgrane Press
33. Shadows Over Filmland - Pelgran Press
34. Earthdawn Player's Guide - Redbrick
35. Colonial Gothic - Rogue Games
36. Thousand Suns: Foundation Transmission - Rogue Games
37. Shard RPG - Shard Studios
38. RPGirl - Shield and Cecent Press
39. Sight Unseen - Skirmisher
40. Gem Cards - Tangent Games
41. Arcane Legions Starter - Wells
42. Blackmoor - Zeitgeist Games

ENnies results

So, I'm absolutely certain that everyone who care to knows who the winners of the ENnies were by this point, but I didn't bring my laptop, so I wasn't able to post earlier.

Best Cover Art

Gold: CthulhuTech, Catalyst Game Labs

Silver: Pathfinder #19: Howl of the Carrion King, Paizo Publishing

Best Interior Art

Gold: Dark Heresy, Fantasy Flight Games

Silver: Mouse Guard, Kinoichi / Archaia Studio Press

Best Cartography

Gold: Pathfinder Chronicles Second Darkness Map Folio, Paizo Publishing

Silver: Star Wars: Scum and Villainy, Wizards of the Coast

Best Writing

Gold: Kobold Quarterly, Open Design

Silver: Don't Lose Your Mind, Evil Hat Productions

Best Production Values

Gold: Dark Heresy, Fantasy Flight Games

Silver: Mouse Guard, Kinoichi / Archaia Studios Press

Best Rules

Gold: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Players Handbook, Wizards of the Coast

Silver: A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, Green Ronin Publishing

Best Adventure

Gold: Pathfinder #19: Howl of the Carrion King, Paizo Publishing

Silver: P1 King of the Trollhaunts Warrens, Wizards of the Coast

Best Monster Supplement

Gold: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Monster Manual, Wizards of the Coast

Silver: Dark Heresy Creatures Anathema, Fantasy Flight Games

Best Setting

Gold: Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, Paizo Publishing

Silver: Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, Atomic Sock Monkey / Evil Hat Productions

Best Supplement

Gold: CthulhuTech Vade Mecum, Catalyst Game Labs

Silver: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Wizards of the Coast

Best Aid or Accessory

Gold: D&D Insider, Wizards of the Coast

Silver: Kobold Quarterly, Open Design

Best Miniatures

Gold: Game Mastery Flip-mat: Waterfront Tavern, Paizo Publishing

Silver: DU1 Halls of the Giant Kings Dungeon Tiles, Wizards of the Coast

Best Regalia

Gold: Battletech: The Corps, Catalyst Game Labs

Silver: Art of Exalted, White Wolf Publishing

Best Ebook

Gold: Collection of Horrors: Razor Kids, White Wolf Publishing

Silver: Tales of Zobek: An Anthology of Urban Adventures, Open Design

Best Free Product

Gold: Song of Ice and Fire Quickstart, Green Ronin Publishing

Silver: Swords and Wizardry, Mythmere Games

Best Website

Gold: Obsidian Portal

Silver: Kobold Quarterly

Best Podcast

Gold: All Games Considered

Silver: Order 66

Best Game

Gold: Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition, Wizards of the Coast

Silver: Dark Heresy, Fantasy Flight Games

Product of the Year

Gold: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Players Handbook, Wizards of the Coast

Silver: Mouse Guard, Kinoichi / Archaia Studios Press

Fan Award for Best Publisher:

Gold: Wizards of the Coast

Silver: Paizo Publishing

And the results of the 2010 ENnies Judges Election:

1. Justin 'Jay' Peters

2. Jeramy Ware

3. Mark W. Green

4. Christopher W. Richeson

5. Megan Robertson

Still a bit exhausted from my trip, so it'll be a bit before I have a chance to talk about the con and next year's ENnies, but I wanted to say thanks for the incredible outpouring of support I've received this year, and for giving me one more year to do this thing that I enjoy so much.

I know a ton of stuff was entered at Gencon, but unfortunately I wasn't able to wait any longer for it to be divided up, but I'll post as soon as it ships.

Thanks again, and a special thanks to everyone who took time out at the cone to say hi, or congratulate me. More than anything it's the people I meet there that make me come back.

Voting for 2010 ENnies judges is now live.

I'm running again this year, and if you're of a mind I'd appreciate your support. Just go to http://www.ennie-awards.com/voting/jvoting.asp, put a '1' (or other appropriately low number if there's someone else you're voting for as well) by Jeramy Ware, and click 'submit'. It only takes a couple seconds, and I could use the help.

Thanks.

In which I blatently promote myself

With the polls having closed on the nominees for the 2009 ENnie awards, I find that it's time to move on. By which I of course mean moving on the the selections fot 2010 ENnies judges. It's the first day of voting for this year's judges, and I thought I'd drop at least one quick plea for whatever support anyone may have to offer.

If you're here then I hope that you know who I am, and what I have to offer. I'm listed on the ballot as Jeramy Ware, and I have served as a judge twice, in 2007 and 2009. This blog has served as a chronicle of my efforts, and does a better job of describing my judging style and the sorts of things I look for in a product far better than I could in this space, so I'll skipp reitterating all the stuff that can be found in my questionairre from the ENnies site.

Most importantly I believe that the judging process should:

• Be open and honest.
• Serve the needs of the community anf the publishers and fans that support it.
• Judge each product on its own merits, rather than against one another.
• Take into consideration the thoughts and preferences of others.
• Be receptive to questions and critisism.
• Be responsive to those who take their time to offer input.

I hope that in my terms I have met those goals, and I promise to continue to strive toward those ends should I be elected again.

----

Because I'm not above asking for help in my campaigning, a few testimonials from those who have followed my work:

You're exactly the sort of judge that keeps me excited about the Ennies. - Rob Donoghue

We need more hard working, open folks like you who understand the value of blogs/podcasts in the Ennies. - Dave Chalker

"Honesty and dedication to transparent processing are just two of the attributes that make (MotG) a great candidate for ENnie judge." - Jess Hartley

You gave really good feedback and updates throughout the Ennie nomination, which I really appreciated. - Sean Nittner

I felt your process, in addition to being open and honest, and revolved around quality, not just personal opinion. - Meg McG

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Thank you for your time and your support.

Best Regalia

So, this is the category I hear more about than any other. Technically it's, "Awarded for the best product which, while it does not complement role playing game play, does enhance the lives of RP gamers." In practice, it's a bit of a 'catch-all' category for that stuff that deserves a nod, but doesn't really fit into the usual products that the awards try to represent.

This year it saw a lot of neat stuff, especially with the abolition of the Fan Products award. Unfortunately there were also several things that come right to mind as having been missed because of the lack of space and different nature of the award.

First, the actual nominees:

Devil's Due Publishing - Worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, volume 2

This is an excellent compilation of several Dungeons and Dragon comics that adds a face to some of the worlds and characters we've come to know from the system. The art is excellent, the writing is good, and it provides a nice contrast between worlds.

White Wolf - The Art of Exalted

There's no question the Exalted's art has a lot to do with its success. It illustrates exactly what to expect from the book, is often dynamic, and always well done. This book features some of the best works the system has showcased over the years.

Catalyst Game Labs - Battletech: The Corps

An absolutely fantastic primer into the world and intrigue behind the Battletech world. I know a lot of people think of the minis game when you first hear Battletech, not helped by the Mechwarrior game being co-opted for use in the video games, but these stories give a little insight into what can be done in this evocative setting.

White Wolf - Hunter: Deadly Play

One of my personal regrets about the ENnies is that they don't specifically cover board games. This is done on purpose, as it's important to the management that we keep our rpg focus, and probably for the best, but it would sure be fun :) We do however cover games with a roleplay focus in Regalia however, and that's where this one fits in. It's a quick, fun look at the world of hunter, that actually feels a bit like playing the game. It plays fast, and I think it might make a good 'mood-setter' while waiting for stragglers and last minute eaters before a game session.

Paizo Publishing - Planet Stories: Infernal Sorceress

This is an excellent piece of light fantasy, and classic Gygax in every way. The characters are fun, the writing is enjoyable, ad all in all in makes for a nice farewell to one of the forefathers of roleplaying.

Beyond just the nominees however there are several products that really deserve a special mention.

Innsmouth House - Lovecraftian Tales from the Table

This is a fantastic compilation of Call of Cthulhu files distributed on DVD that centers around audio recordings of two of the most famous scenarios in Call of Cthulhu's (and perhaps the hobby in general's) history. Listening to the Bradford Players as they make their way through these adventures bring you a little piece of the excitement, mystery, and fun. Beyond that however is a fantastic assortment of interviews, discussions, and even handouts from the games. This product is absolutely amazing, and it's a shame it didn't find a place on the final list.

Open Game Table - Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs

This books collects some of the best articles that RPG bloggers have to offer, and that's really saying something. It's a bit of an odd-duck, leading me to include it here, and maybe why it didn't get all the attention it deserved. It contains everything from system-specific game information to an absolutely amazing article about the formative history of modern roleplaying. This book is fantastic, and has a bit of something for everyone. Even if you don't check it out I can't encourage you to go read the excellent blogs it was based on enough.

Gold, the Series

If there was ever a series by gamers, for gamers, and about gamers, it is Gold. Clearly a labor of love, well designed, excellently produced, and fantastically written. The only look at gamer culture I've ever seen that doesn't just hit you over the head with the comedy. It's funny, but it's also touching and endearing. If you haven't seen it yet, I reccomend that you check it out, either online, or at the special screenings that are being held at GenCon on the 14th and 15th, and maybe meet some of the cast.

Exalted: Legacy of the Unconquered Sun

Like I said above, we don't get a lot of board games, but this one was definitely my favorite. Moreover, it actually makes for an excellent primer for the Exalted world. Like a lot of my favorite board games it doesn't just pit you against other players. It gives you a mission, and tells a bit of a story. The components are absolutely fantastic, and the board itself is a sturdy an beautiful copy of the map of the world of Exalted. I'm very impressed by this game, and what I hope it represents for the future of White Wolf's board game production.

Best Free Product commentary, part III

As I said before, Free Products is one of the categories that suffered when we had to drop Best Fan
Product, and it really caused a lot of great stuff to get overlooked. There are a couple fan products in particular that jump to mind when I regret things that never found a home on the lists.

Dragonlance Nexus - Adlatum

For anyone who follows my Twitter (https://twitter.com/MotG) this probably won't come as a surprise, but I absolutely loved this product. Dragonlance is a gaming icon, and a bit of a shared experience for pretty much everyone from my generation of gamers. This PDF introduces a new 'third continent' to the world, and manages to keep the distinct flavor and feel of the world while introducing a whole new storyline. It's beautiful, well laid out, and well written.

When Autochthon Dreams

This neat little PDF is a compilation of dozens of cool new items for Exalted games. They're interesting, fun, and there's a ton of variety.