Professional GM Diary: Final Preparations

[Obryn]

People comment on my marketing plan but no one has said anything about my game designing. Sigh.

That's because you're trying to start a new business. Your marketing plan is about 10x more important than your game design.

It doesn't matter how incredible your product is, if not enough people know it's available for purchase. By focusing on game design, you're putting the cart before the horse.

-O

 

[Ydars]

Well you have my best wishes for your venture. Ignore the Nay-sayers and follow what you believe. The worst that can happen is that you are wrong, and then what do you lose? At least you tried, and that is more than some can say.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Captain_Commando, you keep saying you are a great GM, but you offer no testimonials of any sort. Can you point us to posts by delighted players from your previous campaigns? Can you point us to an engrossing storyhour you (or a player) wrote regarding one of you campaigns, so we can get a feel for how you do things?

Do you have any published RPG credits, such as modules/adventures, articles in magazines, or articles on reputable websites?

If you don't have anything published, can you point us to a lengthy message-board posting history, in which you intelligently dissect various games and offer valuable feedback? Or posts in which you give people free advice regarding their campaign, or characters, or NPCs, or whatever?

In other words: If I were a player mildly interested in showing up for your game, what could you show me that would convince me?

= = =

Let me give you an example of what I am talking about.

Piratecat, one of the moderators here, is widely reputed to be an exceptional GM. I have never met him, and never played in one of his games, but I also believe he is an exceptional GM because:

• He wrote one of the most widely-read storyhours of all time, Defenders of Daybreak. It's an outstanding read, and you can learn a lot from it about techniques of GMing and campaign building.
• One of his player is currently writing a narrative regarding Piratecat's ongoing 4e campaign, which you can read here. It contains good GMing advice for the new edition.
• He is an award-winning RPGA GM.
• He is a published author with the following credits. His adventure for 3e D&D, Of Sound Mind, is great, and contains some useful DMing advice, particularly around setting a mood for the players.
• He has a long history of posting here and on other boards, offering helpful and intelligent advice, and generally being a stand-up "netizen".

For the reasons listed above, I would jump at the chance to play in a campaign GM'd by Piratecat.

But would I jump at the chance to play in a campaign GM'd by Captain_Commando, and pay $10 per session for the opportunity? Why should I?

That is the question you need to answer for your (potential) customers.

 

[Obryn]

The worst that can happen is that you are wrong, and then what do you lose?

His mom's house.

-O

 

[Captain_Commando]

To hell with my back pain!!!

I'll still run a session today. A short 2 to 3 hour session for free testing out my new story concept.

Tomorrow and Friday will be full sessions at half price.

Standard sandbox gaming prep for 6 different sessions a week plus a whole new locale on Sunday was stupid. Yes I admit it was stupid.

My new sandbox style is much less prep and much more "art".

I've tossed the old campaign out the window and I'm replacing it with a new one that I can construct and grow very quickly. Abnormally quick.

Today will be a strange day for gaming, assuming anyone shows up.

 

[Ydars]

Captain_Commando, you keep saying you are a great GM, but you offer no testimonials of any sort. For the reasons listed above, I would jump at the chance to play in a campaign GM'd by Piratecat.


But would I jump at the chance to play in a campaign GM'd by Captain_Commando, and pay $10 per session for the opportunity? Why should I?

I think you need to calm down a little: we are talking about a GAME.

I mean, this guy is asking a few dollars to DM a session, not your first born child. If you don't like it, you can always get your money back and it seems to me that if you want to find out what sort of game he is running, why not turn up and see? I would if I lived close (but I think the UK is a little too far away ).

I mean, you will still be alive afterwards if it all goes wrong.

 

[FickleGM]

I think you need to calm down a little: we are talking about a GAME.

I mean, this guy is asking a few dollars to DM a session, not your first born child. If you don't like it, you can always get your money back and it seems to me that if you want to find out what sort of game he is running, why not turn up and see? I would if I lived close (but I think the UK is a little too far away ).

I mean, you will still be alive afterwards if it all goes wrong.

I actually agree with JR in this case. The most important thing that CC must do is sell his product and if he can't convince potential customers WHY they should pay to play in his games, then he won't have any customers.

I don't think that JR is personally outraged, but is putting forth a very important question.

 

[Obryn]

I think you need to calm down a little: we are talking about a GAME.

I mean, this guy is asking a few dollars to DM a session, not your first born child. If you don't like it, you can always get your money back and it seems to me that if you want to find out what sort of game he is running, why not turn up and see? I would if I lived close (but I think the UK is a little too far away ).

I mean, you will still be alive afterwards if it all goes wrong.

I take it you haven't read the other threads this guy has posted all over the place?

If this were just a guy trying to make some money with his hobby, I doubt too many people would care. His oblique references to his special genetic skills might draw a few chuckles, and his confidence in his extreme awesomeness might get some guffaws... but that's about it.

However, this isn't a guy just trying to make a few bucks off his hobby. It's an ill-considered scheme to try and solve actual financial troubles, without even a minimal safety net like a job of any sort. Even one that involves fryolators.

-O

 

[Scribble]

I actually agree with JR in this case. The most important thing that CC must do is sell his product and if he can't convince potential customers WHY they should pay to play in his games, then he won't have any customers.

I don't think that JR is personally outraged, but is putting forth a very important question.

Exactly, all JR is doing is giving him intelligent tips on how to promote his business.

From the standpoint of a potential customer all I've seen promoting his service is:

It's no more expensive then a movie.

I have secret skills.

You can get your money back an hour in if it sucks.

Captain I really think you need to rethink your business plan a bit and come up with some concrete methods to actually promote it: IE tell me the good things about it. Don't make them a surprise. Surprises are fun in the bedroom, not in business.

Also, once you have a plan, try to stick to it adjust as necessary of course, but not as radically as you seem to be doing.

Imagine walking into say applebees and the waitress says: Hey welcome to applebees. Tonight we're serving really good food. The chef uses methods known only to a select few that make food really good. It's 5 dollars for a plate of food. Oh wait, no it's 20 dollars for two plates. No that's too much, so 15 dollars for a plate and an appetizer. Made with the chef's secret way of quickly making awesome food. You can get your money back halfway through the appetizer.

Wait my back hurts, so I won't be bringing the food out till tomorrow, but I'll hang out here with you for free.

Screw it, you look hungry. I'll bring the food out, but it'll be different then it was supposed to be. Shrug.

All that said I don't have any issue with you trying to make money DMing... more power to you. Just trying to help point out some issues I see in your plan...

 

[Ydars]

I take it you haven't read the other threads this guy has posted all over the place?

If this were just a guy trying to make some money with his hobby, I doubt too many people would care. His oblique references to his special genetic skills might draw a few chuckles, and his confidence in his extreme awesomeness might get some guffaws... but that's about it.

However, this isn't a guy just trying to make a few bucks off his hobby. It's an ill-considered scheme to try and solve actual financial troubles, without even a minimal safety net like a job of any sort. Even one that involves fryolators.

-O

I haven't seen anything else but what in this thread Obryn, but if what you say is true then the tone of some of the posts I have seen here are even more disturbing.

I feel sad that some people here think it is funny to laugh at someone with problems and look to bring them down. Wouldn't a gently worded personal message be a more appropriate way to try and make useful suggestions? Or is this all about looking cleverer than someone else?