Why do the covers of the Mongoose Traveller series have no variety to them? Is it a money problem? I know MGP can do better, look at the Spinward Marches book, it's excellent! But all the other books that are in the pipeline have those hoary old black basic covers, which were fine for the 1970's and low budget game companies. A cover illustration would help sell these books guys!
Bland covers. Why?
- Thread starter BenTOGS
- Start date
I voted for the basic covers..although it is a good point that not all of the "LBB's" were actually black. But I still don't think fancy cover art is all that neccesary.
I get a kick out of people who say "you need fancy cover art to sell!" when the core book, with its black cover with the red Traveller on it is flying off the shelves! and the reason? BRAND IDENTITY! It LOOKS like Traveller to us, and that's why we like it!
I actually wasn't that impressed with the cover art on the Spinward Marches book...looked a little weak to me, frankly.
Allen
I get a kick out of people who say "you need fancy cover art to sell!" when the core book, with its black cover with the red Traveller on it is flying off the shelves! and the reason? BRAND IDENTITY! It LOOKS like Traveller to us, and that's why we like it!
I actually wasn't that impressed with the cover art on the Spinward Marches book...looked a little weak to me, frankly.
Allen
BenTOGS said:
I agree entirely, but sadly we seem to be in the minority on this one here. And yes, despite the fact that Traveller did have the occasional piece of really good artwork covers even back in the CT days (the Spinward Marches campaign, Traveller Adventure, and AoTI were all really good IMO), most people seem to insist that it has to be black with just text on it.
I just don't get it myself, it really seems like cutting off one's nose to spite one's face - I think the 'classic' black cover is dull, bland, anachronistic, uninspiring, and creatively lazy myself. They can do better than that, and the Spinward Marches book is a good example of that.
But that's just my opinion.
Nickbergquist
Mongoose
I think the black covers are rather striking and stand out on the game shelves at the FLGS. Plus, it's unmistakably "Traveller".
That said, I like good art for covers too, and Spinward Marches was a nice looking book for it. My only fear is bad color art for covers....it can be detrimental to sales on an otherwise great book, whereas a simple design can avoid the issue entirely. (Lankhmar for Runequest, cough cough)
But still, good art on the cover of every book would rock....can't argue there....but I had to be true to thine own self and checked "whatever, I buy 'em all anyway."
That said, I like good art for covers too, and Spinward Marches was a nice looking book for it. My only fear is bad color art for covers....it can be detrimental to sales on an otherwise great book, whereas a simple design can avoid the issue entirely. (Lankhmar for Runequest, cough cough)
But still, good art on the cover of every book would rock....can't argue there....but I had to be true to thine own self and checked "whatever, I buy 'em all anyway."
EDG said:
Case could be made that you "don't get" Traveller, either... you've aregued against just about every trope of the genre within the last decade.
Take a look at the MRQ line: core rules line all have very similar covers; setting stuff varies WIDELY.
The clear, simple lines of the "Big Black Books" stands out.
Further, it avoids preconceptions of the contents. Where a setting book MUST imply preconceptions, a generic core shouldn't.
Further, it ties tightly to a brand identity.
Imperator58
Mongoose
Although there's a lot of debate here, and preference is always a bone of contention, the whole deal with Mongoose Traveller is that it hearkens back to the Old days - the Little Black Books - and so not surprisingly they want it to look the same. That's plain black covers. Me, as an old fan, I like it; besides, sexy artwork sure didn't do Quiklink Interactive any good! God, what a disaster.
Rikki Tikki Traveller
Cosmic Mongoose
The RULES books are basic black.
The SETTING books (Spinward Marches) have picture-like covers.
I like the distinction...
Other Setting books (B5, Hammer's Slammers, Starship Troopers) will have their own styles of covers as well, I assume.
The SETTING books (Spinward Marches) have picture-like covers.
I like the distinction...
Other Setting books (B5, Hammer's Slammers, Starship Troopers) will have their own styles of covers as well, I assume.
AKAramis said:
Yes, but there's a lot more variety to them than just a few different words and a different coloured line going across it.
It's quite possible to do all that and have some images too. The 1248 books that Avenger did still keep the basic look but also had pictures in there too, for example. Text + coloured line + picture isn't an anathema.
And frankly, the black covers haven't been done for corebooks since the CT days. MT didn't have then, TNE didn't have them, T4 had black covers with pictures, and the T20 books didn't have them either. Sure, some of the adventures and supplements released for T20 did have the LBB look, but then again all the Traveller's Aides didn't.
So is the LBB really that 'distinctive' of Traveller? I don't think it is.
If Mongoose wants to aim at the CT crowd then it's recognisable, but I don't think the LBB look is doing them any favours with the newer generation - and I suspect that is probably why they went for something different (i.e. cover artwork) with the Spinward Marches book.
I like the classic retro look of the main book, but beyond that I think some art could add significantly to the attractiveness of the product line.
The Spinward Marches book is a good example, with a clearly identifiable Traveller logo and some attractive art. A modest addition such as a starship on the High Guard cover, a Panet on the Scouts book cover, etc might help make those books even more identifiable but it's no biggie for me. The classic look for the rulebooks is just fine.
Simon Hibbs
The Spinward Marches book is a good example, with a clearly identifiable Traveller logo and some attractive art. A modest addition such as a starship on the High Guard cover, a Panet on the Scouts book cover, etc might help make those books even more identifiable but it's no biggie for me. The classic look for the rulebooks is just fine.
Simon Hibbs
BenTOGS said:
It _so_ wouldn't.
rust said:
Bingo!
Klaus Kipling
Mongoose
The new books are very distinctive on the shelf, compared to all the rest.
Distinctive from the spine also, though here newbies might get a bit confused between the new Traveller and the Classic Reprints, as, at least in one of my FLOGS, they're next to each other on the shelf (and until all the first tranche of books are printed, MGT will be outnumbered by them).
I wonder if the success of MGT is also driving sales of the reprints and the Avenger (and remaining QLI) hard copy books? And GT, for that matter.
Distinctive from the spine also, though here newbies might get a bit confused between the new Traveller and the Classic Reprints, as, at least in one of my FLOGS, they're next to each other on the shelf (and until all the first tranche of books are printed, MGT will be outnumbered by them).
I wonder if the success of MGT is also driving sales of the reprints and the Avenger (and remaining QLI) hard copy books? And GT, for that matter.
