How Can We Attract New Players to MRQ2 and other D100 Games?

[RosenMcStern]

Some of the other BRP settings may require a bit more tweaking, or using non-RQ rules. For example Crusaders of the Amber Coast has its own magic rules but I would expect that they should just port over without a problem.

Actually, I used the CotAC campaign to playtest MRQ2 when both were still unpublished...

So yes, you can use the magic rules of MRQ2 very easily for CotAC. Just use MRQ Divine Magic (Pact = Piety) and Common Magic for Pagans. You can also use Deus Vult as a guideline for the Crusaders.

As for historical supplements not selling well... uhm, Rome won a prize this year. And ennies are not assigned by a jury (just the nominations are), so someone must have voted them on the net. You will find more fantasy than historical in the market, but historical settings are the ones where d100 traditionally fares better than d20. And the license is very cheap.

 

[languagegeek]

As for historical supplements not selling well... uhm, Rome won a prize this year. And ennies are not assigned by a jury (just the nominations are), so someone must have voted them on the net. You will find more fantasy than historical in the market, but historical settings are the ones where d100 traditionally fares better than d20. And the license is very cheap.

I think there are a couple kinds of historical supplements: actual historical supplements and ‘elves in Egypt’-style hybrids. From a personal perspective, I've had enough of the latter, but there have been precious few really good examples of the former. Here's what I mean,

Let's take a historical time and place... Imperial Mongolia.
What I'm looking for as a GM is:

• 
  * Base Layer. An accurate yet playable set of rules: what weapons and combat styles were in use, what was the social organization like, transport, settlement structure, religion, and so on. This describes the Mongolian Historical setting.
  * Layer 2. What kind of Magic, Heroquests, and (new) Monsters, would be appropriate to a Mongolian Fantasy setting, but all within the bounds RQII rules.
  * Layer 3. Perhaps the setting suggests some new rules, or interpretations of core rules.

Now, once I've bought the book I can create a campaign based around Imperial Mongolia. If I want it to be low/no-magic historical or I want to homebrew a lot of stuff, I can ignore layers 2 and 3. If I want to play RAW but don't want to develop my own cults and monsters, I can ignore layer 3. If I want to explore new rules, I'll go with the whole lot. Part of the danger with new supplements is the rule bloat that accumulates over time. By leaving the rule additions as explicitly optional and separate from the setting, this can be avoided.

I'm not sure how well something like this would sell overall, but I'd buy a copy. I don't have the time or wherewithal to research and develop a detailed and accurate setting for all of the fascinating cultures I'd like to incorporate into a campaign. And before bringing in a real-world culture, I would want to make sure I do it right – ‘Jungle Dwarves’ does not an African Supplement make.

 

[parejf63]

I have had a group of ten players playing another game for almost a year now. All old school players, I talked to them about it, we played it, they loved it. Not in Glorantha though, I have adapted it for both Harn and Palladia (PFRPG).

 

[Loz]

Some very good suggestions. I, like Mallard, am a firm believer in convention proselytizing: if anyone's interested I'll be at Phantasm, Peterborough, Ontario, in a few weekends time doing just that. I, and Pete, should also be at Eternal Con in Germany next year. I also aim to get around Ontario/Michigan/New York state cons during 2010/2011.

However, Living Glorantha also offers you a terrific way of spreading the word. Contact your FLGS; offer to run a Living Glorantha game and see if they will help advertise it. Do the same with local gaming clubs.

Use Skype: I've run many successful Skype games and it was integral to playtesting RQII. Skype's a great way to get many people together irrespective of distance. Hell, you know, I might run a one-shot RQII game on Skype myself at some point specifically for newbies. Watch this board for more details...

 

[Darran]

For those wishing or thinking about running games at conventions here is some advice I have written that you might find useful.
I help organise a few cons here in the UK and have attended many more. I have ran several games including a few scenarios that I have ran over twenty times each to an average of 5/6 players per time.

Convention Gaming Advice

 

[languagegeek]

I also aim to get around Ontario/Michigan/New York state cons during 2010/2011.

Any chance of running something at http://www.hammercon.ca in Hamilton Nov 6? Our game group will be going there. I'm going to be using hammercon as a networking opportunity to find other people interested in my RQII campaign.

 

[Loz]

Any chance of running something at http://www.hammercon.ca in Hamilton Nov 6? Our game group will be going there. I'm going to be using hammercon as a networking opportunity to find other people interested in my RQII campaign.

I'll see what I can do!

 

[duncan_disorderly]

As for historical supplements not selling well... uhm, Rome won a prize this year. And ennies are not assigned by a jury (just the nominations are), so someone must have voted them on the net.

A well deserved win too.

The other refutation of my argument would be GURPS, and in fact this probably does prove that historical supplements could be a good way to grow the brand. As you say, the licence for a historical game is free, so if "MRQ Hundred Years War" doesn't shift as many units as "MRQ David Gemmell", it may still end up being more profitable

 

[TrippyHippy]

Yeah but GURPS stopped doing historicals on the grounds they didn't sell well.

There could be more reviews of RQII though - I note that Game Geeks haven't looked at barely anything done by Mongoose. Does Kurt not like you guys or something?

 

[Mikko Leho]

I note that Game Geeks haven't looked at barely anything done by Mongoose. Does Kurt not like you guys or something?

Kurt did review Conan and Lone Wolf supplements recently. He only review products that have been sent to him or interest him personally. So Mongoose has not sent Kurt free copies and he has no interest in RQ2 (as of now anyway).

 

[TrippyHippy]

Send him some free copies then. You've a chance of getting more than one convert from it...

 

[ThatGuy]

As far as online presence, more GMs on Internet sites might help as well. This takes those that are talented as both GMs and with computers (Maps confound my poor computer challenged mind!), but I know on RPOL an interest in MRQ2 went up and no fewer than 10-12 people responded, which is pretty good.

I know some folks on here hate pbp, but I am a recent convert for the simple reason that the time drain on the rest of my life is minimal. If you hate PBP, you don't have to respond to this post- I get it, you hate it.

I don't know who else is interested, but if someone wanted to run a game (or a couple of games) RPOL might be a good place. Already I've seen a few people magnetized to the system just as a result of that post, so imagine what some real activity could do.

Also, might be a good place for a living Glorantha campaign, to magnetize folks to that world (which people also tend to love once exposed to it).

 

[Chronos]

Also, might be a good place for a living Glorantha campaign, to magnetize folks to that world (which people also tend to love once exposed to it).

I'll second this. I was only exposed to Glorantha (and indeed RQ itself) last year. I've played several pen & paper games since the 80's, and I can't quite recall being so interested in a setting and ruleset such as I have with RQ and Glorantha. It (Glorantha) came across as quite alien at first, but the more our group played, and the more I read, the more I appreciated and became impressed with it.

I encourage spreading the word about MRQ2 and Glorantha in particular. I think a lot of other gamers may come to understand what a treasure it is, but they must first break first of DnD, GURPS, or whatever else. Exposure is definitely needed here.

 

[ThatGuy]

Here is a quote from the RPOL "Game interest" thread:

" msg #19
Re: Mongoose RuneQuest II - any interest in a game?

How had I never heard of this system before? After doing a little research, I finally found some gameplay and system examples, and the system is absolutely adorable <3

I would totally be up for this type of game, using this system! ^^"

I mean, isn't this what we are talking about in this thread?

Note this is msg #19. I think there have been something like 25 responses by about 10-12 different people giving input on the game idea.

I'm just saying, I think there is fertile ground over there, just need more sowers. As far as I know Rurik (hi!) is the only person running a campaign over there, and real life has been keeping him really busy as of late. Any other computer whizes/GMs could get a game going easy. I for one would be waaaay up for a living Glorantha RPOL campaign...

 

[jarulf]

There are also a few games of MRQ2 on rpg.net, and some in the planning stages I think.
If you read the open rpg discussions on the site, you know that MRQ2 gets mentioned fairly often now, so it definitely generates some interest. With the new(ish) settings coming out, that will hopefully cater to slightly different tastes so that interest will likely rise.

One idea to promote the game, taking a page from Loz here, might be to run short games on the Internet. With tools such as PbP, VTTS, Skype even IRC there are lots of options. A short introductory adventure is also a lot less work for the overworked GM than a full campaign

 

[daxos232]

I think it would help greatly if RQ could be found on more store shelves. I go into a game shop and Borders book store, I don't see any runequest. The thing I see the most often, and often the only thing I see, is 4th edition d&d. It would help a great deal if RQ was there next to it, a competitor, something to give choice.

I know many people who are not satisfied with 4th edition D&D, but play it because its the most common game. If RQ was sitting on that shelf, a game that can be played with only one book needed, not three books, totaling 90$, that may bring more players. Therre is more out there than d&d, more people need to know it and have more convenient access to it.

If RQ is going to do this they are also going to need to edit their products more, to work out the kinks and inconsistencies. That would be a big step in bringing more players. RQ is a better system than 4th edition D&D (in my opinion) and more people need to know thEy have a choice.

 

[aethelwulf22]

I for one would be waaaay up for a living Glorantha RPOL campaign...

Me too! I've been interested in RQ and Glorantha for a while but have never had the chance to play it as the group I'm in has been playing (in fact, playtesting) WFRP3e pretty much exclusively for the last year or two.

A couple of years ago I got into pbp games but got a bit jaded after a while as they often tend to fade out after a month or so. But I'd jump at the chance to give Glorantha a go...

 

[Adammar]

I agree that quality control has to be a big part of growing the game and right now it appears to be killing off the game line as far as local players go.

It appears that nobody cares and those of us who have purchased the first line of MRQ books are now taking a wait for second printing attitude because it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Even the Living Glorantha campaign is suffering from poor editing and what appears to be a "who cares" attitude. If the company doesn't seem to care about the line then games aren't either.

 

[aethelwulf22]

I agree that quality control has to be a big part of growing the game and right now it appears to be killing off the game line as far as local players go.

It appears that nobody cares and those of us who have purchased the first line of MRQ books are now taking a wait for second printing attitude because it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Even the Living Glorantha campaign is suffering from poor editing and what appears to be a "who cares" attitude. If the company doesn't seem to care about the line then games aren't either.

I also agree this is a serious issue.

I mentioned in another thread (Typo in RQ Vikings) that I too will only buy Mongoose stuff after it comes out and I've had a chance to see some reviews. In fact, because of past experience I stopped buying books from Mongoose a year or so ago...but RQII has got my apetite whetted again and I want to spend some money!

I'm afraid my default assumption, though, is that the editing will be poor. And from what I read on the forums (about Lankhmar Unleashed, Necromantic Arts and Cults of Glorantha), as well as hear from others, things haven't improved much...it is still very much a hit and miss affair.

Things are also not helped by the lack of response to these sort of criticisms on the forums (still no reply to my Typo in RQ Vikings!)...

 

[hanszurcher]

I'm afraid my default assumption, though, is that the editing will be poor. And from what I read on the forums (about Lankhmar Unleashed, Necromantic Arts and Cults of Glorantha), as well as hear from others, things haven't improved much...it is still very much a hit and miss affair.

Earlier this year I had a small group together willing to give MRQII a spin with Lankhmar. Now when I bring up MRQII I get snickers and rolled eyes.

At this point it looks like my opportunity to play RuneQuest has passed, and my group's only exposure to it has been a largely disappointing experience.

Lankhmar Unleashed was a product of poor decision making, releasing a game without actually play-testing the rules...it just doesn't make sense to me.