Comments on: Shifting Generic Gears http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/ Campaign Development for Busy Game Masters Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:12:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Erin Smale http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-263 Erin Smale Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:39:33 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-263 <a href="#comment-261" rel="nofollow">@deimos3428 </a> : Great point, Deimos. I've had similar feedback from other quarters. The March issue of the newsletter will provide a near-term product roadmap, which includes a minor revision to the Core as well as more material for a Chimera fantasy setting. If those supplements/adventures do well, I'll concentrate on an expansion for fantasy play, much as you sagely suggest. @deimos3428 : Great point, Deimos. I’ve had similar feedback from other quarters. The March issue of the newsletter will provide a near-term product roadmap, which includes a minor revision to the Core as well as more material for a Chimera fantasy setting. If those supplements/adventures do well, I’ll concentrate on an expansion for fantasy play, much as you sagely suggest.

]]> By: deimos3428 http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-261 deimos3428 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:23:41 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-261 A little late to the discussion, but a good friend of mine that just happens to be an experienced game publisher is fond of mumbling something along the lines of "Systems don't sell settings, settings sell systems." Chimera is an excellent system and I don't think it requires additional genre-specific rules so much as a setting supplement which you already have in the works. (I'd forego "Chimera Fantasy", etc. and jump straight into "Swords of Telm". After you've got people "hooked", you can show 'em how to use Chimera Fantasy to build their own...) The fact that Chimera is capable of far more than any single setting doesn't mean people aren't essentially sheep. They need you to show them the way before boldly going forth. A few more short, low-cost/free adventures would go a long way to building interest as well. I loved the one in the quickstart! A little late to the discussion, but a good friend of mine that just happens to be an experienced game publisher is fond of mumbling something along the lines of “Systems don’t sell settings, settings sell systems.” Chimera is an excellent system and I don’t think it requires additional genre-specific rules so much as a setting supplement which you already have in the works. (I’d forego “Chimera Fantasy”, etc. and jump straight into “Swords of Telm”. After you’ve got people “hooked”, you can show ‘em how to use Chimera Fantasy to build their own…)

The fact that Chimera is capable of far more than any single setting doesn’t mean people aren’t essentially sheep. They need you to show them the way before boldly going forth. A few more short, low-cost/free adventures would go a long way to building interest as well. I loved the one in the quickstart!

]]> By: Erin Smale http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Erin Smale Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:43:49 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-183 <a href="#comment-182" rel="nofollow">@Jason Pitre </a> I hear you, Jason. Generic has the "broad and shallow" appeal, but that does imply a fan base that isn't already attached to a genre. Thing is, Chimera <i>will</i> serve a bevy of gamers--it's just getting them the proper exposure. The Chimera Fantasy 'experiment' is designed to expose those gamers and see if there's an interest. We'll see... ;) @Jason Pitre
I hear you, Jason. Generic has the “broad and shallow” appeal, but that does imply a fan base that isn’t already attached to a genre. Thing is, Chimera will serve a bevy of gamers–it’s just getting them the proper exposure. The Chimera Fantasy ‘experiment’ is designed to expose those gamers and see if there’s an interest. We’ll see… ;)

]]> By: Jason Pitre http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Jason Pitre Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:28:12 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-182 I grok. This is the peril of a "generic" system, in that it is hellishly hard to market such a system and you have an inherently difficult time to impart mood to a book. Additionally, have you done or considered printing of dead tree copies? Paradoxically, I think that might be beneficial to your PDF sales. I am trying to dodge the same beasts by hooking into a hereto underutilized group, giving away about half of my book for free and selling the other half for quite cheap. I expect that my first few years will be money loosing propositions in the hopes of getting enough momentum, fan base and attention to make good on some supplements. .-= Jason Pitre´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.genesisoflegend.com/archives/1" rel="nofollow">Under Construction</a> =-. I grok. This is the peril of a “generic” system, in that it is hellishly hard to market such a system and you have an inherently difficult time to impart mood to a book. Additionally, have you done or considered printing of dead tree copies? Paradoxically, I think that might be beneficial to your PDF sales.

I am trying to dodge the same beasts by hooking into a hereto underutilized group, giving away about half of my book for free and selling the other half for quite cheap. I expect that my first few years will be money loosing propositions in the hopes of getting enough momentum, fan base and attention to make good on some supplements.
.-= Jason Pitre´s last blog ..Under Construction =-.

]]> By: Erin Smale http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Erin Smale Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:05:50 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-181 <a href="#comment-180" rel="nofollow">@Anarkeith </a> Hi, Keith - Happy New Year to you, too! You're absolutely right - awareness could improve. I need to do some better marketing and cross-pollination to spread the word. On the plus side, the feedback I've so far received has been positive, so I'm confident the Core Rules does what it's supposed to. Still, I can't help but wonder if a genre book, based on the Core, might not be more accessible. If you wanted a steak, would you go to a supermarket or right to a butcher? I think I'm going to progress with Chimera Fantasy as a test. The Core would still remain multi-genre, though. In programming terms, think of the Core Rules as a class and Chimera Fantasy as an instance of that class. Chimera Fantasy inherits from the Core, but may have a few of its own methods. But it still needs better marketing, regardless. Thanks for reminding me about this - it's certainly more workable than option #3... ;) @Anarkeith
Hi, Keith – Happy New Year to you, too!

You’re absolutely right – awareness could improve. I need to do some better marketing and cross-pollination to spread the word. On the plus side, the feedback I’ve so far received has been positive, so I’m confident the Core Rules does what it’s supposed to.

Still, I can’t help but wonder if a genre book, based on the Core, might not be more accessible. If you wanted a steak, would you go to a supermarket or right to a butcher?

I think I’m going to progress with Chimera Fantasy as a test. The Core would still remain multi-genre, though. In programming terms, think of the Core Rules as a class and Chimera Fantasy as an instance of that class. Chimera Fantasy inherits from the Core, but may have a few of its own methods.

But it still needs better marketing, regardless. Thanks for reminding me about this – it’s certainly more workable than option #3… ;)

]]> By: Anarkeith http://www.welshpiper.com/shifting-generic-gears/comment-page-1/#comment-180 Anarkeith Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:39:05 +0000 http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=775#comment-180 Happy New Year, Erin! As part of your info-gathering, how many reviews of the game have been posted? Do you have any local game stores where you could run demonstrations? I'd also look at gamer complaints about popular systems and then blog about how Chimera does things differently. I think it's a worthy system, and wonder if the slow start is more about awareness. Before you devote a bunch of time making your system non-generic, maybe it'd be worth marketing the strength of a generic system? Imagine a gaming group that meets regularly, but alternates between fantasy and scifi campaigns while still using the same rules. Keeps gaming fresh, while making it time-efficient! Happy New Year, Erin! As part of your info-gathering, how many reviews of the game have been posted? Do you have any local game stores where you could run demonstrations? I’d also look at gamer complaints about popular systems and then blog about how Chimera does things differently. I think it’s a worthy system, and wonder if the slow start is more about awareness. Before you devote a bunch of time making your system non-generic, maybe it’d be worth marketing the strength of a generic system?

Imagine a gaming group that meets regularly, but alternates between fantasy and scifi campaigns while still using the same rules. Keeps gaming fresh, while making it time-efficient!

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