(I'm not singling out Mongoose for what I say here, I have seen many larger RPG companies with the same attitude over the years)
delrom5 said:
The crunchy systems are the areas where I've felt disappointed. Admissions by Mongoose staff that they weren't "really happy with the vehicle construction system for Traveller" and the palns to issue a revised book (http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=682420) suggests a get it right next time approach. Shouldn't it be a get it right first time mentality?
I agree that there should be a "get it right first time" mentality. Unfortunately, many RPG companies (Mongoose included) have found that while some customers do care a lot about the quality of their products, many do not. They justify a lack of editing or proper playtesting by the fact that people still buy their products regardless of quality.
I want Mongoose to succeed - before the Traveller line I had looked at but hadn't bought any of their books - but not complaining about inconsistencies or neglected systems hasn't stopped them from happening.
I think the solution is simple - customers need to be more discerning and vote with their wallets. Plenty of GMs and Players think they "need" a product, and so justify buying a substandard one because they "need" (for example) a vehicle design system and this is the only one available. They think it will save them the time of making up their own, but if the system is broken then they may well spend just as much time (if not more) fixing it.
Also, I think people often tend to rush out and buy a product when it is first released, without waiting for reviews or opinions. And then once they have it, and have found that some parts are substandard, they can usually justify the purchase by focussing on the parts of the book that do work or they do like. It's not like they can return it and say "these bits are broken, I'd like one that works".
Wil Mireu said:
Why should it have to be the customers who have to ask how will Mongoose ensure that the final first edition systems as published are fit for purpose?
Someone has to ask those questions
. Maybe RPG publishers have it too easy, given that they rarely make much of an effort to actually
sell themselves to customers, and instead seem to expect people to blindly buy their products because they're there. Advertising is more than just saying "our product has been released" and expecting that to spread by word of mouth, and it's more than saying "we have been around for years and released hundreds of products".
Yes, Mongoose has a good policy regarding product returns, but they shouldn't
need that policy if the systems in their products worked properly in the first place.
But again, they most likely feel that they can afford to lose the fussy people if most of their fans buy the books regardless. It's a downward spiral though, and companies that do that tend to get a reputation for low quality products.
After all, the total cost of supplements 9 and 12 will come to £50. Why should I part with that cash for a second rate product that only partly delivers on its promises?
If a product contains "broken systems" or is flawed or badly edited, then the reality is that people don't have to buy it. If they don't buy it, then the publisher may get the message that this sort of material won't sell, and take steps to improve it. If people do buy it, then that only sends them the message that people don't care about such things, and so the publisher can justify not spending the time to fix them before they go on sale.
Yes, that means you don't have those supplements, but it also means the publisher doesn't have your money and isn't encouraged to produce more shoddy products.
