The Sparkly New Game

[Wild Gazebo]

It occurred to me the other day that it had been some time since I had tried or bought a new role-playing game. Now, I pretty much shrugged it off immediately by thinking...well I'm just that age where I have what I like and I am comfortable with what I have. But, then I thought of the changing times and of the sheer amount of missing goodies that I must be passing by--that got me stirred up a little. So, being horrifically far away from any sort of storefront opportunity to browse and purchase games, I took to the interwebs. Browsing through the pages upon pages of games and modules, credit card in hand, I chose three different systems that I have never played and one campaign world I have never played.

I was a bit surprised about what drew me in...what drew me in to become interested in the purchases.

One was simply the art. I don't consider myself shallow...or too terribly flighty...but I simply, immediately, got a feel for what they were trying the sell by connecting to the art. I'm not too sure that is a very wise choice; but, I don't ever remember being betrayed by the art of a role-playing game before...fingers crossed.

The second two I was simply swayed by the premise. The idea percolated in my head. It's hard to get a good sense of game play from ads and reviews. Game play has never been a big problem for me...I've never had it ruin a game I was playing...I've had lack of understanding the rules...and poor understanding of the game play...but not the mechanics itself. That being said I've really enjoyed certain types of game play more.

The last was sheer nostalgia. Perhaps this just works on the old creepy dudes; but, seeing those slightly out of proportion figures running through those poorly drawn halls does something for me. Getting a glimpse at the cyanotype maps and grey-scale cross-sections really brings me back to a misspent youth of graph paper, polyhedral dice, and DM screens.

So, the surprising part for me is just how ridiculously frivolous my purchases were compared to how I do most of my other shopping. I didn't research reviews, fan or professional, I didn't ask any friends, I didn't go looking for something specific, and I certainly didn't research the specifics.

So, are you guys as flighty as me? Does a good cover sell you on a product?

What are the things that make you pick up a new gaming system? I'm not talking about feeding a habit here...what is it that makes you pick one over the other....do you really do the research...or is it something else?

 

[pming]

Hiya.

Me too, generally. I am an old grognard now and came to the realization of "I like what I like" about 10 to 15 years ago. That sentiment (?) has only grown stronger with age. I see everyone getting all excited about some new game or game-add-on and I think "Uh, ok. Well, hmmm....I did that same thing 23 years ago back in one of my AD&D campaigns. Old hat...". Thats why I think a lot of "older folks" don't typically buy a lot of 'new' stuff...the so-called "new stuff" isn't really new at all.

For example, the whole "retro-game" craze in recent years. I'm glad they happened, but I found it strange talking to youngsters and saying stuff like "Well, yeah, I guess OSRIC is pretty close to AD&D 1e...but, uh, I'm still playing 1e AD&D with my 1e AD&D books I bought back in 1980. So, yeah, um, it's not really 'new' to me...".

I seem to go though "phases" of RPG material splurges. I'll go months and months and MONTHS of not buying much of anything new...then I'll just start buying anything that looks interesting; art, presentation, premise etc. Whatever catches my fancy. We (my wife and I) recently did a government survey with some woman. One thing we discovered is how much $$$ I've spent on RPGs and RPG stuff over the last year or two. Ouch! (about $3000 for those interested...and that's just what I had in 'physical' copies).

So, yeah. I'll go a while without buying anything, then get a bug for some particular system, setting, genre, or company and go on a mini buying spree (typically $200 to $300 worth in a shot). I don't seek out "reviews" or ask for opinions, I don't try and do much in the way of 'research'. I just kinda "get a feeling" about it and plunk down $100 for the core system, screen, a module, supplement, etc.

Yeah, kinda flighty. Fun and sometimes expensive, but I do enjoy that feeling of total surprise when, a year later, I stumble upon an RPG tucked away in a box under the table and say "What the? Ohhhh yeeeaahhh....! I remember buying this game now!"..it's like finding $200 worth of new, free RPG stuff. Yeah for slowly failing memory of age!

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Jhaelen]

So, are you guys as flighty as me? Does a good cover sell you on a product? What are the things that make you pick up a new gaming system?

Nope, and no.
I generally only consider buying a new system after having read about it repeatedly (mainly here on ENWorld) and seeing enthusiastic reactions from several people. Then my curiosity gets piqued.

Recent examples include 'The Burning Wheel', 'The One Ring', and 'Trail of Cthulhu'.

I recall two slightly less recent examples where I immediately bought the books when they were released: 'Pathfinder' and 'Eclipse Phase'. However, I'd seen beta material for both games, so I kind of knew what to expect.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I always check reviews to at least make sure what I'm buying isn't outright terrible, but presentation (artwork, production standards, layout, etc.) is very important to me, and it can make or break a purchase, definitely.

I've gotten big on board gaming in the past few years, and I have to admit a nice looking board or pieces or card artwork can really entice me to buy something, even if it's got a 5 or 6 on BGG. I love the shiny.

But, then, I love new and different things. I love reading RPG rulebooks, and I love that feeling of playing it for the first time, or of dusting off something that's been sitting on my shelf for years and giving it another go.

 

[BriarMonkey]

I have gotten much better about my impulse purchases. During the heyday of D&D 3.x I bought a lot of stuff, sight unseen. And prior to that, I'd buy systems that I'd heard of, but didn't do much research. Consequently, a lot of those never got played and eventually were never replaced when lost (I lost a lot of stuff when I was in the military - or more correctly, the government lost it for me).

So, while it's taken many years, I finally got a handle on that kind of spending (mostly). Any more, to even consider something like a new system, I have to be looking first. Meaning, I have to be in the frame of mind to even want to find something new. Then, I will do my research to figure out what might interest me based on what I'm in the mind for. And once I have a list of options, I go to places like here and look up reviews. I also check for any website the producer may have, and check their boards for feedback. Ideally, if I can find a copy in a local store, I will check it out physically.

Once I am satisfied that I have a good candidate, then I will make a purchase.

For instance, my curiosity is piqued by the new Star Wars RPG by FFG. However, because of how they are producing the game (in three distinct sets) I am very much on the fence about it - namely because true force users don't happen until the last release... Anyway, based on what I've read and see thus far, I am in the process of debating picking up the Beginners Box for that game. I still have some debating to go yet.

I think, for me, part of what makes me so cautious any more is that the last game I picked up sight-unseen was D&D 4e. That pretty much put me off any such purchasing decision ever again - at least as far as RPGs go.

Having said all that, I do sometimes still break down and pick up a supplement for a game I like, even if I haven't researched it yet (like so often happens should I go to Gen Con). But, I am working on that too.

 

[Jhaelen]

Having said all that, I do sometimes still break down and pick up a supplement for a game I like, even if I haven't researched it yet (like so often happens should I go to Gen Con).

Well, supplements for systems I already know are a completely different beast. E.g. I buy every supplement for Ars Magica even though it's been almost a decade since I last played it. I just enjoy reading them because they're always so well-written and well-researched. I can recall only about one supplement I ever found disappointing.

 

[SquareForge]

I get drawn in by the functionality. When I see something that can be used in a variety of different ways, or something that really fills a void, I tend to become interested. For example, when 4E was still relatively new, I discovered those 'Power Cards', and ended up buying the entire collection of decks. We got a lot of play out of those cards, but of course I bought a lot more than I actually needed. The artwork does have some weight in my decision making, but functionality is key. I find that beautifully depicted products with poor functionality just sits in my closet.