YotZ market research question(s)

[jezter6]

With adventures and sub-genres being so niche as it is, I don't see this actually producing any return on the investment.

You have d20 modern already separated into 2 camps: No FX, and FX. No FX campaigns don't have zombies, so they're unlikely to use it. Even in FX campaigns, you've got a number of sub sub-genres (Urban Arcana style, Sci-Fi, Zombies, etc).

The actual number of campaigns likely to run a one-off zombie encounter in the midst of a regular campaign just seems unlikely.

I'd rather see development going into something like one shot zombie scenarios (ie: let's take a break from our regular D&D group and do a zombie fight night) or a full on YotZ adventure path from right before ZH to T+730days.

One thing to quickly jump into might be some zombie QuickShots. One thing I don't have a lot of imagination on are short and simple side encounters and adventures for a zombie genre. For me, it's all 'survival horror' but it would be nice to have a book with 10 or so non-survival horror things to do in a zombie infested world.

Something on the lines of:

You need to get drug XYZ from the clinic in hostile territory to save a little girl. You have 7 hours to get back.

While it still has zombies in it - killing the zombies is not the main focus of the sidetrek.

 

[Wolv0rine]

One thing to quickly jump into might be some zombie QuickShots..

Oh man, I haven't heard someone reference the Quicksots line in AGES. And it's not a bad idea, I know Tim can pump out those things in his sleep (then again, he was drinking alot back then...) *chuckles*

 

[ukgpublishing]

You have d20 modern already separated into 2 camps: No FX, and FX. No FX campaigns don't have zombies, so they're unlikely to use it. Even in FX campaigns, you've got a number of sub sub-genres (Urban Arcana style, Sci-Fi, Zombies, etc).

Not to nit pick but YotZ doesn't advocate FX as it tends to unbalance the game. In fact Tim includes an option for running with FX, but suggests that zombies are drawn to FX use and being a spellcaster can be more of a detriment than an advantage

One thing to quickly jump into might be some zombie QuickShots. One thing I don't have a lot of imagination on are short and simple side encounters and adventures for a zombie genre. For me, it's all 'survival horror' but it would be nice to have a book with 10 or so non-survival horror things to do in a zombie infested world.

One concept I have been playing with for YotZ is a series of encounter books. Maps, battle maps, NPC's and a whole host of post rising goodness that can be dropped into any YotZ campaign or run as a small stand alone.

BTW Nice to see you back online Owen.

 

[Wolv0rine]

BTW Nice to see you back online Owen.

Doing what I can. I pumped out 3 good pics for Eat the Rich over the last 2 days since Tim dropped the latest ms. on me. (and did my usual corrections, proofreading, and pointing out things he's missed)

 

[jezter6]

Not to nit pick but YotZ doesn't advocate FX as it tends to unbalance the game. In fact Tim includes an option for running with FX, but suggests that zombies are drawn to FX use and being a spellcaster can be more of a detriment than an advantage .

What I mean by FX is more on the lines of supernatural/non standard modern play. Zombies, as they currently do not exist in the real world, kinda fall on that line. THat's what I mean.

Either you play a straight 'real world' game or you play one with FX trappings - that's not to say you have magic running around, but you do have stuff that just aint real.

 

[Wolv0rine]

...but you do have stuff that just aint real.

They always say that right before the monster gets them, don't they?

 

[ukgpublishing]

I love some of the references Tim is getting in to the Survivors Guide.

For example, from SGRA-13 out next month:

"The man nodded again, “You get a good look at their eyes, the people wandering around?”
Kent shook his head, so I spoke up, “Yeah, I did. Out back, before you came along, those two who…” Words failed me and I shuddered, thinking of that man and woman, all the blood. I felt an arm come around me from behind and Rita was by my side, guiding me to the sofa.
“You need to sit down, sweetie, you’ll get sick again if you wear yourself out.”
I let her guide me to the sofa, then looked up at the man, who now seemed to tower over me. My head felt a little light as I looked up and up and up at him. His face was a mix of serious concern that made me smile for some weird reason until he reminded me, “What about their eyes?”
I stopped smiling and looked away, shuddering again, “They were white, milky white. I’ve never seen eyes like that except in movies. Only zombies and really old blind people have eyes like that.”
I heard the man mutter, “Exactly.”

The sudden realisation that Monsters are real is a wonderful mental image

 

[Wolv0rine]

*sighs*
And thus does my poor market research thread die. Frell, I was hoping people'd be throwing in opinions left and right. Then again, maybe I over-estimate the appeal of YotZ.

 

[ValhallaGH]

*sighs*
And thus does my poor market research thread die. Frell, I was hoping people'd be throwing in opinions left and right. Then again, maybe I over-estimate the appeal of YotZ.

For a last bit of input, I'd just like to mention a few adventure features that I love to see but don't always. This is meant as a reminder / preference list, not as criticism (it has been a while since I flipped through my UKG stuff, so I don't have any specific comments right now).

1. Adventure summary - it seems obvious but that one to three paragraph blurb can make the difference between using the adventure and leaving it on the (metaphorical and literal) shelf. Publishers that don't have summaries, or have bad summaries, don't get my repeat business.
2. Table of Contents - these are a must in any product, and I'm always disappointed when they aren't included. Among other things, they make it possible to find the section of the adventure that I want. While I won't stop doing business for the lack, I'm always much more likely to buy products blind if I know the publisher uses these regularly.
3. Index - it might seem redundant for an adventure, especially with a T.o.C., but if I need the stat block for a specific NPC / trap / monster / vehicle / whatever then I want to have a good index to find it quickly. Again, while this isn't a deal-breaker, it is a deal-sealer for future products.
4. Sidebars - sidebars with suggestions for dealing with different campaign assumptions, players going off-track, NPCs that are supposed to die and live instead (and vice versa), and similar issues are always welcome and make me heartily recommend the adventure to other interested parties I know.
5. Robust plots - don't connect the plot points with thin threads that can be easily overlooked by players. Connect them with multiple highways and rail lines (figuratively and literally if necessary). Make sure there are at least three ways to get from plot-point to plot-point, otherwise my players will wander in circles until they get eaten or I GM-fiat them back to the story.

Fairly simple stuff, but it's surprised me how many products miss those points, many of them by some pretty big names in this industry. And those companies would be surprised how much money I've not spent because of the listed issues.

 

[Serendipity]

1. What are the likely roles of your PCs? By this I don’t mean “Tough Hero, Fast Hero, etc”, I mean what are their roles in your game? Are they soldiers? Mercs? Agents of a secret Govt agency (Dept 7, etc), something else?
2. How would you prefer to see the PCs introduced/involved into a YotZ adventure? They happen across it and have to figure out how to react on their own, they are ordered into the area/situation by some superior agent/agency, they already have an involvement in the situation and it occurs around them, etc?
3. What is your opinion of the roles of the PCs being predetermined by the module? (i.e. “The PCs are members of the Red Talon Security force hired to protect a private community”, “The PCs are members of the 82nd Ranger division ordered into a riot zone to defend and protect the populace”, etc.)? Do you prefer the role of the PCs to be left undetermined, or do you not mind such an assumption by the module?
4. Related to the above, what are you opinions on the PCs’ roles not being pre-determined by the module, but having the module give one or more options for roles the PCs could have?

Actually I've been thinking about this for a bit now. Unfortunately I'm still gathering players together and the time in which to run, however....
All I've planned on thus far is to tell the PCs make characters for a modern (i.e. 2008) game of d20 Modern. I want to see what kind of characters they bring into things. I'm rather hoping that someone brings me something off the wall (like an Urban Arcana PC or such)
2. I'm planning on having the PCS dealing with the very early (stage one) outbreaks of zombie apocalypse and then going from there so ideally situations involving EVENT and how to use it are of the most use to me.
3. Meh. I've seen it done ten gajillion times already. I don't really need a book to tell me how to do it again, you know?
4. I like that idea A LOT.