09-11-2009, 03:00 PM | #1 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Information in Prospectuses
While whswhs seems to get by with only a couple of lines per campaign, I find that my prospective players seem to need a lot more information. I find that my campaign descriptions are short paragraphs, and still I get questions that I thought had at least implied or implicit answers. As this next prospectus gets e-mailed out I'm putting it into an outline form:
Title: (Campaign Title) System: (Game system to be used) Genre: (Best approximation of campaign genres or subgenres) Setting: (Name of well known setting or brief description of original setting) Fidelity: (Description of the relative realism of the campaign). Combat Frequency: (Description of the relative frequency of combat in the game) Power Level: (Description of the relative power level of the game either in the terms of the character creation rules (e.g. point total) or abstract terms. Description: (Short paragraph describing the campaign; intended to be a interesting hook). Does this seem like a reasonable approach? Is it too much information? Could I just be clearer in my descriptions? |
09-11-2009, 04:14 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
No, that looks very informative. If only all GMs gave out this kind of info.
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My gaming groups Wiki: GURPS Star Wars house rules, example spaceships, etc. |
09-11-2009, 05:58 PM | #3 |
MIB
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
I deliberately leave things vague, just to get those kinds of questions.
That's because asking questions about something gives you a sense of investment in it, so it makes the players enthusiastic and somewhat committed before they even play. It's also because in offering several campaigns, I've not got a dozen pre-written campaign modules with all the details created already, I've just got a page of notes on each one which I'll expand on when the players make their choices. From the questions asked and thinking of the players who are interested in that particular campaign, I can expand it in the areas they seem interested in, and also adapt it a bit to suit their personalities, playstyles and expressed interests.
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09-11-2009, 07:50 PM | #4 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
I used to think this way as well. However, I've since done 4 prospectuses and have gotten some feedback. I've had several players say they didn't bid on a game because they "didn't understand it".
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09-11-2009, 07:58 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
Quote:
Bill Stoddard |
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09-11-2009, 08:11 PM | #6 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
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09-11-2009, 09:13 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
Quote:
Bill Stoddard |
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09-11-2009, 09:19 PM | #8 |
MIB
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
I find that players who give no feedback and ask no questions at the prospectus stage aren't that interested and won't be very reliable or interested players during a campaign.
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* husband * father * personal trainer * gamer * ... in that order |
09-12-2009, 08:44 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
Quote:
Will copy and keep it handy. I normally refer to the GURPS Space 3e campaign planner/form in that book. It's more or less the same thing with a bit more detail. I don't recall a totally generic one, but I'm just getting into 4e. >
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"Now you see me, now you don't, woof" -- The Invisible Vargr . . There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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09-12-2009, 09:03 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Information in Prospectuses
Quote:
Bill Stoddard |
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