The Simming Prize (officially called the Prize for Simming and Online Role Playing in Memory of Seth Cotis) last week announced its 2021 winners. Just like the 2020 winners, the 2021 class includes one individual, one sim, and three groups. Again featuring an eclectic range of role playing types, it well represents the broader community. While one of the groups was only founded in 2021, the two others each celebrated their 20th anniversary last year.
- Sim Central: “A newcomer in 2021, Sim Central was founded on a set of principles to give sims and hosts freedom to operate how they see fit while at the same time bringing them all together as a cohesive group. Widely attempted, but rarely effective, Sim Central has achieved that much sought after balance in a relatively short amount of time. This has resulted in some of the best simming on the web across multiple genres.”
- Zodiac Fleet: “Celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2021, Zodiac Fleet does community as well as any club in existence today. A lot of groups now regularly host live events, but Zodiac’s possess that rare “it” factor where members feel a deep connection to both the club and each other. With highly creative role playing, games, and more, they have something that everyone can enjoy.”
- Obsidian Fleet: “Also celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2021, Obsidian Fleet has been a bastion of high quality role playing since its inception. Fostering a close and connected community within, the club has also been active in the greater simming community for years through hosting major events like FallFest and Khitomer. Its focus on the things that matter has led to long-term stability and created a model for others to follow.”
- Mudwater PD: “A hybrid sim set in an original science fiction fantasy world, Mudwater PD hits all the right notes while still pushing boundaries. A diverse group of writers, seemingly effortlessly playing off the many twists and turns of each other, constantly push the story in unexpected yet believable directions. Each post is expertly crafted, almost a story in and of itself, but yet still a perfect fit within the whole.”
- SJet: “A longtime role player who consistently puts others first, SJet has not only seen it all, but he’s done it all extremely well. Comfortable as a player, a host, or even a club leader, he’s always open to feedback and new ideas, and is quick to pivot or change strategies if the situation requires it. As a result, his sims are always top notch and players feel welcome to try things they might not feel comfortable to do elsewhere.”
More than 20 years old now, the Simming Prize has not only awarded a lot of winners, but it has also seen quite a bit of change itself. It’s been sponsored by at least three different organizations and recently went through some significant leadership restructuring. It also featured five unique categories when it was created, but these were dropped in the early 2000’s. Regardless, the Simming Prize continues to honor the very best of the role playing community today.
