The necessity of an introductory adventure with a new RPG

[gamerprinter]

The point would be to sell it separately, rather than with the rules.

Oh, I didn't suggest that the intro adventure had to be a part of the ruleset handbook, just that one needed to be available, even as a separate product at time of initial product release. This separate product should still be pointed to from the rules set book.

I think writing rules and writing content are actually pretty disparate skills.

I certainly agree, which is why I suggested if you lack the skill in creating a good adventure, you'd better find someone who can before you even start - elsewise look at different career than game design. No business doing it if you can't do the job.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

I think they are more important than including a character sheet (either in book or downloadable).

The book sets tone a lot, but an adventure give the tone meaning in action, and can really set the world and expectations of play very well.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I think most people have some basic notion of what roleplaying is, and can do fine improvisationally. Not that the first session is likely to be a masterpiece, but it's likely to be a good learning experiece. Mine was.

Ah. Yours was. Many weren't. There are many horror stories, especially from 'back in the day', about how a gaming group fell apart after the first few sessions because the GM didn't have a clue how to run a game. A published adventure can help prevent that. It isn't guaranteed to, of course, but it can help.

 

[Hal G]

I think having material in addition to the setting is very important at or right after release. Adventure with some nice crunch may at least help people justify the purchase, and if you hate adventures and feel they cramp your style do not use it.
I would say most people who buy a system would like a starting adventure to go with it even it if is to pull out the feel and tone of "the land".

 

[Lokiare]

So provide a free adventure for those that need it but don't include it in the core rule sets?

 

[MichaelSomething]

An intro adventure is pretty important to many RPGs, depending on the RPG. It's a way for for a person to figure out how the writers expect the RPG to be played. If you're unfamiliar with the game or genre, an intro adventure can be great for laying out the expectations. While most of you can run a good D&D game, could you run a Maid RPG game with just the rules? There an intro adventure would be helpful.

Of course some systems won't need an intro adventure as much.

 

[Stormonu]

I don't think I've seen a core ruleset that didn't have an adventure of some sort in it. The only RPG I've ever played that I didn't have some sort of published adventure for it was Vampire, and that was only because I came into the game from the player side (I usually come in as a DM to new games). For whatever reason, I've never used a published adventure for that system (even though there is one in the book).

For me, published adventures for an RPG are a must. They help me to see the RPG "in action" through the designer's eyes; lets me see what the system was intended for. If they bumble that (as I felt 4E did), I tend to look for other games rather than go off in left field with the RPG.

 

[Blackbrrd]

A new system needs an adventure or two that showcases how the author thinks the game should be setup and run. I don't people that make game systems but no adventures.