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<blockquote data-quote="Alphastream" data-source="post: 6276066" data-attributes="member: 11365"><p>There has been a mind-numbing number of introductory boxed sets for D&D, covering every edition several times over. Each of them has some positives (I have enjoyed looking over them) and some negatives, because it is very hard to provide the right balance. </p><p></p><p>On one hand, you want to provide a new player with a proper introduction to the game, <em>as their first RPG</em>. That requires a certain take on language and how you provide the information. The 4E Red Box's idea of making a character as you make choices in the adventure was a novel take on that. It is also worth looking at the 3E sets, one of which really took the approach of quick-start rules, where you are basically taking a pregen and running through a simple adventure. The original Moldvay Basic set (which I started with) tried to simplify the normal rules, to mixed success. The original Mentzer Red Box is very much written for a new player - its first few pages talk you through an adventure and the language is for a brand new player. </p><p></p><p>On the other hand, you also want to provide some utility. Ideally, you would use this box more than one. That's where the 4E set can fall behind the Moldvay set, which could stand on its own and keep you entertained for years. </p><p></p><p>On a third hand, you want to have sales from existing players. The product would ideally appeal to gamers experienced with other RPGs but not D&D, to gamers who haven't played D&D in a while but played an older edition, and to gamers of the previous edition who already know they will be buying the actual game. The 4E Red Box didn't provide much more than maps to a 4E player that had the core books. Cardboard tokens work for some DMs, but are a waste for DMs with a minis collection. </p><p></p><p>All of that is very hard to balance. Realistically, the company likely chooses a direction and then has to hope the designer delivers a solid first draft. They are balancing a bunch of products, and you can't just focus and fine-tune that one product to perfection. Moldvay and Mentzer pretty much went through the same thing - the differences in approach are due to the individual takes on the right balance, rather than any genius planning by TSR. </p><p></p><p>I personally would lean toward an intro box that has the following:</p><p>- A player booklet that provides the "suck you in" intro for a brand new player, then walks you through how to play the pregens. This could be 4 booklets, as with the 3E intro, but that's more expensive.</p><p>- 4 pregens, full color double-sided with a few tick boxes where you choose one or another option (to get you in that mentality of building your own PC). For example, you might choose between two backgrounds, or between two weapons.</p><p>- A rules book where it provides what you need for levels 1-3, creating a clear incentive to graduate to the full product.</p><p>- A DM adventure booklet that guides you through running each encounter/scene of a short adventure. To add collector appeal, I would make the adventure a "lost" part of a classic adventure, such as an additional 'just found' cave in the Caves of Chaos. </p><p>- 4 color special-paint minis, so minis collectors want to buy this and players and DMs want to buy more minis. Cardboard tokens for the monsters in the adventure.</p><p>- A color poster map. One side is general layout, the second is a battlemap for the exciting final room.</p><p></p><p>That probably blows the budget, so maybe the minis could be sold separately, and buying the intro box could provide a coupon for a slight reduction? That could entice the purchaser to keep purchasing. It's also worth considering an adventure that really is designed to work as "the default intro adventure for D&D". This would be something any DM, no matter their experience level, could use to bring in new players. Something good enough you would run it many times (the way many DMs run ToEE over and over again). In that case, the adventure would need an accompanying book that could be used by new DMs and then no longer used. Who knows. This is why I enjoy the material instead of selling it!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alphastream, post: 6276066, member: 11365"] There has been a mind-numbing number of introductory boxed sets for D&D, covering every edition several times over. Each of them has some positives (I have enjoyed looking over them) and some negatives, because it is very hard to provide the right balance. On one hand, you want to provide a new player with a proper introduction to the game, [I]as their first RPG[/I]. That requires a certain take on language and how you provide the information. The 4E Red Box's idea of making a character as you make choices in the adventure was a novel take on that. It is also worth looking at the 3E sets, one of which really took the approach of quick-start rules, where you are basically taking a pregen and running through a simple adventure. The original Moldvay Basic set (which I started with) tried to simplify the normal rules, to mixed success. The original Mentzer Red Box is very much written for a new player - its first few pages talk you through an adventure and the language is for a brand new player. On the other hand, you also want to provide some utility. Ideally, you would use this box more than one. That's where the 4E set can fall behind the Moldvay set, which could stand on its own and keep you entertained for years. On a third hand, you want to have sales from existing players. The product would ideally appeal to gamers experienced with other RPGs but not D&D, to gamers who haven't played D&D in a while but played an older edition, and to gamers of the previous edition who already know they will be buying the actual game. The 4E Red Box didn't provide much more than maps to a 4E player that had the core books. Cardboard tokens work for some DMs, but are a waste for DMs with a minis collection. All of that is very hard to balance. Realistically, the company likely chooses a direction and then has to hope the designer delivers a solid first draft. They are balancing a bunch of products, and you can't just focus and fine-tune that one product to perfection. Moldvay and Mentzer pretty much went through the same thing - the differences in approach are due to the individual takes on the right balance, rather than any genius planning by TSR. I personally would lean toward an intro box that has the following: - A player booklet that provides the "suck you in" intro for a brand new player, then walks you through how to play the pregens. This could be 4 booklets, as with the 3E intro, but that's more expensive. - 4 pregens, full color double-sided with a few tick boxes where you choose one or another option (to get you in that mentality of building your own PC). For example, you might choose between two backgrounds, or between two weapons. - A rules book where it provides what you need for levels 1-3, creating a clear incentive to graduate to the full product. - A DM adventure booklet that guides you through running each encounter/scene of a short adventure. To add collector appeal, I would make the adventure a "lost" part of a classic adventure, such as an additional 'just found' cave in the Caves of Chaos. - 4 color special-paint minis, so minis collectors want to buy this and players and DMs want to buy more minis. Cardboard tokens for the monsters in the adventure. - A color poster map. One side is general layout, the second is a battlemap for the exciting final room. That probably blows the budget, so maybe the minis could be sold separately, and buying the intro box could provide a coupon for a slight reduction? That could entice the purchaser to keep purchasing. It's also worth considering an adventure that really is designed to work as "the default intro adventure for D&D". This would be something any DM, no matter their experience level, could use to bring in new players. Something good enough you would run it many times (the way many DMs run ToEE over and over again). In that case, the adventure would need an accompanying book that could be used by new DMs and then no longer used. Who knows. This is why I enjoy the material instead of selling it! [/QUOTE]
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