ORIGINS AWARD WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN -- PLEASE HELP!

[Steve Long]

OK, folks, it’s time to get serious about the Origins Award write-in campaign that I’ve hinted at previously.

To briefly recap, Hero Games products, including 5E, were completely shut out of the nominations for the 2002 Origins Awards, despite the high quality and importance of our 2002 releases. We want to correct this grievous oversight by mounting a write-in campaign. To succeed, we need YOUR help — and the help of anyone else you can recruit to vote on our behalf.

If you’d like to know more, or would like to get directions on how to vote and other things you can do to help, please visit:

http://herogame.dans.cust.servlets.net/news/newsWriteInCampaign.htm

That page has a brief recap of what has happened, and what needs to happen from this point forward. If you have any questions that site doesn’t answer, please feel free to contact me directly at SteveL@herogames.com.

For those who don’t want the whole explanation, here are the short-form instructions:



1. Go to http://www.originsawards.com

2. Click on the “Go Vote” link for “Public Voting.”

3. Place write-in votes for the following products:
—For Game Of The Year: HERO System 5th Edition
—For Best Game-Related Periodical: Digital Hero
—For Best Roleplaying Game: HERO System 5th Edition
—For Best Roleplaying Game Supplement: Champions

In all cases, list “Hero Games” as the “Source/Publisher.”

4. You may vote in the other categories if you want to, but it’s not necessary for your vote to count.

5. You will receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your vote. Use the website link in the e-mail to confirm; do not reply to the mail. There have been some problems with just replying, and we don’t want to have any votes invalidated.

We need not just your vote, but every other vote you can wrangle for us! Get your gaming groups, spouses, kids, and friends to vote, too! Without a high level of participation, we can’t win.

If you’re interested in seeing Hero Games succeed, thrive, raise its profile, and most importantly keep publishing lots of great gaming products, PLEASE help us out with this! It’s very important to us for a whole bunch of reasons, and we’d really love to have your support.

[Bartman]

My vote has been confirmed.

I wish Hero luck on this. Frankly you all were robbed.

[Steve Long]

I almost forgot to mention:

The voting deadline is June 1, 2003.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Bartman
My vote has been confirmed.

I wish Hero luck on this. Frankly you all were robbed.
The same here, and I agree. Happy to help.

[Doczero]

Happilly laying the Smackdown for Hero fans everywhere!

Ain't no body getting to ignore us!

Doc Z

[Steve Long]

Thanx, guys! We really, really appreciate your help and support.

[Jeff T.]

Vote confirmed.

[Balok]

Vote confirmed. I've emailed my gaming group as well as a couple of friends and relatives, and from them I expect a few more votes.

[Koshka]

Vote confirmed. I'm relaying the information to some other gamers I know.

On a sort of related matter, is there some reason they're not accepting write-ins on the .pdf ballot? I've got a couple friends I could probably talk into voting, but they don't have e-mail (and one has been in the hospital for a couple months, so even if he did he wouldn't have access).

[Syberdwarf2]

Votes confirmed for myself and the Misses. I've contacted a buddy of mine at work via email, so his vote should be added in soon.

[Crimson Arrow]

Vote confirmed. Good luck. I know some people I might be able to persuade, so I'll give it a go.

[Steve Long]

On a sort of related matter, is there some reason they're not accepting write-ins on the .pdf ballot? I've got a couple friends I could probably talk into voting, but they don't have e-mail (and one has been in the hospital for a couple months, so even if he did he wouldn't have access).

I'm not sure about that. They may be preparing another paper ballot with room for write-ins. In the meantime, I think it would count if your friends created their own write-in spaces on the existing ballot.

Thanx again for all your help, folx!

[gorman]

Voted.

[buzz]

Okay, I confirmed my vote and sent the URL for the write-in campaign to all my gaming buddies.

I tried going back to the ballot a second time (just to see if I could, mind you) and I got a ballot with about 20-30 entires for every award, including entries for HERO and Champions. Do write-ins get added to the ballot or something?

Weird. They need a more secure, reliable voting method.

[argent]

My vote is confirmed. My wife will be voting within the next 48 hrs.

[Blackberry]

Steve, I'm just curious; why should non-gamers vote for things they know nothing about, and don't you think that's "stuffing the ballot box"?

[Steve Long]

No, I don't. The Academy chose to make this a "people's choice" award, and people can choose to get involved for whatever reason most appeals to them -- the same way they can when signing a petition or voting in an election. Some people vote because they know and like a specific game; some people because they dislike a game and want another to win; some because they like me or Darren personally (e.g., our moms :) ); some because a person they know and like has told them this is important to him and he'd like their help; and some for other reasons. All are perfectly legitimate reasons to vote.

I'd be happy to see the Academy come up with a "peer" award, like the Oscars; in fact, I and other Academy members have argued for this for years. But the Academy has not yet done so, and until it does it cannot (as it freely admits) impose any sort of "merit" requirement on voting for a popular award.

[CleverName]

Voted and confirmed.
*********

Steve, I kinda' feel like apologizing. I posted the write-in URL and explanation for HERO fans on RPGNet two days ago and a big firestorm erupted.

Even though I know there are a few , well, "HERO-haters" ( ;) ) over there, I did not see that coming. I hope that has not hurt the effort.

:confused:

[Steve Long]

No problem, CleverName, and certainly no apology necessary. Someone was bound to start fussing about it sooner or later. ;)

[Tony V.]

Vote confirmed, gaming group confirmed, FLGS manager vote confirmed.

We'll show 'em!:D

[Balok]

I'm hosting gaming tonight. Those who show me "vote confirmed" get snacks and sodas. Those who don't get old potato skins and glasses of that water that's been sitting in the drainage ditch out back for three weeks or so.

High voter turnout is expected.

[Tclynch]

Me and my significant other have both voted!

[Agent 537]

3 votes on this end, with a potential 2 or 3 more votes coming.

[Steve Long]

Thanx again, everyone!

[Bazza]

vote confirmed.

Steve, a quick question: would it be impolite for one person to vote multiple times from different email addresses? I have a couple (ok 6) does the academy impose any such rules or "protocol infringements" for one person voting multiple times?

FREd on!

[Yamo]

Steve, a quick question: would it be impolite for one person to vote multiple times from different email addresses? I have a couple (ok 6) does the academy impose any such rules or "protocol infringements" for one person voting multiple times?

I'm not Steve, but I can tell you for certain that that is against the rules. Please don't.

[Steve Long]

I appreciate the enthusiasm, Bazza, but each person can only vote once. Voting more than once is against the rules.

There's nothing wrong/illegal about getting other people to support us and vote themselves. But you, yourself, should only vote once. I'm pushing hard to make this write-in campaign a success, but I definitely don't want to win by cheatin'. ;)

[Static UK]

Voted, and confirmed.

Do you think you can summon up enough support for this Steve? I mean, what kind of targets do you think you need to reach? Any ideas? Good luck all the same! :)

I always hate filling in those electronic form thingies, they are so US oriented! I never know what to do in the 'state/ provence' box. Usually I leave it blank, usually that's okay. But nope, not this time, it asked me to fill in the box! :mad: Usually those codes are two letters, right? Well happily it accepted my whole 'county' name without any problems.

[Bazza]

Originally posted by Steve Long
I appreciate the enthusiasm, Bazza, but each person can only vote once. Voting more than once is against the rules.

There's nothing wrong/illegal about getting other people to support us and vote themselves. But you, yourself, should only vote once. I'm pushing hard to make this write-in campaign a success, but I definitely don't want to win by cheatin'. ;)
Thanks. I just wanted to ask first, as there is no harm in that. If if wasn't against the rules then...but since it is, I don't want my vote "unconfirmed". Thanks again. Go HERO.

[Steve Long]

Do you think you can summon up enough support for this Steve? I mean, what kind of targets do you think you need to reach? Any ideas?

I have an educated guess, but out of what respect I have left for the Awards process, I'd rather not make it public. Suffice it to say, the answer is "a lot." That's why I keep stressing that just having each of our fans vote himself probably isn't enough. If each fan votes, and recruits other eligible voters, then I think we have a shot at it. If we (Hero) didn't believe we (Herodom Assembled) could succeed, we wouldn't've started the write-in campaign.

If nothing else, we at least make 'em sit up and take notice of us. ;)

[Tempuswolf]

I've voted for Hero System Fifth Edition for Game of the Year and Best RPG. My vote for Best RPG Supplement Star Hero may have split the vote, sorry, but I couldn't with a clear conscience pick Champions over it.

As an aside, I noticed that when I voted for Star Hero the company I typed in "Hero Games" switched to "DOJ" in the confirmation.

[tgaptte]

Voted and confirmed.

[Derek Hiemforth]

I joined the Academy and voted, plus I'm also orchestrating an effort with friends and family. I hope to get about 20 more votes.

[Steve Long]

That's fantastic, Derek -- thanx!

[Trencher]

Can people who are not from the USA vote?

[Steve Long]

Absolutely, Trencher! The voting is open to anyone who cares to vote.

[Lord Liaden]

With the voting deadline nearly upon us, I was wondering if there's a day by which you expect to hear the results?

[Steve Long]

The results are announced at the Origins Awards ceremony during the Origins gaming convention in late June. Specific voting totals are not announced, only the winners.