T5 LBB's in a box - artists impression

[Ranes]

Twenty-five years of Travelling compel me to add my thoughts on the matter. Apologies.

Kudos to Mr Lucas for a quality piece of work. The visualisations are terrific.

Certainly cover art is a factor in selling a product but it is far from being the most important. Sadly, the most important factor is marketing. If anyone thinks that today's sophisticated consumers will not buy something on the grounds that it is packaged in an almost completely black box, they are mistaken.

However, while I do love the LBB format (and confess to nostalgia here - although I always loved the LBBs and despised the juvenile illustrative renderings adorning most game packages and book covers), I am not fundamentally opposed to seeing T5 graced with some seriously high quality cover art. My problem is, I don't think it will happen. Traveller products have never had particularly strong art. Flame me, go on.

Finally, apart from the subjective issue of the quality of any artwork, what about the concept? It would be tempting, at least, to render an image or montage of images depicting aspects of the Imperium but, if you go down that route, you're not selling one of Traveller's strongest points - its flexibility, the fact that it can be used to create any science fiction gaming environment.

The issue is certainly not a no-brainer.

 

[Shadow Bear]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WendellM:
I recently bought MegaTraveller for the like Mark Lucas has imagined it, I'd be quite happy, but I recognize that's for my own reasons, and is quite possibly a minority opinion.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you are in the minority so am I. That is a sharp look and will get instant recognition by all old Traveller fans. Far Future sells all the old material in new format because of the appeal of CT and the instant recofnition of the cover style.

One glance and you know what will be inside.

 

[T. Foster]

Bumping in honor of the Bring Back the LBBs T5 Association.

 

[thomryng]

The picture is wonderful.

I worked in bookstores for many years, and the running joke was that you couldn't judge a book by its cover - but you could always sell a book by its cover.

You don't necessarily need the best art - marketing buzz will always triumph over flash (or content). But you do need something to set you apart, and the LBB covers accomplish that. They were different from most RPG products of the time, and they're still different now.

That solid, elegant expanse of black stops your eye as it skims the shelves. And that's all the cover needs to do.

thom