(Mongoose) Babylon 5 RPG - Full Details!

[Assenpfeffer]

Am I missing something here? I know about the Chameleon Eclectic B5 game (a fiasco if ever there was one.) I'm aware of the Agents of Gaming tactical games.

What was this other B5 RPG that's being brought up?

 

[NeghVar]

3.5E Compatible?

Matt,

I am not sure if this has been asked already, but is the D20 B5RPG going to be 3.5E compatible?

Thanks!

 

[Blacksad]

Am I missing something here? I know about the Chameleon Eclectic B5 game (a fiasco if ever there was one.) I'm aware of the Agents of Gaming tactical games.

What was this other B5 RPG that's being brought up?

IIRC, a stillborn RPG (kind of like the StarGate RPG by WEG)

 

[Ranger REG]

Because, appart from MnM, most OGL book departs so much from d20, that d20 gamers don't want to touch them, and considering that actually d20 gamer represent 60% of the market, that it took time to educate them to know what d20 is (through articles in polyhedron, ads in dragon), so it wouldn't be suitable to make it OGL, especially considering that most are puzzled to understand that Godlike or Everquest are d20 (if they know that those game are even remotly d20 related).

So what is it that MnM is deemed a success among OGL-based products that have been published so far?

I mean why not learn from Green Ronin?

BTW, I do question the 60% of the market as being d20 gamers, unless you have other data that among the 60% (or whatever true data) what are the percentage of them being D&D gamers who does not trust nor will ever buy third-party resource.

oh, and most obvious reason, because the two other Babylon 5 RPG, aimed at the larger audience were flop, while most product from a good d20 publisher sell well, meaning that it isn't worthwhile to try to convert fans into gamers, while it is worthwhile to appeal to the d20 crowd.

Perhaps because the rules presented in the previous RPGs are complex and/or unappealing?

P.S. Can someone from Sword & Sorcery tell me how the EverQuest RPG product line is doing, despite the small product output? IIRC, their release schedule is scattered, having released the EQ Player's Handbook in the summer while the EQ Game Master's Guide released in the winter.

 

[Assenpfeffer]

oh, and most obvious reason, because the two other Babylon 5 RPG, aimed at the larger audience were flop, while most product from a good d20 publisher sell well, meaning that it isn't worthwhile to try to convert fans into gamers, while it is worthwhile to appeal to the d20 crowd.

Please elaborate. What was this other, non-Chameleon Eclectic RPG? Who produced it? Who designed it? Why did it "fail"?

What I'm hearing here sounds more like the rumor of a "failed" B5 RPG than an actual project, since nobody seems to be able to actually produce any info at all on it.

 

[Sulimo]

Well, I would argue that leaving out some d20 details in favor of more B5-specific information actually INCREASES the value for non-d20 players. That "larger audience" consists mostly of people who are fans of the show but have no intention of ever playing the game; they are buying the books as a comprehensive reference on B5.

It's also more valuable for those gamers who want to use it as the basis for a non-d20 Babylon 5 game.

So, maybe it is a wise decision after all...with Mongoose being able to access even those gamers outside the d20 fold.

 

[uv23]

Jeffery Sinclair may be an 8th level Officer (correct at time of writing!) but he only has 22 hit points

Can you go into more detail about this? I'm really curious.

 

[Blacksad]

Considering that I haven't been able to find reference to a second Babylon 5 RPG project (appart from the new d20 one) in any of my mags, I say mea-culpa.

I mean why not learn from Green Ronin?

the OGL from Green Ronin hasn't scarred the crowd of player, probably because Green Ronin has never produced something worth execution due to lameness.

Here Mongoose can't redo itself (sorry guys, but I've looked at the slayer guide to hobgoblins at my gaming shop).

66% of players are D&D players
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/news...ns&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=35&page=1

Now, you'll need to ask Eric Noah what he has done of the result of all the poll he conducted on his D&D website, I can't found them on Morrus website anymore.

in the meantime
http://www.ogrecave.com/cgi-bin/polltergeist.cgi?pollID=d20market&results=1

But, as I've already said, WotC took pain to educate the crowd ( with the dragon d20 special which sold twice as more on newstand as a typical dragon annual).While OGL product are sometimes barely recognised (Core Commands, Tribe8, Godlike).

and I don't see how bad rules could alter the buying decision of fan of the series, who aren't gamer.

So choosing the largest crowd of gamer is better, and while there is people who only buy D&D, and those who only buy d20, I think that those who do not buy anything D&D or d20 related are in the minority, and that those won't buy a OGL book either.

and aside from the economical issue, the d20 system allow you to refer to large chunk of book (how to deal with player, table rules etc.. in the DMG), Matt already said that it was part of the reason of choosing the d20 route.

 

[Assenpfeffer]

Considering that I haven't been able to find reference to a second Babylon 5 RPG project (appart from the new d20 one) in any of my mags, I say mea-culpa.

Considering that I'm as obsessive a game-dork as you're likely to find, I'd be kinda upset with myself if there was a second RPG and I hadn't heard of it.

I shall make inquiries.

 

[Ranger REG]

But, as I've already said, WotC took pain to educate the crowd ( with the dragon d20 special which sold twice as more on newstand as a typical dragon annual).While OGL product are sometimes barely recognised (Core Commands, Tribe8, Godlike).

"Educate"??? More like promoting their trademarks being used by other companies. Then again, that 2001 annual magazine received so many complaints for not being a D&D magazine that there will no longer be anymore annual magazines, in case you haven't noticed its absence last year.

All of the "education" and "promotion" are being done in the Polyhedron magazines. They even promoted OGL-based products like the upcoming Arcana Unearthed: The Malhavoc Handbooks series (recent issue).

and I don't see how bad rules could alter the buying decision of fan of the series, who aren't gamer.

Well, I can't speak from the non-gamer's point of view. All I know is that when I picked up the last defunct B5 RPG, I can't make heads or tail about the rules. Instead of wanting to play the game it is presented in, I thought of picking it up for reference material. But I decided it is not worth it.

Besides, how many of you have picked up the defunct B5 RPG and enjoyed playing it?

So choosing the largest crowd of gamer is better, and while there is people who only buy D&D, and those who only buy d20, I think that those who do not buy anything D&D or d20 related are in the minority, and that those won't buy a OGL book either.

You'd be surprised. I talked to a friend have nothing but hatred for D&D ... and then he picked up MnM and can't stop praising for it to be better than D&D. When I told him most of the content is based on D&D, he didn't believe me. In fact, he's still in denial.

and aside from the economical issue, the d20 system allow you to refer to large chunk of book (how to deal with player, table rules etc.. in the DMG), Matt already said that it was part of the reason of choosing the d20 route.

Wait a minute. Since when DMG is required a d20 product?

Ah-ha!!!

That's now 2 books required to play B5 RPG. And that's economical?

Personally, if you say that your product is only going to need the Player's Handbook it is best that you reprint stuff that are NOT in the Player's Handbook that are suitable for your game.

After all, sales record have shown that among the D&D core rulebook, the PH is the best-seller.

All I'm asking is to make it more receptable to the entire RPG community at large ... by providing the B5 in one complete package, sans the "this product requires" label.