Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
is the ttrpg market swamped now? could you write a winner?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="ruemere" data-source="post: 8510935" data-attributes="member: 5515"><p>Regarding writing an E&E game that would sell, here is a little rant based on my observations over the years:</p><p></p><p>(warning: rantish)</p><p></p><p>1. You need a distinct and appealing art style. This means hiring an artist with a vision, getting a professional to do proofing and layout. The game must look original and separate - here are a few recommended picks (focusing on just a few examples that I own - please don't hold it against me if you find your favorite item missing):</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Broken Tales</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Blade Runner</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orbital Blues</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">White Hack 3 (the art style is literally a basic LaTeX template, and yet it is so unbelievable easy on your eyes that it makes for a very cozy read)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Necrobiotic</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Arc Doom</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Troika | Electric Bastionland (can't believe I failed to include this)</li> </ul><p></p><p>2. The system must be serviceable. It may be super simple, it may be more elaborate, but the underlying concept must be simple, at least on paper. Only big brands can afford to be elaborate with impunity (Level Up/A5E).</p><p></p><p>2.1 Simple systems that are too simple or too casual will die. The system must be able to produce engagement that rewards its mastery. I know that some people people disagree with Monte Cook who said this originally, however... if you want your players to read some of your books, you should give them stuff to engage with the game on several levels.</p><p></p><p>2.2 Prior to any publishing campaign do your best to get other people to use your system. Chances are that there are things obvious to you, and not necessarily to others.</p><p></p><p>2.3 Too many indie games recently produced are all about a system, but not enough about a setting. Not enough setting content means that GMs will have to rely on tropes and stereotypes, and most GMs will at some point give up the game because of this.</p><p></p><p>3. The setting material is not about a number of new races, artifacts or monsters. It's about what the role of protagonists is, culture differences, mysteries, politics, economics and plots.</p><p></p><p>3.1 I cannot stress enough that the protagonists role must be addressed - are they adventurers? If so, what kind of work are expected the adventurers are to do? What do the NPCs are doing meanwhile?</p><p></p><p>3.2 If you are producing a derivative E&E setting, do remember that there is a glut of generic online content. Do try not to reproduce it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ruemere, post: 8510935, member: 5515"] Regarding writing an E&E game that would sell, here is a little rant based on my observations over the years: (warning: rantish) 1. You need a distinct and appealing art style. This means hiring an artist with a vision, getting a professional to do proofing and layout. The game must look original and separate - here are a few recommended picks (focusing on just a few examples that I own - please don't hold it against me if you find your favorite item missing): [LIST] [*]Broken Tales [*]Blade Runner [*]Orbital Blues [*]White Hack 3 (the art style is literally a basic LaTeX template, and yet it is so unbelievable easy on your eyes that it makes for a very cozy read) [*]Necrobiotic [*]Arc Doom [*]Troika | Electric Bastionland (can't believe I failed to include this) [/LIST] 2. The system must be serviceable. It may be super simple, it may be more elaborate, but the underlying concept must be simple, at least on paper. Only big brands can afford to be elaborate with impunity (Level Up/A5E). 2.1 Simple systems that are too simple or too casual will die. The system must be able to produce engagement that rewards its mastery. I know that some people people disagree with Monte Cook who said this originally, however... if you want your players to read some of your books, you should give them stuff to engage with the game on several levels. 2.2 Prior to any publishing campaign do your best to get other people to use your system. Chances are that there are things obvious to you, and not necessarily to others. 2.3 Too many indie games recently produced are all about a system, but not enough about a setting. Not enough setting content means that GMs will have to rely on tropes and stereotypes, and most GMs will at some point give up the game because of this. 3. The setting material is not about a number of new races, artifacts or monsters. It's about what the role of protagonists is, culture differences, mysteries, politics, economics and plots. 3.1 I cannot stress enough that the protagonists role must be addressed - are they adventurers? If so, what kind of work are expected the adventurers are to do? What do the NPCs are doing meanwhile? 3.2 If you are producing a derivative E&E setting, do remember that there is a glut of generic online content. Do try not to reproduce it. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
is the ttrpg market swamped now? could you write a winner?
Top