Engaging a larger RPG community

[DarkPumpkin]

Originally Posted by RobW

By remarkable coincidence, Melee is today's game of the day on drivethrurpg.com

One can't leave a review until 24 hours after downloading (for free) from their site, and by then it will no longer be game of the day. But a late 5* review is one small way to support SJG reaching out...

What the heck is "game of the day"? I'm a long time DriveThru customer with over 300 items in my library, and I've never been aware that there was such a thing. Checking the site now, I can't find any hint of a "game of the day" nor do I see Melee featured...

[Terquem]

Deal of the Day is a standard of Drive-thru

It comes as an email if you subscribe to messages.

[timm meyers]

I had similar thoughts to that survey question. I have a yearning for a broader player base/audience that I am sure most (including SJG) share.
Half the appeal of many games like Warhammer or D&D is the popularity which allows newbies or veterans to feel they can easily find others to play with. The question is how does a product get to that critical level of exposure/consumer base?

Fan based growth has its limits. There are all sorts of players out there and lots of ways to try and capture them. Just one example are the gamers and wanna be gamers that search for something "new" and become easily persuaded to try any system that appears popular and or well supported. The VTT environment is a great entry point for these consumers much like the innovation of the play space at the local hobby store was (and still is) in the 21st century. The combination of player and play space is an undeniable promotional asset.
What would happen if SJG promoted a day or weekend of ITL adventures for Roll20 or another VTT site? The core player base is here and promotion from a manufacturer gives validation to such an event actually happening which in turn allows new players to spend their time exploring the game system. Throw in some virtual play aids such as official character sheets etc and I think there would be some customer gains and more importantly brand recognition that is key to longevity.

I am sure SJG is very aware of the types and distribution of their consumers. They have done a fantastic job of revitalizing this great game. I am just afraid that my favorite RPG system will soon hit a high water mark and fade again into obscurity.

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by RobW

I admit I'm no longer active on this forum or playing TFT (it doesn't happen to be what my group wants to do), but I have a real soft spot for TFT and would love to see it more widely discussed and appreciated if possible :)

Hi RobW,
Could you ask your game group what it is about TFT they don't like?

Anecdotal but maybe it is the insight you seek. My apologies if you have already done so. Either way, what did they say?

[JohnPaulB]

Seeing that TFT expands is not just the responsibility of the manufacturer, but of the fans who love it so.

Back in the 2000, when TFT was a dead game (Publisher went under and copyrights locked down), the game was played by the stalwart fans and talked about by the rabid few (https://tft.brainiac.com/archive/index.html).

We kept it going and tried to recruit young blood. But that was difficult with no rulebooks for sale other than by old gamestores that had used rulebooks or possibly on ebay which started up in the mid 90s.

Now we have the books back in print that is sold on the internet and in gamestores, materials for them and we, the players can contribute new materials. These are things we haven't had in 35 years.

If you want a larger RPG community engaged in TFT, YOU are the ones to be the opinion leaders for the uninformed public. Make the You Tube videos of how to play or interesting ways to use hex tiles. YOU take your TFT books and materials to a game convention (wearing a mask) and recruit players on the spot (or in advance by posting a game slot in the con promo). At the end of the game, give away a copy of Melee to the player who did best or most wants it. Let them know where they can buy the game and the supplemental materials. Talk up TFT to the newbies AND get those long ago gamers who mentioned that they played TFT back in the day. Get those older guys fired up and wanting to give TFT another try.

Go to your local gamestore and offer to have a TFT game night once a month (or week) and then show up with a game ready to play. If no one shows, sit at the table and do some study or work on a game, but be there showing your commitment to the game. That kind of dedication will get locals knowing that you aren't a fly-by-night kind of GM. The local gamestore would order TFT games for their customers or maybe even have some on hand for sale.

Take Melee to the Boys and Girls Club (after arranging it with the manager) and offer to teach it to the kids. Have promotional material to hand out and go for several weeks.

Shadekeep on his own created a hexmap system for TFT and made it available to all. https://shadekeep.com/shamat/shamat.html
That is fan dedication.

Surfing didn't become a pasttime because of the board manufacturers. It was the enthusiasm of the guys in the waves who were surfing that caught the groundswell into a craze.

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

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

Seeing that TFT expands is not just the responsibility of the manufacturer, but of the fans who love it so.

Back in the 2000, when TFT was a dead game (Publisher went under and copyrights locked down), the game was played by the stalwart fans and talked about by the rabid few (https://tft.brainiac.com/archive/index.html).

We kept it going and tried to recruit young blood. But that was difficult with no rulebooks for sale other than by old gamestores that had used rulebooks or possibly on ebay which started up in the mid 90s.

Now we have the books back in print that is sold on the internet and in gamestores, materials for them and we, the players can contribute new materials. These are things we haven't had in 35 years.

If you want a larger RPG community engaged in TFT, YOU are the ones to be the opinion leaders for the uninformed public. Make the You Tube videos of how to play or interesting ways to use hex tiles. YOU take your TFT books and materials to a game convention (wearing a mask) and recruit players on the spot (or in advance by posting a game slot in the con promo). At the end of the game, give away a copy of Melee to the player who did best or most wants it. Let them know where they can buy the game and the supplemental materials. Talk up TFT to the newbies AND get those long ago gamers who mentioned that they played TFT back in the day. Get those older guys fired up and wanting to give TFT another try.

Go to your local gamestore and offer to have a TFT game night once a month (or week) and then show up with a game ready to play. If no one shows, sit at the table and do some study or work on a game, but be there showing your commitment to the game. That kind of dedication will get locals knowing that you aren't a fly-by-night kind of GM. The local gamestore would order TFT games for their customers or maybe even have some on hand for sale.

Take Melee to the Boys and Girls Club (after arranging it with the manager) and offer to teach it to the kids. Have promotional material to hand out and go for several weeks.

Shadekeep on his own created a hexmap system for TFT and made it available to all. https://shadekeep.com/shamat/shamat.html
That is fan dedication.

Surfing didn't become a pasttime because of the board manufacturers. It was the enthusiasm of the guys in the waves who were surfing that caught the groundswell into a craze.

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

Excellent points and thanks for the links.

Like I have stated before, I am re-learning TFT with it's changes. I am running my own scenarios in character development and game play. I'm ~25 years out of practice. Once I feel comfortable with the new TFT, I have some interested younger RPG players that I can collect together to see if they like it.

[hcobb]

My suggestion is to amplify SJGame's social media messages on TFT.
Like, comment, and subscribe to their YouTube videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTP...KFua11utSEPheI
Like and retweet their tweets on TFT (adding tags such as #TTRPG if needed) https://twitter.com/SJGames
And so on.

[RobW]

Originally Posted by DarkPumpkin

What the heck is "game of the day"? I'm a long time DriveThru customer with over 300 items in my library, and I've never been aware that there was such a thing. Checking the site now, I can't find any hint of a "game of the day" nor do I see Melee featured...

Sorry, I should have said "Deal of the Day" and linked to the Melee entry. Deal of the Day can be found on the home page of the desktop version, by the search bar. It doesn't seem to show on mobile.

[RobW]

Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip

Hi RobW,
Could you ask your game group what it is about TFT they don't like?

Anecdotal but maybe it is the insight you seek. My apologies if you have already done so. Either way, what did they say?

Sure -- I'm not the GM although I introduced them to TFT and two of them bought the Legacy edition. But (1) the main reason is that the group as a whole (other than me!) doesn't crave the tactical combat that TFT offers. I see what you're suggesting, that is really about the fundamental nature of TFT and isn't addressed by opening up the licensing, or engagement, or whatever.

But (2) and relevant for this thread is that the GM has assembled a really loopy and fantastical world, and makes use of all kinds of supplementary materials, picking and choosing his inspirations. He's using DND compatible rules and there's loads he can choose from. DND is a special case but there are other examples where the publisher surely benefits from an open license (eg Mongoose and the universe of traveller-compatible supplements)

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.....

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by RobW

Sure -- I'm not the GM although I introduced them to TFT and two of them bought the Legacy edition. But (1) the main reason is that the group as a whole (other than me!) doesn't crave the tactical combat that TFT offers. I see what you're suggesting, that is really about the fundamental nature of TFT and isn't addressed by opening up the licensing, or engagement, or whatever.

But (2) and relevant for this thread is that the GM has assembled a really loopy and fantastical world, and makes use of all kinds of supplementary materials, picking and choosing his inspirations. He's using DND compatible rules and there's loads he can choose from. DND is a special case but there are other examples where the publisher surely benefits from an open license (eg Mongoose and the universe of traveller-compatible supplements)

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.....

The good thing about the way SJG is approaching support for TFT is that if you have an idea, like any of the above, you can pitch it. If it is accepted, the product benefits from having met the standards of a publisher, which gives the consumer some sense of confidence that it won’t be riddled with rules violations, horrible typos, and worse grammar.