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Increasing Traveller's popularity.

Shonner said:
None of my new players have heard about any kickstarter. They ask me what version of Traveller we were playing, after the first session, and they go an buy the Mongoose books so they can start refereeing games. None of them visit any Traveller forums. Forums are dying out. These are the 20-year-old crowd, using their phones to watch videos of Traveller reviews.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not 20 at all, but when I realized that the e-version of T5 was only available on CD my first thought was "how archaic." Why isn't there a PDF version of T5 available on RPGDriveThru?

One proven way to increase exposure is to remove restrictive copyrights. Of course, that has it's own drawbacks like where to find funding for the next release if the popularity doesn't increase. If it does increase, however, people will buy - or donate if they have the option and the popularity is strong. (I doubt anyone would want to risk this, however, having just managed to get T5 out the door.)

I think there's a players handbook being worked on (I might be mistaken). If there was a bulk discount (which would make good sense to allow groups of players to buy their own copies and not have to share) then someone could buy a bunch and donate a single one to several different thrift stores.

Someone was working on an iPhone app game for Traveller. That would likely work quite well.

Add random scan-able bar codes in RPG magazines for people to scan with their phone and get a page where they can download a Traveller ship with art work and deck plans (and a link to purchase T5, of course). There could even be a challenge to "get all 12 ships" by sending in the UPC of the magazine you find the code in (send in via taking a pic and texting the image to a number). Once accomplished you get a Capital ships info and an adventure that uses at least a few of the ships. There could be 12 such rewards but only allow one per phone number so kids have to compare notes to see them all.

Create a Traveler's Aid Society in all major cities in the US (and Canada too....don't forget about me) designed to promote Traveller. Certified member get 5% off purchases of T5 products.

Commission a statue of Mark Miller and erect it in front of Wizard's of the Coast headquarters.

Create a watered down version of T5 that gets distributed on a cheap flash drive to gaming stores everywhere to be distributed for free, or very, very cheap (most kids can't drop $75 for a book...especially if they don't have any idea what it's like).

My local gaming store had no idea T5 was out there, which is why I bought it online. I didn't even know about the kickstarter project until a couple of days ago when I realized there was a new version out there. I think the first step likely needs to be to let people know it exists.

Oh, one last idea. Freelance Traveller is a free publication....is it available at online stores (like RPGDriveThru)? Distributing a free magazine like that would likely go a long way to promoting awareness. A local Traveller's Aid Society leader could print out several copies of it and give it to local shops for distribution.

Anyway...I'm just brainstorming here. Many of these ideas might have already been discussed. Apologies for any duplication.
 
In a perfect world, there would be a Traveller 5 Quick-Start Guide PDF to download so players could create characters and run a basic Traveller 5 game before deciding to pay $75 or not. Maybe it is hoped that the free Starter Traveller PDF is supposed introduce new players to Traveller. But my new players only comment on how dated that game is from other RPG systems they've seen. They are relieved though when they see Mongoose's rules as a comparison, and jump on it. Mongoose rules were selling on Drive-Thru for $5 and some change. They've since bought the hardcovers. We're just using the core rules for now. Might do some advanced Mongoose though soon.
 
Mongoose, GT, or T5?

How would one really compare? :rofl:

T5 is new off the shelf. People did not flock to GT or Mongoose when they first hit the street. I think a PDF version on drivethrurpg.com is a nice idea. And eventually we'll probably see something.

Marc's CD's comes with more than just the game. I like the approach! And for an initial release it has had a few glitches but these things could always go smoother. :D Perhaps the Hardcover releases are a thing of the past in the US. Newspapers are dropping like flies. Magazines are changing.

I'm still a T20 fan (and CT,MT,TNE). Always will be. I own a little of MgT and a lot of GT for reference.

Shonner. It is great that you have the youtube videos, a progressive G+ approach but MgT should have you on salary. You advertise for them.:file_22:
 
savage said:
How would one really compare? :rofl:

T5 is new off the shelf. People did not flock to GT or Mongoose when they first hit the street.
Click to expand...

Established players certainly did have a surprisingly quick uptake of Mongoose.

Within a month of release, it was on Amazon's top 5 RPGs; it shows it had a rather stark uptake. It stayed there for most of a year, then dropped to the top 10 lines. Pathfinder and D&D 4E are the top tier. Mongoose was second tier, along with Dark Heresy and GURPS overall. And at the time, GT was the number 1 GURPS subline.

GT seemed to drop off when Loren had his heart attack.
 
savage said:
Shonner. It is great that you have the youtube videos, a progressive G+ approach but MgT should have you on salary. You advertise for them.:file_22:
Click to expand...

It's just a hobby. I do the videos to generate more Traveller playing groups online is all. I'm involved with a bunch now in G+.
 
I think a big part of success for various RPG lines comes from a frequent release schedule. It keeps the line always on the “New, Just In” shelf at the FLGS and equivalent online lists too. MgT should remain popular as long as new core product keeps coming out. GT’s popularity dropped when new product stopped coming out. And as much as I love the sheer size of the T5 monolith, with hindsight maybe it should have been released as multiple, smaller volumes, ... one every couple of months.
 
well said

Hemdian said:
I think a big part of success for various RPG lines comes from a frequent release schedule... And as much as I love the sheer size of the T5 monolith, with hindsight maybe it should have been released as multiple, smaller volumes, ... one every couple of months.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think the little black book make Traveller the easy game to play. A book might be cheaper (more money for pics) but it certainly is not the only solution. Looking at other SciFi pen and paper RPGs, Traveller is still the best.
 
If you want to make Traveller more popular, two things.

One, run games at conventions and gaming groups.

Two, have something that does not cost $75 before you can start playing.
 
Three words: Third Imperium setting. Use whatever rules you're comfortable with, whether a Traveller version or something else.


Hans
 
T5

aramis said:
Established players certainly did have a surprisingly quick uptake of Mongoose.

Within a month of release, it was on Amazon's top 5 RPGs; it shows it had a rather stark uptake. It stayed there for most of a year, then dropped to the top 10 lines. Pathfinder and D&D 4E are the top tier. Mongoose was second tier, along with Dark Heresy and GURPS overall. And at the time, GT was the number 1 GURPS subline.

GT seemed to drop off when Loren had his heart attack.
Click to expand...

Then I stand corrected. I was still deep in T20 COTI land. Since, FFE says it has only a few copies left I'd say they sold out. Perhaps popularity will repeat itself as it works through play testing and feedback, a new little black book series would be nice.

I'd say support any setting.
 
Vladika said:
I've enjoyed your posts and ideas as you know. What I'm curious about is how long are your house rules? All written down and organized?
Click to expand...

At one time I was writing them down with a view towards publication, so they're quite extensive and organized. Sadly, the project fell through and I'm not sure the files survive; it was several computers ago I last worked on them. I do have some hard copies, but I believe that's all (Plus extensive handwritten notes for the 20% that never was finished). It's all in Danish, and as I haven't run any campaigns lately everything is packed away in the loft.


Hans
 
I exchanged some thoghts with Gypsy Knights via email as to how it was that Pathfinder was taking the RPG world by storm, and even dethroning he venerable D&D from the WOTC people.

I think it comes down to ease of play. And I think Traveller can benefit from the lessons gleamed by the Fantasy RPG genre as to how to keep things alive and well in your gaming arena. Pathfinder is essentially an easy game to pick up and play with some mentoring by other players. Once you have the basics down of what the stats are on your sheet, what they mean, and what you have to do to slash, stab or loose an arrow at the opposition, the rest is gravy. The novice player doesn't need to know the difference between a war horse and a palfrey, what the rule mechanics are for doing a double summersault with a spear; he or she just does it, and the others help them along to do the thing with the dice at the appropriate time.

That, and I think most of us have spent some time in the outdoors; hiking, fishing, camping, or just even doing a casual walk along a river in some park, and we have a good idea of what the "outdoors" looks like, and what a sword, shield, bow-and-arrow are, how they operate, why they were used and everything else.

I think Traveller is every so slightly more challenged by the whole "is it Star Wars, Star Trek or something else...?" thing. For D&D, tunnels and trolls, Pathfinder, and everything else, it's pretty plain to get into the role. I think for Traveller it can be easy, but I think there's just an ounce bit more work involved.

Of course, if you just ease the players into it, don't focus too much on particulars, and just play as if it were a D&D session (i.e. cross the rule-bridge when you come to it), then you'll have a rockin' time, and more people'll want to play :)
 
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