ENnies Judge Nominee Q&A

[C.W.Richeson]

A couple more questions...

1. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

I like it and wouldn't mind seeing other publishers do something similar in the future.  I feel like the oWoD is complete and I can play with it whenever I like.  The new games are very different, and I'm happy with that.  The focus is on a more personal level of horror, and while many of the original concepts still exist the entire feel of the games is new and fresh.

If you want more of my thoughts on the nWoD, I've reviewed all of the new supernatural titles at RPG.net.

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?reviewerName=Christopher%20W.%20Richeson

2. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

I love Paranoia XP and like the idea of reworking and updating older titles.  I do find Mongoose, as a publisher, to showcase a broad mix of quality, however.

[Treebore]

Helloe, I am Treebore. This is my first time here. I normally hang out on ENWorld, RPGnet, Necromancer Games, Goodman, and Troll Lord Games. I occassionally post at AEG and ICE for HARP and L5R reasons.

The only independent publishers products I own are Sorceror and Witchcraft. Plus I also own Ed Cha's Whitehorn books.

Here are Q&A's I have done on the other boards.

1. How do you think price factors when evaluating a product?

I'm just evaluating the product, its up to the individual to decide if it is worth their money, not me.

2. Do you have a favourite system, or particular dislike of one? Why? How will this affect your ability to judge products?

I think I play too many systems to say I have a favorite. I definitely have a "preference", but I know how many systems bring very many different strengths to a game. So I am the last person who will say any rules sytem is the best of all.

3. How do you feel about PDFs? Inherent advantages and/or disadvantages?
I have a lot of pdf's. I like them but I still have a definite preference for print. I mostly like them for products I expect to need to print a lot from, like modules. Or "Mother of all Treasure Tables", things like that. However PDF doesn't keep me from buying a product, as Phil Reed and CMG Mark can attest. Le Games. Fat Dragon Games. Et Al.

4. Mutant or troll?

Definitely a Mutant.

5. mechanics or concepts? if you find too many errors in mechanics or in the writing will you fault the submission?

Yes. I'm here to pick the cream of the crop. Well written mechanics and concepts are going to be key elements to separate the wheat from the chaffe.


6. are you in a long term relationship or a job which requires you to be on call or have little free time? how much time are you willing to spend to see this project to completion? are the outside factors going to effect your commitment? (a non gaming SO, a sick child, an aging parent, a new job, a move, planning a marriage, etc...)

I am essentially retired and self employed (small farm). I have hours every day to spend on this. Health issues with my wife/kids/family are the only possible issues, but none that are foreseeable.

7. what are you gonna do with your stuff when all is done?

Don't know. Definitely keep what I like and don't already have. The rest I may sell, give away, whatever I finally decide upon.

9) Which is your favorite Beatle?

The Rhino Beetle

10) Software. What role do you see for software in DnD? Do you use software in DnD (more than Word/PDF etc)? Are minis more important than software?

I would like to see a lot more done for RPG's in the software world, thats for sure. I hope if I am elected a judge that I get to see a lot of cool new stuff that gets me excited about the future.


Since most people seem to be dodging the 'favourite system' question I've got one.

Question 12*
What game(s) are you playing in now / have played in in the past year?



*(feel free to ignore question 11)



D20 Star WArs (8 sessions)

Castles and Crusades (30+ sessions)

D&D 3E (9 sessions)

MegaTraveller (4 sessions)

HARP (3 sessions)

EPICrpg (2 sessions)

M&M 2E (3 sessions)

L5R 3E (1 session so far)

Shadowrun 4E (1 session)


All with my wife and 3 kids. It pays to have a gamer family. 

Plus I have been reading the rules to Runequest and Call of Cthulhu 6th edition in preparation to try them out over the summer. Plus we want to do more L5R, Shadowrun, EPICrpg, well, all of them. During the summer we play 3 or more nights a week.

Originally Posted by blakkie
13. Question: How do you feel about Wizards of the Coast abstaining from entering products?




Good for the third party d20 publishers, because they don't have the resources, for the most part, to consistantly compete with WOTC on production quality. Especially product, after product, after product. Plus they put out so much, now including adventures, they could easily dominate the awards due to a "flood" of products to submit.

So I think its good, even nice, that they abstain from participating in the awards process. They really don't need the extra feathers in their caps anyways. Their name recognition is "the name" synonomous (sp?) with the biggest RPG in the market.

So I think it was really considerate of them to step aside and allow a level playing field for the up and coming 3rd party companies to get better recognition in the d20 market.

14. Why did I decide to throw my hat in for a judge slot?
Let me quote myself from another messageboard:

"...I like the desired goal the ENNIEs board has, and I hope it is succesful in its move in that direction, without losing credibility with the fans of the RPG industry. Plus gaining credibility with the fans who have yet to learn about the awards and how it works.

I don't pay attention to the Oscars, Emmy, Grammy's, etc... but I pay attention to this award because it is the closest I have seen to being truly a "fan" award that has wide industry recognition.

Anyways, I think it is a worthwhile award, otherwise I wouldn't even put my hat in the ring to be a judge, and I think it is a great pat on the back of publishers able to win any of them because they know it was fans, their customers, saying "You did a great job with this particular product in this particular way."

I only got to talk to maybe a dozen or so publishers last year at GenCon, but they all said they like the awards because of who it is telling them their product is great, the fans.

So I support that ideal. This year I would like to be directly involved in the process above and beyond voting and winning auctions to help fund them."


15. Will I be at GenCon?
I sure plan on being there!

16. Have I ever been a ENNIES judge before?

No.

17. Past ENNIEs Awards I have disagreed with?

Plenty. The products I liked and voted for didn't win. Which is another reason why I would like to be a judge this year, so I can know every product that is nominated, and see how much I agree with the voting of the fans when it is all done. I want to see if intimately knowing every product will give me a different perspective on the final votes, and see if I can determine how much differently I would vote this year compared to past years because I would be familiar with every single nominated product.

I don't like seeing a product listed as a nominee and have no idea what it is when I cast my votes. There has usually been one or two in several categories that I had never even heard of, let alone read or played.

Even so, when my fav products didn't win I could see why the other product was chosen as being better by more voters.


18. What is your opinion on materials produced for OOP games?

I'm thinking of OSRIC while answering this. I am very well aware of OSRIC. I have even bought a few of the modules and a couple of pdf products for it. So in OSRIC's case I would have a very stong familiarity. So for me it would be no different than if I judge products from other game lines that I am familiar with.

As for those I don't know about, it will be no different for me than in judging totally new products. I'll do what I have to do to understand the rules system. That is where familiarity with other game mechanics will help judges. It will help them to see how the various systems work faster, and hopefully with a higher level of comprehension due to similiarities with how other systems work.

So the fact that so many of the judges, if not all of us, are familiar with so many game systemswill be a big help.

For instance, I have never got into any of White Wolf's World of Darkness books or the system. I am not into Exalted. So a couple fo the other Judge nominees are knowledgeable in these systems, so they can help me get up to speed fast.

Hopefully I will return the favor on systems like L5R, Shadowrun, Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM), EPICrpg, and others.

So that is how I am going to approach judging OOP's, and systems I don't know.


19. How would you evaluate material for systems in which you have zero experience? What if any of those systems are highly complex? That is, the rulebooks are very dense and there may be many supplements. This can be the case for games with a long history, as in 15+ years.

Part of my answer to the previous question applies here as well. I am going to rely on my fellow judges to bring me up to speed. I am familiar, and even own products, from most of the systems that have been around for 15+ years, such as Call of Cthulhu, RIFTS/Paladium, etc.... With White Wolf, my fellow judges will have to help me understand the rules. Which I believe I will be able to do quickly, because from what I have heard about the mechanics, it sounds like other systems I have played.

If you do not like a particular system, how will you evaluate supplements/adventures/whatever submitted for that system? Do you think there can be a good adventure for a bad system?

I am not aware of systems I do not like. I like systems others "hate", such as Synnibar, RIFTS, Castles and Crusades, Mega/Traveller, BESM, L5R, etc...

I think a big part of that is because when I look at systems I am looking for what does work. What I think doesn't work I make work to my satisfaction.

There is no system that I "hate", so that will not be an issue for me.

20. What barriers are you anticipating in play testing submissions? Are you thinking ahead to come up with contingencies?

Time is the barrier. Plus playtesting is not a "requirement" of judging. I just know that as a judge, and other nominee's have said this as well, I/we will playtest as much as we can. Will we will have time to playtest everything equally and to our satisfaction? Highly unlikely.

We will just do the best we can, and hope it is good enough.

21. What about Ptolus?

Originally Posted by mcrow
"I don't own it, but have read plenty of reviews of it and have paged through it @ the store.

From that I would say it qualifies for :

Best Campaign/Campaign Supplement
Best d20/OGL Product
Best Writing
Best Production Values
Best Cover Art
Best Interior Art
Best Cartography

I'm just listing ones that it could be entered in, not that I think it could win or be nominated for any of the above.

It most definitely should not be listed in both adventure and campaign, like Shackled City was last year. If that situation came up again this year, i would do my best to keep i from happening again."




Why repeat when you can just quote and say, "What he said."

[Treebore]

Now here are my answers to questions on this board.

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

I have been playing since May of 1985. The longest break I ever took from gaming was 8 months, due to simple burn out and wanting to focus on other things.

2. What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

The fun, the creativity, and that I usually like people who like RPG's more often than people in other "groupings".

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

No guess to it. D&D, every edition. Plus now C&C, which I consider to be an "alternate 3E" that I like much better. Why has it kept my interest? My favorite genre in which anything can happen, so the ideas are endless. I still play the C&C version of it.

4. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

I don't know. I only followed White Wolf because of Engel and their affiliation with Arthaus and Necromancer Games.

5. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

I feel it is a great thing. Paranoia will always have a special place in the sick and twisted part of my heart. Runequest I am not so hot on. I am excited about Lahkmar and I do like their incarnation of Glorantha. Other than that I am really not into any of the other stuff Mongoose does. I may pick up the Conan and Slaine stuff someday, but I am in no hurry to do so right now.

But I am glad they are doing it, keeping the old stuff updated and in the RPG public eye, even if just a corner of it.

6. Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

Yes. But presentation is more an issue of clear layout that makes for easy reading and finding key rules quickly than art or being full color.



7. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

Speaking from the perspective of a small business owner, if you want to compete with the big guys your going to have to sink money into it. Otherwise you don't grow your market. Then you will crash and burn sooner or later, and no one will notice.

8. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

I think Mechanics and Presentation are the biggest factors. As for personal use those are the only factors I am concerned about. If it is also a good setting idea, well executed, great. Art is nice. Qin blew me away when I first looked through it at GenCon. Its the first product that I almost bought just because of how awesome the art is. I didn't buy it though. I successfully resisted because I wanted, and want, to wait until I find out how the mechanics are and how well the material is written. If I like what I see and/or hear, I'll buy it.

But if I am a judge I am hoping that the products we are given to review are so awesome that we will have to use such factors to whittle the list down to 5 for each category. However, when I am whittling down my list the Mechanics and Presentation are going to be my key criteria. Only if there are two or more products too close to call will I start to use other criteria to decide.

Unfortunately, in a competitive environment like this, such decision may have to come down to such criteria. Assuming there is a lot of top notch competition submitted, which I hope will be the case.

Is that fair to small budget Indies? No. As I understand the ENnies, that is how I will have to judge it. If the Mechanics and Presentation are very well done, it will have a good chance to get nominated by me, though. It would definitely have to be exceptional.

[C.W.Richeson]

I somehow missed these questions last time, sorry about that Clyde.

1.  Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

Yes, and I think it would be unfair to cute indie publishers slack because they can't put as much money into the product.  The goal is to judge every product on its own merits, no matter where it comes from.  That said, I've given *many* small press RPGs reviews on a level with, and superior to, the products put out by big name companies like White Wolf and WOTC.  Spirit of the Century received a 5/5 from me, Zorcerer of Zo a 4/4, and a half dozen other small press RPGs have received above average marks.  Why not pick out a few small press RPGs I've reviewed and see how I do evaluate their presentation?

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?reviewerName=Christopher%20W.%20Richeson

2. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

I'm a law student with a specialty in Copyright, so I take intellectual property concerns very seriously.  That said, I can't judge a product unless it's the same thing that consumers would receive.  I also believe that, according to the rules, publishers have to submit the same item available to consumers.

I think that not wanting to enter the ENnies out of fear that the judges will distribute copies of the PDFs and harm the publisher is a little paranoid.  The judge candidates are all entering under their real names, and have put both their integrity and reputation on the line here.

Indie publishers regularly provide both print and PDF review products in order to get greater exposure for their products.  Far from being a resource drain, the interest these reviews generate bring money to these publishers.

3. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

It's a lame answer, but it depends on the game.  The mechanics in Dictionary of Mu are great, but it's the setting and presentation that really made me stop and say "Wow, this is amazing!"  On the other hand, the mechanics combined with flavorful presentation really did it for me with Spirit of the Century - the setting material wasn't quite as exciting.

I can say that I don't care if there's dice, cards, point pools, or nothing driving task resolution.  Whether it's With Great Power..., Nobilis, or D&D I think different resolution mechanics all have their own charm.

I hope that helps!

[Beckett]

Hi, making my rounds through the question threads.

"Does System matter?"

Yes.  The rules used in the game are one of the ways it can be evaluated.

* Is a game without supplementation "dead" and if so, what does that mean for your opinion of the game?

If people are playing the game, it's not dead.  The number of supplements has nothing to do with the quality of the game. More supplements might mean the game is more popular, but we're not running a popularity contest.

* If a given game approaches a basic task of role-playing (task resolution, advancement, combat, GMing, session pacing) in a totally different way than prior role-playing games, are you inclined to see that as positive or negative?  Why?

I'm inclined to judge it on its own merits.  Different does not mean better, but it also doesn't mean worse. 

* How much do production values (art, layout, etc.) matter in your assessment of games?

They matter, but not as much as mechanics, concept, and setting.  I don't need full page color illustrations, but I would like something to break up the text from time to time.  Heck, even something like sidebars looks better than page after page of two column text. 

* How many different role-playing systems have you played this year?

Five.

-Scott

[Beckett]

Here's a question for y'all:  I'm interested in your responsibility, maturity, and even-handedness.  Have you ever publicly mocked or insulted a game or game designer?  If so, who and why? 

I don't think so.  At most, I might have rolled my eyes at some of the over the top statements coming out of Palladium on the "Crisis of Treachery."

[Beckett]

Here's a few:

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

Over 20 years now.  My longest breaks were in college- I was out of state, and generally too busy to find a group. But, I'd always meet up with my group when I was home on summer and winter breaks

2. (Independent of No. 1) What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

My current group includes people I've known for over a dozen years. They're my friends and this is our main social activity.  Additionally, it gives me a chance to put my imagination to use and share the results with other people.

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

D&D in one form or another. It's what I started on (reading my dad's books), and it has always been welcomed by the groups I've been a part of.  It's familiar, but there is also new stuff being published for it all the time.  I'm a fan of the fantasy genre, and D&D seems the easiest engine to make any story I want in.

[Beckett]

A couple more questions...

1. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

I haven't looked into the nWoD, so I only have what I've read and heard to go by.  But, I think they reached a point where they had to cut or else all their games would just get bogged down.  They had five games, set in the same world, but the rules never quite meshed. Put together a character from V:tM and W:tA and they'd appear to work fine together, but you're going to end up in situations where one or the other is spending a lot of time twidling his thumbs (the easy example, combat. When the werewolf goes into his battle form, the vampire's contribution isn't going to mean much). By going to a core book with add-ons, I think they can make the rules fit together better (and jettison years of metaplot).

2. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

At least in theory, I think it's a good idea.  It's hard to get new people playing a game if you have to search bargain bins and ebay for the books. A new edition means players who missed the initial incarnation can still experience the game, and players who have continued to play the original will have new material available.  Switching companies, I know people were playing Pendragon even when Green Knight wasn't putting anything out, but the new edition from Arthaus has helped being the game back into the public eye.

[Vermicious Knid]

Here's a few:

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

2. (Independent of No. 1) What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

1. 26 years. I've never completely stopped gaming, but there have been periods when I concentrated on historicial miniatures, collectible cardgames, etc.. to the temporary exclusion of RPGs.

2. I love gaming in general, but RPGs are supreme in terms of social experience and shared creativity.

3. D&D. Ease of finding players keeps me coming back, along with the wealth of 3rd party support and a general affection for the heroic fantasy genre. Yup, running a game currently.

[Vermicious Knid]

A couple more questions...

1. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?
2. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

Graham

1. It has made me curious and willing to give them another look. That is a small success.
Seriously, I hear good things from people who love that product line. I think it is great that they are improving the mechanics for a kick-ass setting.

2. I think it is a great idea to give the classics new exposure...as long as the execution doesn't take away what made the game great in the first place.

[Vermicious Knid]

1.  Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

2. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

3. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

There's no animus behind these questions. I just wanted to throw out some hard ones to get better ideas of where people are coming from and how they see things.

1. There is no shame in publishing a game with minimal or no art. I'd rather see a clean presentation than substandard art. I honestly think many PDF publishers feel a need to include art when they would be better served just playing with fonts to break the visual monotony.

2. I would vastly prefer a text file to a badly built PDF, for example. Text files load quicker and are easier to print and read. If I'm elected I encourage people to submit text files.

3. Mechanics, setting, and style of play. Presentation, theme, and grabby situations are the kinds of things that would inspire me to pick up a product as an individual consumer...but as a judge I've already commited to giving the products a thorough reading. It is going to be far more important that the meat and potatoes of the game impress me when I start comparing it to the other nominated games.

[Mcrow]

1. How long have you been roleplaying? Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?

Nope.

2. (Independent of No. 1) What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?

It is my creative outlet. I think my most creative things come out of gaming.

3. Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most? What about that game has kept your interest over the years? Are you still playing that game?

It would almost for sure be AD&D 2nd ed. I think it bringing back memories of my teens is the reason I still pull out the book every now and then and run a session. The only reason I have not played more of any other game is because later on in my gaming, I started to play multiple games.

1. What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?

I think it was mostly a money grab. I though the OWoD was great as is, but some of the rules needed tweaking. Not enough though, for a new edition.

2. How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?

I don't know. I think that Mongoose has a habit of losing some of the flavor of the games the relaunch some how. Like RuneQuest, it just does not feel like RuneQeust should, IMO.

1.  Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?

I don't think the lack of art is a real limiting factor. As it sits right now there are no rules saying we have to make art an important part of judging a game. Also, IMO, few pieces of good art is a lot better that a bunch of mediocre art. Overall, it is fair to judge a game based on how it looks, but it should not be the primary point of focus. As I have said elsewhere, I use art as tie breaker when game are equally good in all other ways.

2. Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it? Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?

Well to be honest, I feel it is part of entering a game into the ENnies. There are six books that they need to send, if the cost of six books seriously sets back the publisher, I guess I don't what to say to that. Most indie games have lower price and print cost, a lot of them retail for around $20. If they retail for that much they likely cost $6 or less to print. The other problem is that it is not reasonable that the ENnies should have to buy the books from them either, it just could not happen from a financial point of view. So while I would like the ENnies to make easy enough so any publisher could submit their games, I just don't think there is any other way to do it.

3. What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?

I don't think you can pick just one here because really good games have more than one of these factors. For me Mechanics, setting, and theme are the three most important (but no in that order). Play styles and grabby situations are good in some, but not all games. Art, is not a primary factor for me.

[fusangite]

Have you ever publicly mocked or insulted a game or game designer?  If so, who and why?I don't know but it is probable. Why? Well, I am a member of www.circvsmaximvs.com and vigorous debates about politics and religion are part of our board's social contract. Have I ever mocked or insulted a game designer about his game? Never. But it is most likely that I have made some heated comments about his position on the abortion question. In my view discourse communities are not unlike gaming groups; it doesn't so much matter how you treat one another, provided that this treatment is part of the upfront social contract that people buy into.

How long have you been roleplaying?
Since a little after my 9th birthday in 1981.

Have you ever stopped roleplaying altogether for any significant period of time? If so, why?
I stopped between for two years in the 90s because I had a new job that required me to be on the road all the time. I had to drop all of my regular commitments like school and additional contract work that required a stable work week. It was a very exciting new job and so I do not regret for a minute the break I took. Furthermore, when I returned to gaming, I realized that my experiences combined with a fresh look at the hobby helped me to discover and do new things with RPGs.

What keeps you coming back to the roleplaying hobby?
Two things: firstly, I really like the particular corner of the gaming subculture I am in. While I wouldn't feel especially comfortable at a GAMA event, I find that I am pretty good at finding groups of mature, professional people who use gaming as an outlet from their work and family responsibilities – when I meet people like this, I feel socially at peace and like I have found more of "my people." Secondly, I really enjoy the process of world-building; because of my hardcore simulationist bent, I tend to see this process as profoundly linked to and blended with system-building. Creating worlds unlike our own and thinking through, then playing through the implications of this really scratches some major intellectual itches for me.

Using your best guess, what roleplaying game have you played the most?
Second and third edition Runequest. I played this almost exclusively from 1987 to 1996.

What about that game has kept your interest over the years?
Well, I now just use certain elements from it in my homebrews. The main thing I got out of RQ was that it was very interested in thinking through the intersections between the big things about worlds like histories, politics and theologies and the everyday aspects of life. Instead of statting gods, the game statted cults. RQ's understanding, anthropologically and historically of how polytheistic societies work at the human level remains, even today, light years ahead of any other game I have seen and, at its best, current with the most sophisticated academic approaches to questions of belief and social organization in the ancient world. Similarly, politics was not just about elites but about the system of relationships in which people were enmeshed right down to the most lowly lay member of an obscure cult or a part-time tribute collector. So, first off, RQ redirected my attention about what kinds of questions setting and adventure materials should answer.

Second, as a simulationist, I found that RQ's rules were written was a much clearer consciousness that the rules of the game are the physics of the game world. As a result, the game understood for instance, experience as a thing that happens to characters not as a reward for players undmediated by character actions.

Are you still playing that game?
I still use bits of it. Unfortunately, like many percentage-based systems, it did a poor job of coping with variable skill difficulty and opposed checks. The last game I ran borrowed a lot from RQ like the experience and spirit combat mechanics but placed them in a D20-informed matrix.

What do you think of White Wolf's decision to reboot the World of Darkness?
It won't make me start playing World of Darkness but I think it was necessary and productive. I think it reflects a maturation on the part of White Wolf and of the hobby in general in saying, "Aesthetically gorgeous is not enough – settings and systems must be self-consistent."

How do you feel about Mongoose Publishing's habit of rewriting and relaunching old games (Paranoia, Rune Quest and so on)?
Having just finished purchasing and reading Runequest, pretty darned good in general. I am a little disappointed to see parts of D20 creeping in unnecessarily to some of the mechanics, though.

Many creator owned (Indy) game designers have a hard time affording anything but a bit of art. Part of your requirement is to judge a games presentation. This seems to limit the ability of many Indy designers to compete on a level scale with large game companies. Do you feel it's fair to judge a game on it's presentation?
I think that it obviously is when it comes to the art and production values categories but, in the other categories, I cannot see giving serious weight to art work. As a consumer totally indifferent to visual presentation in RPG books, it will be a real struggle for me to hand out art marks when I am required to never mind in categories where I am not. I do not see myself ever marking a product down for lacking artwork in a category like Best Game.

Many creator owned game designers have a difficult time being able to afford the cost of giving away free books to enter a competition like the Ennies. They aren't able to use the same markets of scale to justify the cost. Giving away PDF's can potentially bite into the profits of a small creators book sales, if those PDF's aren't guarded with care. If a creator owned game were supplied to you as a neatly arrayed text only file how would you judge it?
I would only judge a product in a form in which it was commercially sold. To do otherwise could create real problems. If the practice you propose became acceptable, I could see myself becoming biased in favour of companies that sent me published material rather than text files because I would probably begin to resent spending hundreds of dollars printing materials and filling my apartment with loose paper filled with nothing but solid 8.5 x 11 blocks of words.

Do you think that's not a good question, because someone should feel safe putting their potential profits in your hands, or do you think that eating the costs of free books is part of the game for entering the Ennies?
I think there is some potential middle ground here. If elected, I would like to work with the Indie community to find a way to reduce the costs of entering the awards. Off the top of my head, it seems to me like one possible way forward would be limited-edition PDF runs whereby a PDF product is produced for judging and display purposes but never goes on the market.

What do you think should factor higher when judging a game; randomization (or lack of randomization) mechanics, setting, presentation and art, theme, addressing specific styles of play, or a grabby situation?
It depends on the kind of play experience the designer is prioritizing. Any of the above would be a good answer, depending on the desired dynamic. Obviously, if a game markets itself as narrativist, theme will be of paramount importance; if the priority is creating a simulationist-style experience where there is deep integration between system and setting, setting will be of crucial importance but not so otherwise.

[C.W.Richeson]

Voting is up!  http://www.enworld.org/judgevoting/

Not sure who's who? Learn more about the candidates here: http://www.ennieawards.com/judgenominees.html

Want even more information? Here are several Q+A threads the judge nominees have been participating in:

At ENWorld: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=187231&page=1&pp=40

Here's another at theRPGsite: http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4322

At StoryGames: http://www.story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=2391&page=1

And, finally, at RPG.net: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=310213

Check it out, cast a vote, make sure the judge panel represents your interests!

[Mark Causey]

Actually, voting is here:

http://www.ennieawards.com/voting.html