Mongoose Infantry and RPGs

[GamerDude]

See: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/demoteams.htm

Hi. I am Al Beddow and as of a few months ago I took over running the Mongoose Infantry Demo Program.

I appreciate the plugs I have seen for Mongoose Infantry Demo Team in several forum threads. The MI is a great program and we always welcome new troopers to help support our products.

We are currently reorganizing the program with an expected start date of Jan 2013. There will be both small and big changes in how the program supports and most are positive. We are also recruiting for troopers world wide.

For now RPG's are still supported but, once the new program goes into effect we'll be loosing is support for RPG events. This is not any indication on how Mongoose Publishing feels about their RPG lines - in fact Matthew and company are currently working on many things for all the RPGs.

This is simply a matter of what return is gained for the resources expended. Matthew and I have discussed this at length in email and in-person at Gencon, his reasoning is solid and supported by data collected over many years. Many ideas for ways to continue including RPGs were considered and discussed at length but we just couldn't come up with a system that would allow us to continue RPGs in the MI Program.

Personally I started back when what we mostly did was minis and card games, with RPGs being just some supplements. I ran lots of GoMC1, ACTA:B5, oh and was a *huge* fan of the SST minis game. As soon as Traveller came out I jumped back to RPGs, and have loved running Traveller averaging between six to nine Traveller sessions at a con running a variety of settings/scenarios. The loss of RPG support has a big impact on me along with every trooper who focused on RPG events over the last 4-plus years.

For anyone who wishes to express their feelings on this, especially anything like hurt anger etc, aim your feelings at me because I took over the program, then failed to find a way to save support for RPGs in the new program. I'm the one who failed to find a solution that fit Matthew's requirements. It is my failure to save RPGs. Please don't blame Matthew or Mongoose Publishing.

Respectfully,
-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-
Al Beddow
Member Mongoose Infantry since 2003
Coordinator, Mongoose Infantry Demonstration Operations
-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-

 

[TkNyarlathotep]

Never mind! You've punished me enough with this crushing news. Now how can people be sold on the Glories of Christ, Computer-Programmer!?

You broke my heart, Al. You broke my heart!

 

[Bravesteel]

While I understand from a business point of view, I don't understand from that same point of view. In my area, the greater Kansas City Area (USA), few players seem to know anything about Traveller, it's all about D&D, Pathfinder and the Warhammer 40k RPGs.

This is a little sad as I feel that the number of Traveller players is not going to grow if the company (Mongoose) doesn't feel there is enough of a marketing potential for such as relatively small investment in grassroots marketing (Mongoose Infantry). Even if all it does is increase awareness that is more than much of my area has right now. Awareness has to happen before sales can occur both for those who shop online and those who shop at their local gaming store.

You have to look at it from a channels point of view at the very least. A product like RPGs is going to be influenced in terms of both production and distribution through a pull strategy. You are not going to be able to push Traveller on the consumer base or on local retailers without some high incentives. Thus you must resort to reacting to consumer demand, and consumer demand in the RPG industry is often influenced by peer-to-peer marketing and social acclimatization.

Grassroots programs are effective in getting potential consumers interested in the product by running demos and talking about their experiences with the system. This generates goodwill on the part of the potential consumers towards the product and even if they don't immediately go and buy the product it will be at the top of their minds when they are in the market for a new product.

The other part of this being:

"So Traveller is a Science Fiction game?"
"Yes, it's a great system that will let you run any type of Science Fiction game you can think of."
"Oh, that's cool."

But in the end the consumer is going "So what" there are much more provacative games out there, sure Warhammer 40k RPG seems pretty violent but at least I (the potential consumer) can qualitatively see what it is. I can look at D&D, Pathfinder, The One Ring, Eclipse Phase, Castles and Crusades, flip through the pages and be able to get a feel for not only what is quantitatively is, mechanics, classes (no classes), D6, D20, or something else, I can see the core of what that system is trying to get at.

What IS Traveller? Find that answer and be able to pass that on through the look, feel, and presentation of the game. Sure black books are cute, but seriously they have to be the most boring book I've ever seen. (obviously that is my own qualitative opinion) Does Mongoose WANT to reach out to new potential customers? Then do something about it, the days have passed in the RPG industry where you can just sit and wait for the customers to flock to you. Fight for the system and what it means to the thousands that already play it, make it evocative and fresh, make it spark the imagination by just reading the core book's back cover.

 

[IanBruntlett]

For now RPG's are still supported but, once the new program goes into effect we'll be loosing is support for RPG events. This is not any indication on how Mongoose Publishing feels about their RPG lines - in fact Matthew and company are currently working on many things for all the RPGs.

I was thinking of - one day - running Traveller games for people other than my immediate social circle. Now I can wander into a Morpeth Gaming Club's meeting and offer to run a game. However, without Mongoose's backing, how receptive do you think a shop (Travelling Man?) would be to the offer of some free sessions?

 

[GamerDude]

For now RPG's are still supported but, once the new program goes into effect we'll be loosing is support for RPG events. This is not any indication on how Mongoose Publishing feels about their RPG lines - in fact Matthew and company are currently working on many things for all the RPGs.

I was thinking of - one day - running Traveller games for people other than my immediate social circle. Now I can wander into a Morpeth Gaming Club's meeting and offer to run a game. However, without Mongoose's backing, how receptive do you think a shop (Travelling Man?) would be to the offer of some free sessions?

Well.. putting aside questions of running an MI event at a club in particular...

There shouldn't be any change in how receptive a store would be to someone wanting to come in run a free game session. THe only difference is right now a MI Trooper can report it as a demo event, come the new program they can't.

I hope this helps, if not PM me.
Respectfully,
-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-
Al Beddow
Member Mongoose Infantry since 2003
Coordinator, Mongoose Infantry Demonstration Operations
-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*-

 

[TkNyarlathotep]

Have you considered paying less for RPGs? Say, 4 or 5 dollars an hour instead of 8? I really want the RPGs to thrive, and cutting them out completely certainly isn't going to boost sales of them...

 

[GamerDude]

Have you considered paying less for RPGs? Say, 4 or 5 dollars an hour instead of 8? I really want the RPGs to thrive, and cutting them out completely certainly isn't going to boost sales of them...

ok...

LAST word on the 'hows&whys' behind the decision.

First, even though the trooper pack says $8/hr, it's been $10/hr for a number of years.

Second, I personally have said all I really want to as far as what was considered, the reasoning why etc.

While my goal was to give the community a heads up instead of surprise everyone, for me to get into more details would put the entire post, and this entire thread, in the wrong light. While I can't and won't say "Don't try emailing Mongoose with your thoughts" I would hope that everyone would just take me at my word what could have been done, was done.

Remember, I was one of our top members of the MI with Traveller being my #1 game since it came out in Aug '08, I started the MGT-AIDS yahoogroup in Sept '08 (still active) so the loss of RPGs hurts me big time... and now I'm back over to minis.

Thank you

Al B.   [B-)

 

[2330ADUSA1]

Hmmm well I am 48 yrs old and have been RPGing now for 36+ yrs. Now I have always played Traveller via face to face around a gaming table. We use figures weither they are lead, plastic, some other mystery metal, or resin minis.My GM style promotes Roleplaying as the primary focus with heavy amounts of detail towards the plot. If I go to some CON I would roleplay as my primary focus, not the cbt crap that most less players seem to dwell on/on. So for me if some con is dropping RPG from their menu then they is no reason to even bother to attend. I have a huge gaming collection and it is always growing, and I have the time and money to do such.

 

[richardtalbotuk]

I see the economic reasons behind this but the news is very disappointing.

Complete removal of support seems too absolute.

Perhaps a change in reward to a simple much lower cost per game discount voucher (5 per game)would be much more economical but as you said all options were considered. Solomani to the core!

 

[GamerDude]

I see the economic reasons behind this but the news is very disappointing.
Complete removal of support seems too absolute.
Perhaps a change in reward...

richard, it has been discussed, the battle fought, and was lost. In the end Matthew has to see the return on investment time and energy wise.

I have to respect his decision, at the same time didn't want to see support just *end* without the community knowing.

Al B.

 

[GamerDude]

UPDATE: Support for RPG Events through the MI Program ends on 01 April 2013, last day possible for events is 31 March 2013

Al B

 

[richardtalbotuk]

Thanks Al, appreciate the heads up.