2012 Fanfiction Awards - planning thread

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

That may lead to debate over what constitutes a "spinoff", considering that technically everything other than the primary games is a spinoff, including the anime.

Also, another question, but related--do mixes of continuities count as crossovers? Like I did one recently that (surely wouldn't win any awards but)'s a crossover between gameverse BW and DPA!, so how would that be considered? I mean, it's all Pokemon, but it's also different parts of the franchise.

[The Great Butler]

That may lead to debate over what constitutes a "spinoff", considering that technically everything other than the primary games is a spinoff, including the anime.

I think the generally accepted answer to this question would be what Bulbapedia lists as spinoff games. A list is here.

I think the only gray area comes with Colosseum and XD.

Also, another question, but related--do mixes of continuities count as crossovers? Like I did one recently that (surely wouldn't win any awards but)'s a crossover between gameverse BW and DPA!, so how would that be considered? I mean, it's all Pokemon, but it's also different parts of the franchise.

In a sense you could use the term "crossover," but I would say it's not truly a crossover unless you're actually using two entirely different things.

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Ah so it would just apply to games and not the whole franchise...hmm, that should probably still be clarified. And regarding crossovers I meant for the purposes of the contest, of course, since you seem to be in charge again.

[The Great Butler]

Well, yeah, then. In this context "spinoff" is referring to side-series games spun off from the main games.

As far as crossovers go, it means crossing over two franchises, unless there's sufficient demand for it to be changed to consider different Pokemon continuities being combined crossover as well.

[jireh the provider]

As for some unique kind of characters used in pokemon, what category should it be?

I for one author, a doing a pokefanfic where the protagonist is not a trainer. But rather a photojournalist (people who takes pictures as reports). Of course photojournalists do not work like usual pokemon trainers.

So what category should human characters with different purposes (breeders, novelists, pokestar actors/acterss, contestants, musical performers, pokemon sports players [ala basketball, baseball, tennis, football in Unova], or even pokemon nurses) go?

[Shadow Lucario]

As for some unique kind of characters used in pokemon, what category should it be?

I for one author, a doing a pokefanfic where the protagonist is not a trainer. But rather a photojournalist (people who takes pictures as reports). Of course photojournalists do not work like usual pokemon trainers.

So what category should human characters with different purposes (breeders, novelists, pokestar actors/acterss, contestants, musical performers, pokemon sports players [ala basketball, baseball, tennis, football in Unova], or even pokemon nurses) go?

There is a category for human characters. It's not just trainers.

[jireh the provider]

I see huh? Interesting. My story, valiant Emblem, has a protagonist that's not a typical trainer.

But I could see right now that the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Saga. What a grand influence has Chunsoft and Gamefreak's unity crafted as video games that become as popular as the main series itself. You see, I believe that 5th generation's story was grandly influenced by the PMD saga itself, generally explorers. From what I've read at TVTROPES, some guessed that N was the hero of the PMD explorers. I''m like what? Has PMD seriously influence the unova plot?

So I think the other Pokemon spin offs that still can make a name for themselves would be the Pokemon Coliseum Series (along with XD Gale of Darkness a debatable candidate for very dark story concepts), Pokemon Ranger (despite being mediocre, it has a moderate audience), and possibly Pokemon Conquest (despite being recent, many said this has more darker potential in a warlord-ish look where war genres can spread like wildfire).

Yet still, of all the poke spin offs, the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Saga remains as the most influential pokemon spin off as of now for me.

[Feralninja]

I think we're making this all waaaaay more complicated than it has to be. Spin-off fics would be fics about PMD, Conquest and (maybe) Ranger, though the last could fit a human-centric fic. Fics that combine two franchises, like the Phineas and Ferb one, or the Pirates of the Caribbean one are crossover fics. We agreed some time ago that we'll try out a specifically PMD category this year. Ranger, in my opinion at least, needs no seperate category from human-centric, and to the best of my knowledge, there are no ranger fics up for vote. I could see Conquest fics as either fitting under pre-existing categories, or getting a category of it's own. However, that's not a problem this year because, again to the best of my knowledge, there are no Conquest fics here as of yet.

In short: a spin off category would include stories drawn from the side games that have a very different feel from the other games in the series. Conquest, PMD, Pinball, Trozei would all fit here. (Side note, has anyone ever written a pinball or trozei fic? That would be... cool, I guess.)

Games like Ranger, Colosseum and XD play similar and have similar storylines to the main series games, ergo don't really merit being in the hypothetical spin-off category. And before people freak out about how Ranger is different, I merely say this because it involves moving around on an overworld map, collecting pokemon for a browser and defeating an evil team bent on conquest/pokemon snatching, though with a different mechanic than pokeballs, and the captures aren't permanent.



I think that because the only spin-off games we're dealing with this year is the PMD series, we shouldn't worry about a spin-off category until such a time comes that there is a significant number of other spin-off games being made into fics. To the other proposal on the other page before, I think the status of Trainer fics is fine, though if there is any confusion, perhaps clarifying it as "Human-centric"? But as it is now, I think most people understand that about the category anyway.

[Brutaka]

I think that because the only spin-off games we're dealing with this year is the PMD series, we shouldn't worry about a spin-off category until such a time comes that there is a significant number of other spin-off games being made into fics. To the other proposal on the other page before, I think the status of Trainer fics is fine, though if there is any confusion, perhaps clarifying it as "Human-centric"? But as it is now, I think most people understand that about the category anyway.

But wouldn't creating a category for all spin offs be a healthy preemptive motion? If Ranger or Conquest fics become popular, then there'd be a category for it and we wouldn't have such bickering next year.

[Chapter of Charizard]

I vote me as best new Authorz!!! XD

Just kidding. Check out my story and review it!

But, anyway, I say that each author can nominate two authors, @ a maximum of five categories. Max of 10 authors total, 2x5=10

[Feralninja]

But wouldn't creating a category for all spin offs be a healthy preemptive motion? If Ranger or Conquest fics become popular, then there'd be a category for it and we wouldn't have such bickering next year.

I'd say it's something we can keep in our pockets, but there's not much use for a category no one is nominated for... We can put it on the table, archive it for a later date, and cross that bridge when (or rather, if) we come to it.

[Brutaka]

I'd say it's something we can keep in our pockets, but there's not much use for a category no one is nominated for... We can put it on the table, archive it for a later date, and cross that bridge when (or rather, if) we come to it.

But of course we'd have people nominated to it, since it would envelop PMD fics and take over that category...

[Feralninja]

But of course we'd have people nominated to it, since it would envelop PMD fics and take over that category...

In theory yes, but seeing as the only spin off fics we have this year are PMD, why not just call the category that until such a time arises that we have a conquest fic or two to nominate?

[Brutaka]

In theory yes, but seeing as the only spin off fics we have this year are PMD, why not just call the category that until such a time arises that we have a conquest fic or two to nominate?

Either idea works, to be honest, so it really doesn't matter.

[Shadow Lucario]

But wouldn't creating a category for all spin offs be a healthy preemptive motion? If Ranger or Conquest fics become popular, then there'd be a category for it and we wouldn't have such bickering next year.

I agree with this. If there was just a spin-off section then that would cover a wide area. Even if the only nominated ones were PMD then it wouldn't matter because that category still covers it and if I remember correctly I saw one Conquest fic. I don't know if it's popular or not, but still.

[The Great Butler]

In theory yes, but seeing as the only spin off fics we have this year are PMD, why not just call the category that until such a time arises that we have a conquest fic or two to nominate?

I disagree. Even if only Mystery Dungeon fics get nominated this year, I think it's better to leave the category as open as possible so there's no need to retread it later on whenever changing it over gets done.

[Brutaka]

I disagree. Even if only Mystery Dungeon fics get nominated this year, I think it's better to leave the category as open as possible so there's no need to retread it later on whenever changing it over gets done.

It just seems safer to me.

[The Great Butler]

It just seems safer to me.

I agree. I just genuinely don't see any reason to just make it a Mystery Dungeon category when it can be a little more inclusive this year and more inclusive in the long term as a general spinoff category.

[Sid87]

When do we start at least nominating? We're halfway through December already.

And I assume voting is public, right? Not polls.

[The Great Butler]

When do we start at least nominating? We're halfway through December already.

Not until January, because anything posted up to and on December 31 is fair game.

And I assume voting is public, right? Not polls.

Voting is conducted using a special ballot form that Dragonfree generously creates every year. The administrators of voting (myself and Dragonfree) have a password to view the voting records but this information is not publicly available.