This week's Foolish thoughts and ramblings...

[mroberon1972]

You know, I have wondered about the act of publishing settings. You have a vision, you want other people to see it, and you write up a wonderful world...

Let's be honest guys: Only a rare few want to see it.

No, your idea isn't bad. Nor is it just a tired rehash of the same old thing.

But they don't know that, and they really ain't interested in learning about it for 5-10 dollars a pop.

Why? A good reason that may not seem obvious at first glance: Only a Game Master is going to buy a setting book, and he probably won't unless he has already been hooked into that setting though a form of popular media. Books, movies, TV, comics...

If it's no something he already knows he wants, then your not going to sell it to him for a very good reason: He already is making a world. His own...

Sorry, guys. We can't fight the truth.

Every game master I have ever met has created at least one world, and most old-timers have created dozens...

For us to make a setting book that is worth of them putting aside their own is a wonderous dream. Not very likly though...

How can a publisher make a setting that can actually push through the wall into our customer's heads? I think I've narrowed the needs:

1. You need to be a 'name' publisher/writer that has a proven track record.
2. You have to have normal publishing capabilities, because POD cannot setup a decent print/cost ratio right now to support distributors. (They want a 50% discount before even looking at a book.) This is because setting books need to be BOOKS, not digital PDFs. Don't ask me why, but it seems to be true for the moment.
3. No matter how much people want them, they buy other books first. This hurts sales of setting books in the short and long run. This can be helped by releasing 'crunch books to support the setting, enticing customers to buy the base setting book as well...
4. It needs to be supported with media and advertisments. The dragonlance novels were one of the greatest marketing campaigns for an RPG ever created. Dragonlance probably helped to teach more non-gamers about D&D than anything else. Heck, I even think it helped to make gaming more (not alot, but more) respectable to non-gamers...

Keep in mind, if a publisher has the money to produce enough setting material, including novels and other media, then they MIGHT take off well enough. Backing and a good campaign can work wonders.

Overall, though, It looks like I'll be leaving the settings to the Game Masters, and designing things that help in other ways...



Side thoughts:

On a side note, I love Mutants and Masterminds! It seems to have all the best features of DC, Marvel, and HERO! And the fact it really is a d20 system! Funny AND great! I may look into publishing a little for this onceI have absorbed the rules.

Ya know, It might be better for an anime game than Anime d20... Mebe... Even my five year old daughter could play this without getting bored...

Keep on gaming!
John Bowden
The Fool

 

[Cergorach]

1. I think it helps, but not that neccessary. Take a look at Privateer Press, this company came out of nowhere.
2. POD is only usefull if you can't afford a printrun, people are demanding print copies and those same people are willing to order it in POD.
3. A setting book alone might not be the best way to introduce people to your setting, take a look at some of the great settings (like Dragonlance, Iron Kingdoms, etc.) They all started as adventures in a setting people found so interesting that they wanted to know more.
4. Yeah... Up for writing a trilogy or two? ;-)

 

[mroberon1972]

A thought:

What stops a group of smalled publishers from developing a setting and creating a setting as a part of a united front? Writers work at developing stories and artists developing a setting visual style...

Each smaller publisher gets a 'section' of the setting to develop. Races, regions, adventures...

Sounds like an interesting project... I wonder if there's enought trust and unity in the small publishing groups to try it...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I wonder if there's enought trust and unity in the small publishing groups to try it...

I've seen a few of these projects online. I always check them out, but there's never enough cohesion. The lead editor/project manager either has a firm hand -- in which case all the talent runs off -- or too light a hand, which leads to a patchwork world. Now, nothing against anyone's hard work, but if I'm going to play in a patchwork world, I'll stick to the FR.

I think SSS went the right way with the Scarred Lands, publish a bunch of sourcebooks instead of starting off with a worldbook.