The ENnie Awards

 

 

Darvin L. Martin

  Darvin L. Martin

aka Dumuzi

Introduction
I've been a dedicated roleplaying game enthusiast since the time when Elves and Dwarves were actually character classes in D&D instead of just races. I have always loved the hobby and encouraged others to not only play but to also create their own worlds and systems for others to enjoy.
Since the rise in popularity of computer roleplaying games, many people don't even realize where the hobby started or the amount of heartfelt work that goes into creating a system, a world, and a game. I'm running for judge because I want the honor of being able to appreciate and explore the effort and creativity that writers, artists, and game designers put into their work.

Consequently, I have also seen a large number of products that I believe were poorly written and planned. I would appreciate the opportunity to prevent shoddy work from being dumped onto a hobby that demands skill and creativity if it hopes to remain competitive with the digital markets.

1. When did you join the RPG hobby and what inspired you to become involved and stay with it?
 I first started roleplaying when I was in 5th Grade. I will never forget the comically overpowered D&D campaign that my friend and I played during Art class; we fought and defeated everything from ninja warriors to the demonic Queen of the Chromatic Dragons, our characters could carry dozens of weapons without penalty, and we even found a way to incorporate laser rifles into the game.

Since that time, I have been hooked on the creativity and challenges of playing a really good roleplaying game. While I am a fan of computer games, I always return to my first love when I am seeking intense storytelling, completely open-ended gameplay, total character control, and the depth of immersion that I can only find with a traditional pen-and-paper game. I've always enjoyed the human aspect of a tabletop game, the power that comes from actually seeing the emotion on other players faces, the enjoyment of fellowship around the table, and the sense of soaring accomplishment or bitter defeat after a particularly memorable session.

2. Since you joined the hobby, what roles have you played (e.g. vending, professional writing and publishing, freelancing, reviewing, convention organizing, homebrewing, playing, GMing, etc.)?
 Since joining the hobby, I have enjoyed being a player, GM, playtester, and designer of homebrew games. I was an official playtester for the diceless Everway gaming system and I also designed a large number of homebrew games for friends and family to enjoy.
3. The ENnies require a major commitment of time and mental energy. What resources do you bring that will help you discharge these responsibilities? Will your gaming group or other individuals be assisting you? Does your family support you?
 Having adult children means having a great deal of time and energy to devote to hobbies, meaning that I will have ample resources and mental focus to devote to being an ENnies judge. I also have several gaming groups of diverse (i.e.: Black, Asian, female, 45+, juvenile, etc) players that would be able to provide a very rich, multifaceted response to the product being tested. I have the total support of my wife and son, both of whom are avid roleplayers also.
4. Judging requires a great deal of critical thinking skills, communication with other judges, deadline management, organization, and storage space for the product received. What interests, experience and skills do you bring that will make you a more effective judge?
 Besides being an avid reader, dedicated roleplayer, and hopeful freelance writer, I am also an English teacher, writing tutor, and judge for the Philadelphia Job Corps Academic Olympics. I've organized volunteer events, a Shadowrun Meet-Up in Philadelphia, student enrichment workshops, and community networking fairs.
5. What styles and genres of RPGs do you enjoy most? Are there any styles or genres that you do not enjoy? Which games best exemplify what you like? Do you consider yourself a particular system’s, publisher’s or genre’s “fanboy/girl”?
 I most enjoy mature-themed roleplaying games that focus on character development and intense action. I typically steer away from comical or cartoonish RPG's. Shadowrun and the entire White Wolf line of RPG's exemplify the types of games I enjoy.
6. What system do you think is best designed? Is it the one you play most?
 I think that every system has pro's and con's and can't really pick a single system that I would say is the best designed. I do, however, seem to play Shadowrun more than any other system. I enjoy the multiple levels of gameplay and character development, and the diversity of settings and styles of play offered.
7. What games have you played in the past year? List up to 10 RPGs you have played the most.
1. Shadowrun
2. Vampire: The Requiem
3. Werewolf: The Apocalypse
4. Star Wars Saga Edition
5. Everway
6. Dungeons and Dragons 3.5
7. Dungeons and Dragons 4.0
8. Hunter: The Reckoning
9. Star Frontiers
10. Marvel Superheroes
8. Briefly summarize the criteria you will use for judging products in the different categories. How will you deal with comparing products of vastly disparate lengths, medium (PDF vs. print), or mechanics to prose ratios? Will innovation and originality play a major role?
 I believe that gaming products should be evaluated based on cover art, interior art, learning curve, accessibility with regards to multimedia, quality of writing (including font selection), and product support.
Good cover art should be directly connected to the product theme, be thought-provoking in some way, and be of the best quality possible. I think good cover art makes a person, whether they are a potential buyer or not, do a classic double-take and want to open the book just to see what its about.

For me, interior art has always affected the theme and enjoyment of the entire product. Good interior art is high-quality, strikingly drawn and/or colored, and placed in locations relevant to the text being read.
Multimedia accessibility is very important for impulse buyers like me. If I hear about a book and want to purchase it immediately in PDF format, there should be a website where I can download the product with a minimum of complications. I also enjoy products that are supported by online materials, podcasts, blogging, and other electronic media.

The quality of text, including the selected font, can make or break a product for me. Text should be written in easy to read styles and fonts with consideration of the fact that someone will be staring at the books pages for hours as they explore its contents. Pouring over a manuscript written in Bookman Old Style is much easier on my eyes than trying to decipher pages of Impact or Matisse.

Finally, product support has become more important to me with the publication of new editions of Dungeons & Dragons and Shadowrun. These new editions made changes to the rules and game worlds that were not all smoothly covered in the actual books so it was very nice being able to go online and access forums where people (including some of the product designers) were actually discussing the game and its permutations. I've always enjoyed find supplemental material in digital or hardcopy format, much of it either very low cost or completely free, to enhance my gaming experience.
9. How will you judge supplements or adventures for game systems whose core rules you are unfamiliar with or you believe are badly designed? What about for systems that are out of print?
 I will judge every product as a standalone piece of material, regardless of whether or not I believe the core rules are badly designed. It takes me less than an hour to learn the core mechanics of a new game so I'll be able to learn new systems very quickly for the purpose of judging a product. Thanks to the Internet, even out of print systems have reference guides and fan forums that can be found online; I've been able to download copied of Star Frontiers, Gamma World, and even Marvel Superheroes over the last year.
10. How would you like to see the ENnies change (categories, policies, etc)? What should remain inviolate?
 I would like to see products receive an award for Most Diversity, which would encourage more designers, writers, and artists to consider multiculturalism when creating their products.

Opening the vote to the public should never change. We should be able to judge the products that we love and hate accordingly since, without us, the hobby could not exist.
BONUS: (optional) If you were an RPG, what would it be, and would you play it?
 If I were an RPG, I would be a game designed around the theme of Jungian archetypes actually taking form and substance in our world and the story of their interrelation. Gameplay would be a mixture of horror, magic, and fantasy while character design would be very simple and easy to learn. Yes, I would definitely play it.

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