Evaluation of a product...

Every product that we have for the ENnies goes through a thorough evaluation. Every judge does things differently, but I am here to explain how I intend to evaluate every product on my own.

I sit with a notebook when I read with the name and publisher of a product on the top of the page. Then there are two columns: Pro and Con. These are things I loved and did not love about the product. It could be broad, i.e. the class section is incredibly well written and easily understandable. Or it could be more focused: "The font in the second paragraph of _________ chapter is way off from the rest of the book." (Yes, I am that nit-picky. It comes from being married to a graphic designer.)

After I read the book, I put a star at the top and write "will or may" play test if I choose to do so, find an empty space (usually the back) I write a one or two line review of what I thought of the book from a read through. I will do the same thing for the play test, only this time I will take the feedback of my players and put it on the list too.

Why do I do this? Because everyone is going to have their own opinion when we discuss this. But we may not get to discuss this book until February, between now and then I could have read another hundred books. So I can look at my list and say "I liked this and didn't care for this."

It will make my job easier in the long run. (Also some of those reviews will end up here.)

My Idea Box...

I wanted to get this thought out to the general masses this gorgeous Friday, despite being sick and suffering with a horrible infection since Monday.

How do you store all your game ideas? Do you keep a notebook around? Do you run the game right away?

Due to a set and full schedule, I am not able to run the games right away, but I keep an index card box filled with my ideas (I have to admit that a bunch of them are related to super hero games, although that has changed the last month.)

I read the book and as I am reading and I come across something that triggers a game idea so awesome I can not let it slip past my fingers I write it down on an index card and hold onto it until a game day or a filler game, and then I can dust it off, write it and run it. Usually in a fantastic RPG, I can come up with anywhere from 3-15 game ideas.

Sometimes an RPG only needs to be announced for me to have my ideas for it. DC Adventures and Dr. Who are two games that fit that description. I am running my dream DC game at Boston Gameday and DC Gameday. I am also putting together an ICONS game based off of an idea in my idea box.

Ideas getting put into use all over the place here!

Lazy Sunday

Boston is getting some much needed rain today, and it has been lovely to be stuck indoors. My loving, wonderful, amazing husband constructed my IKEA ENnies shelf so the submissions would not be lying around in a box. They look so pretty sitting there just waiting to be read and played.

Speaking of reading... I finished the Dresden Files 1st volume on Thursday (really gorgeous, reads easy, and looks like it will be a blast to play. Full review coming soon) and have been under the weather ever since. However it did give me a chance to look over some of my "READ ME" pile, and get a good grip on what I have ahead of me to read.

I decided to postpone reading volume 2 for a week so I could let volume one settle into my brain.

I figured I would make this week a Superhero Themed week. Superhero games are one of my favorite genres to play and run. It is really where I feel in my element. I read ICONS as a PDF well before I became an ENnies judge and re-read it as soon as I got the book, so that one is all read. This week's reading is the Smallville RPG (based on the TV Show) and Champions Universe. Champions is a game my husband is really excited for me to run, he is curious to see how the rules have changed since he last played.

As much as I can go on and on... these books won't read themselves.

Besides, I certainly wouldn't want them to.

ENnies Blog

My fellow judges and I will be blogging from time to time on the official ENnies Blog. It can be found here.

Check us out there!

We want you!

Every year the ENnies Judges are asked the same thing, "Why wasn't Product X nominated?"

Sometimes there are other reasons, but one year I asked due to the fact I didn't see the gorgeous Pirates of the Spanish Main Savage Worlds supplement on the nomination list.

The answer I got shocked me. They didn't submit it for consideration.

You see.... publishers are busy putting out quality games and may forget to submit Product X to the ENnies. The ENnies staff works hard to try and get all the product they know of to be submitted. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I am asking you, my fellow RPG fans, to contact your favorite publishers and ask them to submit their products for ENnie consideration. All submissions must be postmarked by May 8, 2011. The release date should be between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011.

There is an easy way to check and see if they have submitted the product. Here.

We can't judge what we don't get, and I want to make sure we aren't leaving anything out!

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Here I will have scores of gaming stuff from reviews to how the ENnies work and the process of judging!