Re: AD) Roleplaying game, looking for players.

From: mlwilliams <mwilliams@signal.dera.gov.uk>

Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Sam Palmer wrote:
>
> In article <uiSvyx$69GA.141@ntdwwaaw.compuserve.com>, MindShift Design
> <mindshift@usa.net> writes
> >>Don't bother....The game and site has shut down. Dur to lack of players.
> >
> >Sorry to hear that Sam.
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >Jason Paul McCartan
> >MindShift Design
> >Game Developers
> >    "Altering Perceptions, Creating Worlds"
> >
> It was not a bad try for my first game:). I am going to have a rethink
> and try again. So watch this space.

It's interesting to hear on one hand so many posters saying how well
their commerical games are doing and on the other to see a free game
folding due to lack of player interest. Case specifics aside, does this
point at a lack of faith in the quality of something that is free or
simply illustrate that this group is a poor forum in which to advertise?

Moving on to specifics: Spam (I call him Spam at his own request), I'm
offering the following as constructive criticism. Generally hand mod RPG
PBM is more about the writing than about the rules or the 'world', as
opposed to computer moderated games which are wholly a function of their
mechanics. In your case however I suspect that some of the blame for the
fold can be laid at the choice of 'world'. I think that cliched as they
may be you'd find more people interested in playing in a game set in a
cyber-punk, swords & sorcery or vampire type set-up than on a navy ship
in the 1998 British fleet. People tend to look for escapism over
realism. Try setting one up where you all play the part of market
traders, house wives and office workers in south london and you'd
probably get even less response.

In addition to hooking players by offering them a vision of an
interesting world in which they'd want to play a role you must convince
them that you're equal to the task of realising their ambitions. Writing
is not just typing - as somebody pointed out to you earlier. Try
including something that convinces potential customers you can provide
depth enough for them to dive into.

References

AD) Roleplaying game, looking for players.
Sam Palmer <SAM@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Sun, 27 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: AD) Roleplaying game, looking for players.
Sam Palmer <SAM@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Tue, 29 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: AD) Roleplaying game, looking for players.
"MindShift Design" <mindshift@usa.net>
Tue, 29 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: AD) Roleplaying game, looking for players.
Sam Palmer <SAM@homeway.demon.co.uk>
Wed, 30 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000