Engaging a larger RPG community

[Axly Suregrip]

Another perspective:

TFT does not seem to get any press coverage.

My info feed often feeds me article about new TTRPG games. Every time I see these articles in my feed, I open them with the expectation that TFT would get a mention, but it never does. Just yesterday I got an article about the hottest not-D&D RPG out there... a list of 10 or 12 RPG games I never heard of and TFT was not included.

So, what does SJG need to do to get game article writers to notice TFT? That will help TFT more than a bunch of old timers trying word of mouth (which I expect we have all already tried this with our respective gaming groups).

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BTW, my gamer friends fall into 2 groups for RPGs and why not TFT: 1) D&D 4e or 5e only (they thought it was interesting how many of the TFT tactical combat options now have something like that in 5e) but after a life time of D&D they do not wish to try another TTRPG. or 2) online only since it handles all the rules, even when there is a TT option (like Gloomhaven)

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

Another perspective:

TFT does not seem to get any press coverage.

My info feed often feeds me article about new TTRPG games. Every time I see these articles in my feed, I open them with the expectation that TFT would get a mention, but it never does. Just yesterday I got an article about the hottest not-D&D RPG out there... a list of 10 or 12 RPG games I never heard of and TFT was not included.

So, what does SJG need to do to get game article writers to notice TFT? That will help TFT more than a bunch of old timers trying word of mouth (which I expect we have all already tried this with our respective gaming groups).

---

BTW, my gamer friends fall into 2 groups for RPGs and why not TFT: 1) D&D 4e or 5e only (they thought it was interesting how many of the TFT tactical combat options now have something like that in 5e) but after a life time of D&D they do not wish to try another TTRPG. or 2) online only since it handles all the rules, even when there is a TT option (like Gloomhaven)

With respect to TFT, I was in the same boat as your first category. I played some D&D in the early 80's after having first played TFT. While I found the game worlds to be well established as well as the available [re-made or home-made adventures, Combat resolution was an afterthought. They would have miniatures or cardboard stand ups and place them in their traveling formation (sometimes not even that). When encounters occurred that required battle, they would just verbally state what their characters were doing and roll dice from their overly complicated array of dice. In my opinion, it wasn't very fun at all.

On your second point, I did like the Diablo series of PC/Online RPGs. There appeal was that it is a dungeon crawler like running your character through Death Tests. I see its appeal. However, as you point out, it lets the computer do all of the work. Most people that play them have never actually played a real RPG. They are fine with that. I have a nephew-in-law that is supposedly a master Diablo, WoW, and other RPG guru. He has NEVER played a real, tabletop RPG and has stated that he has no interest in doing so because, "It's too complicated and it's not cool." But that is also why it is hard to get young people interested. Most young people these days can't be bothered with actually using their brains beyond what they can read on their phones or computer screens. I'm not saying all young people are like that but most are. Ever try to get decent service from a local business that employs mostly young people? They can't get anything correct and they can't think past what the computer screen tells them to do. This isn't exclusively isolated to young people either but the older employees will, at least, try to find a way to help you beyond what the computer tells them to think. Critical thinking and overall brain use is not common in our young folks these days. My son is 22 and he sees it in his contemporaries. Young people with such abilities should rise to the top if they aren't squashed by the idiocracy of their contemporaries.

Yes, As I have stated before, I freely admit to being a grumpy old man. Now get off of my lawn.

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN

Yes, As I have stated before, I freely admit to being a grumpy old man. Now get off of my lawn.

YES! I got less time for TFT these days since I am on lawn guard duty. If only SJG comes up with a TFT module where you guard your lawn from dogs and wipersnappers!

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

YES! I got less time for TFT these days since I am on lawn guard duty. If only SJG comes up with a TFT module where you guard your lawn from dogs and wipersnappers!

LOL!

Lawn Guard will be added to the jobs list.

[Steve Plambeck]

Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN

Most young people these days can't be bothered with actually using their brains beyond what they can read on their phones or computer screens.

Like the kid working the cash register. You're total is $9.02, so you hand him a $10 bill and two pennies. He's already entered $10 as the amount tended, then proceeds to have a melt down because he's not sure what to do with the two cents and asks you why you are giving him those. He ends up counting out 98 cents anyway, even after you explain it to him.

[J. Edward Tremlett]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

If you want a larger RPG community engaged in TFT, YOU are the ones to be the opinion leaders for the uninformed public.

(Excellent points/ideas snipped)

So, yes, Steve can put some stuff together to expand TFT into the RPG community, but so can YOU.

Well put and well said. I was heavily involved in an effort to keep Wraith: the Oblivion "alive" after it went into terminal hiatus, one or two White Wolf restarts ago. And I can confirm that, even if the books are back (via drivethru), they're just unread things unless you're willing to court prospective new players, show them a good time, and get them so fired up they want to run their own game.

You can't always wait for them to come to you, either - Sometimes you just have to be the creepy person who says "psst - wanna have a good time?" and seriously follows through. After some really lackluster middle and high school experience, I was done with RPGs until a college friend introduced me to something called "Call of Cthulhu." That brought it all back for me.

[ParadoxGames]

Originally Posted by tomc

My impression is that the limited publication licensing didn't work out because SJG sets a pretty high standard for quality, and doesn't have the resources to ensure the licensed material is up to their standard.

Rather than aggressively expanding the market for TFT, they're going the "boutique" route, and serving the base they already have. I expect that kickstarter/indiegogo preorders help them do that in a profitable way.

They're making money, and we're getting stuff we want. Could be worse...

I thank God that this is the decision SJG made. You can't go anywhere without seeing another homemade expansion that's "5e compatible", and since literally anyone can make a 5e compatible adventure, you can't tell if anything is any good without getting it. Everyone's competing to get their adventure noticed, and if you ask me, the D&D 5e situation is a mess. None of the adventures I see stand out to me in any way or seem particularly interesting. This could have been the situation with TFT, although, I think the TFT fans are more creative and passionate about their system than D&D users.

[ParadoxGames]

Originally Posted by RobW

Suppose I could go to drivethrurpg and

• someone is offering a set of rules for TFT "vehicle" combat, wagons, chariots, for $2.00 -- "Powered by TFT!" Hmm, might be an idea, I'll look at the preview. OK, probably for me, but my friend loves it.
  
• Here's another -- Elemental Mages -- "Powered by TFT", $4.99 -- I'm having it, take my money
  
• TFT Traps and Tricks -- "Powered by TFT" $12.99 -- Wow, this shows me how to use the mebgahex tiles to create Zelda-like puzzles. BUY!

It would be fun! I can dream.....

Don't forget that DriveThru RPG also has Tactical Hex Maps for Fantasy RPGs, which is for any system, but was designed specifically for TFT users. That's my book, and it's loaded with bonus material.

[Bill_in_IN]

I posted the info below in another thread and thought that it would be relevant here. I think that I have my challenge to promote TFT in front of me.

Most of my potential new players are Warhammer 40K players. So, I can see that once I introduce them to how individual characters are generated and developed, they will be interested in creating small Armies for larger scale combat. However, they will have the option for the small party size adventures too.

In fact, in order to get them into the TFT camp, I may have to learn some general Warhammer 40K rules so that I can facilitate some of their playing. It's amazing the deals that we have to make to bring new TFT players into the fold. None of them have heard of TFT until I mentioned it to them. They had heard of GURPS which I explained to them was the original TFT 2.0 until Legacy TFT (2.0) came out. Being the forerunner to GURPS by the same game creator seems to be what sparkled their interest.

I think that these guys will pull me into the GM zone that I was in with Classic TFT in the mid-90s. That would be larger scale and more militaristic scale encounters and battles. When I told them that TFT is centered on individual character development but allows for creating squads/armies as a part of that development and that I had been able to GM such large scale scenarios, that really seemed to sparked their interest. In fact, I was inspired to go to such large scale battles in TFT by sitting through lots of dead time during my attendance at Warhammer (not 40K) games in the early 90's.

I really wasn't all that thrilled about playing Warhammer back in the 90s. I think that it wasn't the game's fault. There was a large group, newbies weren't even included in the troop generation process. We were given a troop with a sheet and just told to follow along. Lots of boring dead time while some snot-nosed brat argued every little thing with the GM and would pout until he got some level of satisfaction. I'm a patient person but I would have stopped inviting him to the games. I and another fellow that is interested in my TFT group used to go to these Warhammer sessions and ended up wondering why we even agreed to do it. He was surprised that I was inspired by such a dismal experience to bring large scale combat into TFT. Hey...I salvaged something cool out of the experience.