So how well is MRQ2 selling anyway?

[danskmacabre]

Speaking from a POV purely as a Customer.
I bought Pathfinder for the following reasons:

1: Ease of getting players to play PF.
2: Recommendation from a friend
3: I could FULLY preview ALL the rules via their SRD.

My reservations with PF were:
1: I just don't like DnD games that much, I Don't like the idea of Armor class and pure HPs, no hit location, no detailed descriptions of injuries etc.
2: I wasn't that keen on detailed tactical combat at first, but it grew on me after a while, now I really like it.

But that I could get players for it really easily sold me, that's the main thing isn't it really?
RPGs are essentially a social game. If you can't get players it doesn't matter how great the game is.

I got MRQ2 for the following reasons:
1: I like the RQ rules set and have historically played a lot of RQ based games.
2: Combat is FAR more interesting and the hit locations are great, it makes the game just more "Real" for me.

My reservations with MRQ2 were:
1: It would be hard to get players for it.
2: I was concerned about the Typos and errors in the rules, I got burned with MRQ1, so I asked around a lot about the presentation of MRQ2.
I'm pretty happy though, there's only a few errors in the core rules and an errata was put out, so that's ok.

So anyway, today I played some test gaming sessions with my son (who is 10), who I usually run Pathfinder for.
Before I ran it he said he just wanted to play PF, as that's what he knew.
After about an hour of playing a short scenario with a couple of combats of MRQ2/Elric, he loved it.
He mentioned he loved the hit locations and the combat maneuvers, which he felt were lots better than PF.
So he wants to play more of it tomorrow.
So that's one convert. I think that's the trick really, you need to get people to try it.
In many ways MRQ2 is actually simpler to run than PF.

Anyway, lastly I know it's really risky putting the rules available for free, but it does make a difference, it was a big part of me deciding to buy PF (I have bought ALL the core rules).
Maybe they could be put online in a Wiki format (Spread out over lots of pages via links), rather than verbatim as a PDF. That way it'd be far more effort to download all the rules and print them out, yet everyone could still check them out and help them decide if it's for them.

 

[PhilHibbs]

I bought Pathfinder for the following reasons:
3: I could FULLY preview ALL the rules via their SRD.

I'm interested in taking a look at Spellcom but I'm quite skeptical about it. I'm not inclined to buying it sight-unseen, so a PDF copy might become a sale. I guess I need to get to a friendly game shop and have an extended browse.

 

[Ultor]

I bought Pathfinder for the following reasons:
3: I could FULLY preview ALL the rules via their SRD.

I'm interested in taking a look at Spellcom but I'm quite skeptical about it. I'm not inclined to buying it sight-unseen, so a PDF copy might become a sale. I guess I need to get to a friendly game shop and have an extended browse.

Personally, I think Spellcom is one of the best releases so far. The extended Sorcery rules are worth the price of admission alone.

 

[Pruneau]

We have been playing RQ2/RQ3 rules for decades now, with ever changing groups, and the latest group includes my son and daughter and nephew. Our rules had become so 'houseruled' that it became hard to manage.

I found the SRD version of MRQ1, and we adopted some stuff, but found the rules as a whole to be to big a change.

But, it got me on this forum, and although I never actually bought the MRQ1 core rulebook - coz I didn't think it was good enough, I did get the spells book, the empires book, and the guilds, cults and factions book.

On Salute last week I purchased the MRQ2 core rulebook, and I have been skulking here and reading the rulebook start to finish, I made player handouts, and I even made a useful GM screen.

That's 4 books in a year. I believe that if your stuff is good enough, you are going to sell. If you package your rulebook with a good, well thought out GM screen, make it pretty (like MRQ2), and you make sure the thing is chock full of needed game info -someone finally tackled Shamans! and Heroquests! - then you are going to sell. Had the MRQ1 book been good enough to switch our ruleset, I would have gotten it too.

If and when Mongoose come up with good content, scenario packs with good hooks that you can easily integrate, a good monster book with 2 or 3 sample NPC per species, inspired write-ups, excellent artwork, and not just a cash-in list of monster stat dice, then I'm gonna get all of them.

 

[danskmacabre]

I bought Pathfinder for the following reasons:
3: I could FULLY preview ALL the rules via their SRD.

I'm interested in taking a look at Spellcom but I'm quite skeptical about it. I'm not inclined to buying it sight-unseen, so a PDF copy might become a sale. I guess I need to get to a friendly game shop and have an extended browse.

The closest FLGS to me is about a 45 minute drive, but they don't stock Mongoose stuff. They just stock the big sellers like, PF, DnD, Warhammer RPG etc....
They're pretty expensive too, so I generally buy online these days, which si where I got all my MRQ2

 

[DamonJynx]

The points made by Dramaticexit are quite valid. His 'journey' to discover Runequest is so very similar to my own it's almost uncanny. I honestly believe there would be a lot of D&D players out there who are unhappy with WoTC dumping D&D V3.x (which, thankfully for fans of that system PAIZO picked up and ran with under the Pathfinder banner), the change of direction with 4E and it's myriad modifications.

The question is, how should Mongoose market Runequest globally to take advantage of this potential customer base?

I 'found' Runequest after a bit of searching; an old gaming friend mentioned Call of Cuthulu, which lead to BRP, which lead to the BRP forum, which lead to Mongoose and MRQII. I chose MRQII because it was already designed for Swords and Sorcery, gritty fantasy gaming, unlike BRP which would have required loads of 'optional' rules and was at the time, just too much work. The point of this ramble is that it shouldn't be that hard to find this excellent game. If I want to obtain product it's either via PDF (legally via drivethrurpg and the like, or dodgydownloads.com) or mail order as my FLGS doesn't stock the latest product.

Perhaps Mongoose could produce a set of quickstart (abbreviated ) rules and a simple scenario for download and advertise it on the net with the various search engine companies (not sure how that works) under keywords like D&D, RPG, and so on. BRP did that without the advertising and the scenario was one written for CoC. And it made me want to get the full product.

 

[Lord Kruge]

If Mongoose wants to increase their customer base, they need to first get ahold of a rock-solid fantasy IP they can use besides Glorantha. At this point, Glorantha is far too dense and arcane to really bring in new blood in great numbers. Elric is good, but Conan would have been better (and hopefully might be). New settings like Age of Treason help, as does the increasing interest in BRP lately, but right now MRQII has no real fantasy setting that sells itself, like Song of Ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings or Dragon Age.

Alternatively, a good sci-fi license for MRQII or Traveller could bring a lot more eyeballs.

 

[DamonJynx]

If Mongoose wants to increase their customer base, they need to first get a hold of a rock-solid fantasy IP they can use...

I don't agree with this 100%, in that I don't believe another setting is the key. I think more support in the way of supplements and particularly, adventures for the settings they already have may be a better way to go.

D&D 4E at the moment (WOTC) have The Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dark Sun and a generic no name setting in the core book (they may have more, but it's been awhile since I've had a look). All of these are well supported with articles and adventures in the Dragon & Dungeon e-zines as well as having plenty of printed support supplements and maxi-adventures/mini-campaigns.

Paizo, well, just have a look at their support material for their world!

Let's face it, anyone in full-time employment with a family is going to be time-poor and may not have a lot of time for adventure prep/creation. That's why *one of the reasons, anyhow* D&D (in it's various incarnations) is so damn popular, more's the pity. You can buy adventures for pretty much any of their campaign settings off-the-shelf at most games shops. I, personally think this is something Mongoose needs to address. S&P, while a very good e-zine, doesn't have the resources to adequately support all of Mongooses lines.

 

[danskmacabre]

I agree with DamonJynx.
I fall exactly into the category of "Has wife and kids, busy job, not much free time".
MRQ2 DOES lack published adventures.
I use Elric/MRQ2 which has lots of source books and they're great, but some adventures would be nice.

As it turns out I'm told that the next S&P will have an Elric adventure which will be great, but more Scenario content (Like series of scenarios) that I could purchase via PDF (I don't need physical media for scenarios) would be great.

Actually I've taken a big interest in MRQ2/Elric lately, so I've been using the free time I DO have (since I'm on holiday ATM) to work on an Elric scenario that I'll submit for consideration into S&P one day..

 

[DamonJynx]

Actually I've taken a big interest in MRQ2/Elric lately, so I've been using the free time I DO have (since I'm on holiday ATM) to work on an Elric scenario that I'll submit for consideration into S&P one day..

That's fantastic, look forward to reading and playing it!

Please do me a favour though and don't set it in Dhakos and have it revolve around a Cult of either Blue Assassins or Deathbringers! Otherwise I may have to hunt you down and kill you for pinching my idea!

 

[DamonJynx]

You can buy adventures for pretty much any of their campaign settings off-the-shelf at most games shops...

Not to mention some of the excellent work done by 3rd party publishers like Goodman Games, Malhavoc Press, Green Ronin Publishing and Mongoose, to name just a few!

 

[Dan True]

You can buy adventures for pretty much any of their campaign settings off-the-shelf at most games shops...

Not to mention some of the excellent work done by 3rd party publishers like Goodman Games, Malhavoc Press, Green Ronin Publishing and Mongoose, to name just a few!

Well, not that ready-to-make adventurers wouldn't be great. But what about an easy way to convert existing adventures to MRQ2? The game designers are properly better than I to convert d20 stuff than I, so why not a "convert 20 in 3 steps"-guide. I'll probably write one oneday, if they don't - but I think they would do a better job.

That would allow people to easily use the variety of ressource pumped out to d20.

- Dan

 

[danskmacabre]

Actually I've taken a big interest in MRQ2/Elric lately, so I've been using the free time I DO have (since I'm on holiday ATM) to work on an Elric scenario that I'll submit for consideration into S&P one day..

That's fantastic, look forward to reading and playing it!

Please do me a favour though and don't set it in Dhakos and have it revolve around a Cult of either Blue Assassins or Deathbringers! Otherwise I may have to hunt you down and kill you for pinching my idea!

Heh, fortunately you won't have to hunt me down then, it has nothing to do with any of that...
I'm working on a Generic mini adventure atm, so it can be set anywhere pretty much.
I just wanted to have some adventures that could seed other adventures for a new campaign, like an easy intro for someone new to Elric.
Whcih is what this scenario will be good for.

 

[DamonJynx]

Well, not that ready-to-make adventurers wouldn't be great. But what about an easy way to convert existing adventures to MRQ2?

That would be good, but kind of counter-productive don't you think? That is, if the aim is to entice disgruntled D&D players to RQ. Why would they bother converting a D&D scenario/module/adventure to RQ when they can just play it as is?

The aim Dan, is not just to have more adventures, but to support RQ as a game system and increase it's visibility/viability in the RPG market.

 

[Dan True]

Well, not that ready-to-make adventurers wouldn't be great. But what about an easy way to convert existing adventures to MRQ2?

That would be good, but kind of counter-productive don't you think? That is, if the aim is to entice disgruntled D&D players to RQ. Why would they bother converting a D&D scenario/module/adventure to RQ when they can just play it as is?

The aim Dan, is not just to have more adventures, but to support RQ as a game system and increase it's visibility/viability in the RPG market.

I agree, but an easy transfer from D&D would also help this. If people can just "play it as it is", why should they change in the first place?

I agree completely that it would be great, if Mongoose could throw out some more adventures, generic ressources etc. However, I do not think that RuneQuest can effectively compete against the large games just on number of ressources and size. I think it is important to allow easy transition for people coming from d&d.

 

[danskmacabre]

But it IS nice to have a few adventures just to start off a DM.
I remember early editions of Stormbringer had adventures included at the back of the core rules, which was really nice, just to get the feel for the GMing style of the Elric game.

 

[DramaticExit]

I think it is important to allow easy transition for people coming from d&d.

Agreed on that. First though, they need to know MRQ exists.

Summarising some of the points, a good start could be:

• 1) Create quickstart rules
  2) Release quickstart rules with a good, solid, free adventure (probably Glorantha?)
  3) Create solid branding (dark, gritty, fantasy), supporting art-style, a memorable slogan (?)
  4) Create a product/setting page for MRQ2 and/or Glorantha and/or other settings.
  5) Advertise online

Then also:

• a) Update the MRQ1 S&P adventures to MRQ2. Yes, MRQ2 players might know it's trivial but newcomers won't.
  b) Extract all the MRQ adventures from S&P into separate pdfs into a 'Free Scenario' section on the new product webpage.

 

[jolt]

I think that quickstart rules can be great but I don't think it addresses the problem being talked about. If people don't know about MRQII then having quickstart rules is just another set of rules no one knows about.

FLGS's, at least in the states, are having a really tough time. The economic situation is just too poor right now for them to stock anything that isn't a big seller (or that doesn't have a really strong local presence).

If you really want knowledge of the game to increase then people need to be very vocal on the generic rpg webvsites (like rpg.net). Also, you need a strong showing at the bigs cons (GenCon and Origins in the states, I know nothing about the con scene in the UK). Otherwise, the game is going to stay in the same category as Qin; a game is never going to grow beyond a niche game at that level.

jolt

 

[danskmacabre]

Speaking of rpg.net I have noticed mrq2 coming up in threads here and there.
The vast majority of the comments are very positive.

 

[DamonJynx]

Summarising some of the points, a good start could be:

I like where you're coming from.

I think we, as a community, need to start bombarding the other RPG websites and forums to lift the profile of MRQ and help create demand.

Matt, what is your take on these posts so far? It would be interesting to have your viewpoint.