Troll Lord Games

Well, this past Friday (yesterday) was the last day to nominate our favorite publishers for the ENnies. I nominated TLG, did anyone else?

We'll find out on the 24th when fan voting starts.

For those interested here is the list of products/websites nominated for ENnies this year:

Best Adventure

Howl of the Carrion King (Paizo Publishing)

King of the Trollhaunt Warrens (Wizards of the Coast)

Lands of Darkness #1: The Barrow Grounds (Expeditious Retreat Press)

Purge the Unclean (Fantasy Flight Games)

The Rose-Brides Plight (White Wolf Publishing)

Best Aid or Accessory

D&D Insider (Wizards of the Coast)

Dwarven Sweatshoppe Dice Tray (Dwarven Sweatshoppe)

Hunter Horror Recognition Guide (White Wolf Publishing)

Kobold Quarterly (Open Design)

Mutants and Masterminds Deluxe GM Screen (Green Ronin Publishing)

Best Art, Cover

3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars (BoxNinja)

CthulhuTech (Catalyst Game Labs)

Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast)

Howl of the Carrion King (Paizo Publishing)

Scion: Ragnarok (White Wolf Publishing)

Best Art, Interior

CthulhuTech (Catalyst Game Labs)

Dark Heresy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)

Hellas (Khepera Publishing)

Mutants and Masterminds: Wild Cards (Green Ronin Publishing)

Mouse Guard (Kunoichi/Archaia Studios Press)

Best Cartography

0Ones Blueprints: The Great City, The Saltshacks (0One Games)

Dungeon Crawl Classics 53: Sellswords of Punjar (Goodman Games)

Modern Floorplans: Victorian Style Mansion (Fabled Environments)

Pathfinder Second Darkness Map Folio (Paizo Publishing)

Star Wars Saga: Scum & Villiany (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Electronic Book

Blood of the Gorgon (Open Design)

Collection of Horrors: Razorkids (CCP Games)

The Death-Mother (One Bad Egg)

Hard Boiled Armies (One Bad Egg)

Tales of Zobeck (Open Design)

Best Free Product

BattleRun (Catalyst Game Labs)

Hunter: The Vigil Quickstart (The Hunt) (White Wolf Publishing)

A Song of Ice and Fire Quickstart (Green Ronin Publishing)

Swords & Wizardry (Mythmere Games)

Trial & Terror: SVU (Imagination Sweatshop)

Best Game

CthulhuTech (Catalyst Game Labs)

Dungeons and Dragons 4E (Wizards of the Coast)

Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)

A Song of Ice and Fire (Green Ronin Publishing)

Starblazer Adventures (Cubicle 7 Entertainment)

Best Miniature Product

The Clone Wars: Starter Set (Wizards of the Coast)

E-Z Terrain: Cliffs and Mountains (Fat Dragon Games)

GameMastery Flip-Mat: Waterfront Tavern (Paizo Publishing)

Halls of the Giant Kings: DU1 - Dungeon Tiles (Wizards of the Coast)

Neo-Markers (Alea Tools)

Best Monster/Adversary

Dungeons and Dragons 4E: Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast)

Dark Heresy: Creatures Anathema (Fantasy Flight Games)

Freedoms Most Wanted (Green Ronin Publishing)

Night Horrors: Grim Fears (White Wolf Publishing)

Witch Hunter: The Grand Tome of Adversaries (Paradigm Concepts)

Best Podcast

All Games Considered (All Games Considered Podcast)

Brilliant Gameologists (Brilliant Gameologists Podcast)

Voice of the Revolution (Indie Press Revolution)

Order 66 (Order 66 Podcast)

Return to Northmoor (Northmoor Podcast)

Best Production Values

Anima RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)

CthulhuTech (Catalyst Game Labs)

Dark Heresy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)

Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone (Khepera Publishing)

Mouse Guard (Kunoichi/Archaia Studios Press)

Best Regalia

The Art of Exalted (White Wolf Publishing)

BattleTech: The Corps (Catalyst Game Labs)

Hunter: Deadly Prey (White Wolf Publishing)

Planet Stories: Infernal Sorceress (Paizo Publishing)

Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 2 (Devils Due Publishing)

Best Rules

Dungeons and Dragons 4E: Players Handbook (Wizards of the Coast)

Dark Heresy RPG (Fantasy Flight Games)

Hunter: The Vigil (White Wolf Publishing)

A Song of Ice and Fire (Green Ronin Publishing)

Starblazer Adventures (Cubicle 7 Entertainment)

Best Setting

The Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor (Arc Dream Publishing)

Hot War (Contested Ground Studios)

Pathfinder: Campaign Setting (Paizo Publishing)

Slipstream (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies (Atomic Sock Monkey Press/Evil Hat Productions)

Best Supplement

CthulhuTech: Vade Mecum (Catalyst Game Labs)

Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods (Fantasy Flight Games)

Hunter: The Vigil (White Wolf Publishing)

Scion: Ragnarok (White Wolf Publishing)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Website

Critical Hits

Dungeon-A-Day

Kobold Quarterly

Mad Brew Labs

Obsidian Portal

Best Writing

Dont Lose Your Mind (Evil Hat Productions)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Magnum Opus Press)

Hot War (Contested Ground Studios)

Hunter Horror Recognition Guide (White Wolf Publishing)

Kobold Quarterly (Open Design)

Product of the Year

Dungeons and Dragons 4E: Players Handbook (Wizards of the Coast)

Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods (Fantasy Flight Games)

Dont Lose Your Mind (Evil Hat Productions)

Hunter: The Vigil (White Wolf Publishing)

Mouse Guard (Kunoichi/Archaia Studios Press)

Scion: Ragnarok (White Wolf Publishing)

A Song of Ice and Fire (Green Ronin Publishing)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Wizards of the Coast)

Starblazer Adventures (Cubicle 7 Entertainment)

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies (Atomic Sock Monkey Press/Evil Hat Productions)

Looks like the Trolls failed to submit anything, again.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

Yay, Slipstream! Who knows maybe Of Gods and Monsters, or CKG might get a moment in the sun next year. Then again, I play what I play, and if some of it happens to make the ennie nominations list...great. If not, I keep playing what I play. TLG you got my vote A.K.A. the wallet.

Funny, I don't own anything on that list. Does that make me an out of touch RPGer or just someone completely satisfied with the one game I play: C&C?
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Sir Dachda McKinty,

Margrave and Knight of Portlandia
Castles & Crusades Society

The biggest reason I want to get TLG involved in the ENnies is that its pretty good advertising, and relatively cheap.

Notice Fat Dragon Games has been nominated yet again. Hopefully they will get at least a Silver again too.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

dachda wrote:
Funny, I don't own anything on that list. Does that make me an out of touch RPGer or just someone completely satisfied with the one game I play: C&C?

Maybe "focused"?

I don't have much on the list either, Paizo, Goodman DCC's, Fat Dragon, Song of Ice and Fire are about it for me. I do onw the 4E PH, but I am not thrilled by it.

I have been strongly interested in that Witch Hunter RPG though.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

I had posted on the enworld forum congrats to the nominees, and also my sadness that CZ:UW wasn't to be seen, because the circumstances renderred it a "forgotten" gem...

Of course that product and Jeff and Peter and other's work on it probably couldn't be submitted by TLG because of the rights pull, and Gygax-Games couldn't submit because it wasn't their product either (if they were even so inclined...)

I also nominated TLG, and hope that next year, with more new product (remember, the pullbacks left the co. with an abreviated schedule of "new" products from the last GenCon to this one) will actively seek these. I know some people dismiss them, but it is a good marketing tool as Tree mentions.

Black Libram (art, supplement), StarSiege (which in my book should have been a contender for "rules") would have been good to push this year, perhaps Shattered Horn.

TLG should definitely make a push next year on this arena. Just my 2 cents.
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John "Sir Seskis" Wright

Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/

High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org

Treebore wrote:
Maybe "focused"?

I don't have much on the list either, Paizo, Goodman DCC's, Fat Dragon, Song of Ice and Fire are about it for me. I do onw the 4E PH, but I am not thrilled by it.

I have been strongly interested in that Witch Hunter RPG though.

How is Song? By the industry buzz it wouldn't surprise me at all if Green Ronin does well at the awards this time around, especially with Song.
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That is SIR! to you!

Yawn. The ENnies have about the same importance to me as the Emmies. Good luck to the nominees, I guess, but I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when something interesting happens.

Sir Ironside wrote:
How is Song? By the industry buzz it wouldn't surprise me at all if Green Ronin does well at the awards this time around, especially with Song.

I haven't read it yet.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

Yes, the Ennies just don't impress. Oh well. There are some nice games up there to be sure, but, eh.

~O
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> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Call me biased, but I was glad to see that another Savage Worlds product was nominated...Slipstream for best setting. Savage Worlds is just off the beaten path enough to be consider a non-biased choice on their part. I own Star Wars SAGA, but am behind on all of the other books. I haven't read Clone Wars. Didn't really care for 4E, and haven't heard, or played some of the others.

Same with me - never been too interested in the Ennies. I don't know why, really. I think it's good there's a "semi-official" awards ceremony for the gaming industry, but for some reason I've never got too jazzed for it. I vote with my wallet, like tylermo said.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

Don't have much use for it myself.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

I primarily posted about this because it isn't about being impressed, interested, etc...

Its about using the Favorite Publisher category to try and get TLG some free press.

If TLG actually started submitting stuff it would get them some cheap press, especially if anything gets nominated.

Its about marketing our favorite, or one of our favorite games to help the Trolls grow a fan base and their profit margins.

Which in turn benefits all of us with stronger product support and creation.

Thats the only way it can end up being about ourselves, unless you secretly love 4E.

My interest here is to help grow TLG. If it helps make that growth happen, then it serves my interests.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

Hey, here's a random thought...

ENWorld has their ENnies. That's cool. It serves a market and gives people something to look forward to, and debate the merits thereof, and that's usually good for some kicks and laughs. But, its not specialized... really.

So, what say you to a Trollies? The winners can receive Troll Bucks (or whatever they are called) and can be based on certain categories where the nominations are done by nominating... that is, a category gets listed and someone has to ay "I nominate Blah Blah" and it gets seconded. Once there are 5 nominees (at minimum) it then goes to Troll Vote (which would need to be somehow impartial, perhaps done by pulling a name out of an empty beer can). Obviously, direct affiliates cannot be nominated except for certain categories, and because it requires nomination and impartial judging, the hope is to not have it be a popularity contest...

Anyway, a category example (or two):

Best C&C fan site.

Best proposed house rule (the original author on these boards gets the credit).

And so on and so forth.

I dunno. I just think it could be interesting to try.
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If it matters, leave a message at the beep.
Serl's Corner

I like it, Ser. Even if there are no prizes, might be neat for bragging rights.

I think the ENnies are a bit off. For example, I've voted in the past for products I've liked. But, was my vote fair when I hadn't read the other items in that category?
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Lord Frost

Baron of the Pitt
Castles & Crusades Society
The Dungeoneering Dad

I didn't even know when they were doing ENnies.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

I agree with you, Tree, but it's not seeing any TLG stuff is what partly makes me not care - or other companies from game I like (though TLG is the frontrunner there). I think that the exposure would certainly be good, I agree, but how does that happen? Is it TLG that has to put forth categories and products to be nominated for, or is it some kind of panel that decides it?
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

I'm late to the ennies discussion and haven't read any of the thread about it at all Hahahaha though I am guessing there is a little piss and probably some vinnegar as to why or why not products from TLG have or have not been nominated?

As someone who has been nominated a couple times and shared a win with the enormously cool Scott Greene for Tome 3 I have the skinny.

More or less unless it is a Fan Website (AKA free to all).

A Free Online Product (AKA Free To all).

(I think your seeing a pattern here)

...Then the publisher must provide EACH of the judges with a FREE copy of the product(s) for their chosen category in order for it to be considered for judging in whichever category the publisher thinks the product qualifies for.

For example City of Brass got nominated for Best Campaign Setting and Best D20 product. Unfortunately we lost out on that one to a 3rd printing/3rd Updated release of the same product (Freeport... again) and to Monte Cook's World of Darkness (Though rumor has it COB outsold it 3 to 1) man you just can't beat Monte if he's runnin against ya no matter what! Lol.

What gets nominated depends on what your publisher hands away to the judges, and whether you win or not depends in its largesse on your name recognition amongst fans on EnWorld, Circvs Maximvs, and I think RPG net.

If your someone like myself who doesn't have the name recogition of say... Monte Cook (Lol again, I kid because I like Monte and I think his wife Sue is an absolute Doll), then no matter really how good your product is, your probably NOT going to win. However as the old adage says getting nominated is nice and getting nominated is no guarantee as the judges decide the nominations based on the products they received, and the fans decide the winner.

Now another trick is if there are several popular products in a category and perhaps Monte IS running against say my pal Rob Schwalb (who is also a great FRPG writer) then its a good chance that someone like Harley Stroh could come in as the dark horse winner because the votes for the other two authors canceled each other out. It happens so voting even if you think your favorite product doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning is still important. So is mobalizing grandma and all the aunts and uncles (or a whole classroom of kids) hahaha.

Anyhow, thats why I really wasn't that mad when we lost for City Of Brass. I mean if your running against Monte... forget about it haha. And if your running against any incarnation of Freeport your probably not going to win. It was one of the first and arguably best campaign settings for the 3rd edition of the most popular game in RPG history, and probably half of the people who played 3rd edition D&D were at least passingly familiar with some portion of Freeport. Thats just how the Ennies work.

As for TLG not submitting materials, we haven't really discussed it in several years. Steve mentioned during one of the evenings of Troll Con that it was about time we throw some product the way of Enworld's judges. I agree. At this time and from now till the future TLG is definitely a contender. Our quality control has vastly improved and the variety and quality of adventures and rules books have also really come up in recent years. Admittedly we probaby won't win in any category. Winning is a hard sell and as is mentioned a lot of the voting is based on name recognition and maybe a little on creator popularity and thats fine too. Think of it like the Pro Bowl game. Sometimes you get a player like Jr. Seau who is probably past his prime or definitely wasn't the best Linebacker in the league but when voting came along but he got the nod based on his previous experience and the electrifying playmaking that he can still bring to the game.

C.

Also... most of the stuff for nomination is almost a year off. Note that it was 4e PHB (which came out last year in june?).

Anything that came out since I think may of this year has to go for the nom's for next year. So next year you can be sure ...watever Green Ronin put out, Whatever Monte is Working on, PHB 2, and whatever new materials for Dark Heresy that have come out this year until May of 2010 are in the nomination category for the 2010 Ennies.

And Tree is right. Regardless of how you feel about the Ennie awards, the voting system, the system of selection of products for votes and what have you it is excellent free advertising. No doubt at least a few thousand people may read all these things they have never heard of and go "I see, well I shall look that up and see why they thought it was vote-worthy" and maybe find a new game or product they had never heard of that they absolutely cannot live without.

Likewise the nominations and awards DO make a difference no matter how small to purchasers an buyers further into the market. In other words if you can list in a trade rag "Ennie Award Nominated" the store clerk who isn't familiar with your product is more likely to say "aha... award nominated eh? award winner eh? I may as well pick one up and see if it sells." They also become more familiar with authors whose names are continually recognized by their peers in the industry. (Guys like Rob Schwalb, Monte, Wulfgang Baur, Justin Achilli and so on). When you develop name recognition for quality product and sales its easier to get restocked. Simple as that.

All this marketing and stuff just doesn't happen by accident. It involves some work.

C.

Thanks for the explanation, Bowbe!
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John Adams

I did vote, but only for number 20: Fan Award for Best Publisher...
http://www.ennie-awards.com/voting/ballot.asp

Edit: I only voted in category 20 because I don't own anything in the other categories.
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Lord Frost

Baron of the Pitt
Castles & Crusades Society
The Dungeoneering Dad

I voted in several categories, but this is the most blanks I have probably ever left in ENnies voting.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames