Why does a published setting need "support"?

[Quasqueton]

Why does a published setting need "support"? And what is "support," anyway?

How big does a setting need to be? A full world? A continent? A single kingdom? A single city?

Does a setting need new rules---classes, feats, spells, and such? Would a detailed description (fluff) be enough for a setting?

Quasqueton

 

[Howndawg]

A very intriguing question. I think it all depends on the setting and how it's published. I think if the core setting book is fairly complete in and of itself, then it can do just fine without support. However, if there are gaping holes which need to be addressed, then support is necessary.

Howndawg

 

[Mortellan]

Support is all the above Quas'. It's an insecurity of the fanbase that a favorite setting must remain in the limelight and stay relevant to the current game system. GH is heavily fractured in its fanbase and there are people who play GH with OD&D, C&C, 1E, 2E, 3E, and hell GURPS for all i know, but lack of 'official' support does not stop any of these games from continuing on just fine. In the end support is only for two things IMO, to make the company money and to attract new gamers.

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, really, why else buy a setting then? IMHO, the point of using a published setting instead of your own, is to save you from doing all the grunt work of having to fill in all the details.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Support seems to refer to the amount of time between product release. If X amount of information is released in 2000 and then nothing subsequently that's poor support. If X amount of information is spread out from 2000-2007 then that's good support.

 

[Glyfair]

I think it all depends on the setting and how it's published. I think if the core setting book is fairly complete in and of itself, then it can do just fine without support.

It depends on what you mean by "do just fine."

Based on the history of RPGs, I think a setting will not be very popular long term unless there are regular products released for it. Some people will be fans and stick to it for a long time, but those numbers will keep dropping.

Quasqueton could release "Quasqueton's Amazing Complete Campaign setting" today and have it sell out quickly if it is incredible. If he commits to not releasing anything else then after a year or two sales will be at a level where it isn't worthwhile for him to print anymore copies. 10 years from now a fraction of the people who bought it will still play it, another fraction will occasionally bring it out periodically for a new game. However, no one else will get into it because it's not available, or incredibly hard to find.

If Quasqueton decides there is enough interest to do a reprint, due to it's "legendary status," it will still be tough to meet the minimums needed for a setting a decade or more old to be reprinted.

I can't think of any setting that has ever met this criteria and been a long term success. All succeed along with support throughout the years (take the Wilderlands of High Fantasy as an example).

 

[Tharkun]

Why not just produce not more than say 3 books per setting?

Something like a Monsters of...book (which would include ALL playable races & other monsters), a magic of...book (which would include ALL magic items & spells from said setting) and a core setting with the history of the world, major persons/beings, maps of the world, each continent & major cities.

That way you could have your Planescape, Dark Sun and all the others.

 

[bodhi]

Why does a published setting need "support"? And what is "support," anyway?

IMHO, support is more stuff from the people that own the setting. Whether the original creator is still doing all the creating, only partially involved, or has completely sold (or been robbed of) his/her rights, whoever it is that's pumping out more stuff. Hopefully, those involved are people who actually like the setting, who "get" it, and who are doing it because they enjoy doing it, and not just to sell more stuff. Also, they are hopefully doing a better job than the average Joe DM could keeping track of continuity, minor and not-so-minor NPCs, plotlines, world-shattering events, etc.

For the publisher: settings need support so they have more stuff to sell you.
For the DM: Because the more work the publisher does, the less I have to do, and my time is always at a premium.
For the player: Because "official" stuff is more likely to be accepted by my DM.
For the auteur: Because all this stuff is in my head, and I need to get it out!

How big does a setting need to be? A full world? A continent? A single kingdom? A single city?

It needs to be as big as it needs to be. It could be a single building (Hogwarts, in a Harry Potter game), a galaxy (SW, ST, B5), or multiple dimensions/planes (Planescape, Infinite Worlds, Torg). It needs to be big enough to contain the stories and characters you envision in it.

That being said, you do need a certain amount of detail for a setting to actually be useful to a new reader. "The galaxy is full of planets, some industrialized, some feral, some toxic." is not enough.

Does a setting need new rules---classes, feats, spells, and such? Would a detailed description (fluff) be enough for a setting?

For me, it could be enough(if I really liked the ideas in the setting). For some, it couldn't. It's certainly nice to have the additional crunch, and I think it's certainly the common expectation. I do think that a new setting book without any crunch would be a hard sell at this point. But I have books like GURPS Warehouse 23, Suppressed Transmission (1 & 2), and the Atlas of Middle-Earth, all of which have little to no crunch, and all of which I consider great gaming books.

 

[thundershot]

Speaking as someone who has NO TIME for creating adventures, I want ADVENTURES as support for a setting. Maybe a monster book and one other supplement for the world, but that's it. Core book, Monster book, Magic & Weapons book, then adventures adventures adventures...


Chris

 

[Glyfair]

Speaking as someone who has NO TIME for creating adventures, I want ADVENTURES as support for a setting. Maybe a monster book and one other supplement for the world, but that's it. Core book, Monster book, Magic & Weapons book, then adventures adventures adventures...

OK, you create a setting. It's popular. You would likely release all the books you've mentioned within a year and a half (it could easily be done in a year). How are you going to support the setting just on adventures?

Adventures aren't likely to be profitable enough to keep going. Even if they are, what are you going to do 3 or 4 years down the line? New players who find the setting will want a setting book. Producing a print run of a setting book just for new players isn't going to be profitable. Wait, you say, I'll just create enough for many years of new players.

Oops, now you have to worry about storing those extra books your print. Storing books costs money, which most consumers don't consider. The money you save by creating a large print run is eaten up by having to pay for storage space for the ones you don't need immediately. Remember Ryan Dancey's tales of walking through TSR's warehouse filled with boxes and boxes of basically worthless old product that hadn't sold?

So what you need to do to get that new setting out is find a way to get the longtime fans of the setting to want to buy the new book. Which will lead some to accuse you of being only in it for the money.

The alternative is to put out a setting book, your limited support books, and leave it forever. Walk away and be glad you created something fans like. Some will keep with the setting for a long time, others will wander away when the new flavor of the day (probably very well supported) catches their fancy.