Thoughts on Mongoose's Traveller Starter Set

[Stargazer]

What do you guys think about Mongoose's Traveller starter set which is now available on DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for $39.99?

IMHO as many other Mongoose products, it's too expensive and not really suited for the intended purpose. If previous MgT releases are an indication, the upcoming boxed set will be about $60 which is way too much for something intended to recruit new players.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[aramis]

Most people reading it will be engaged in IP violations is what I think. Price is too high for the newbs, and it's a retread, so the Grogs generally won't spend that much upon it.

And Traveller's not high enough profile to support a $40 PDF starter, or a $60 dead tree.

I do expect Mongoose will at least break even, but I would hazard to say that for every purchaser, 3 people will pirate it. (seems to be the non-D&D ration IME; D&D is lower.)

 

[Stargazer]

I fully agree. I see no reason why someone who already owns Traveller would buy this and it's way too expensive for the newbies.

You might also be right about the piracy aspect. I haven't actually thought about it, but I guess quite a few people might pirate it in order to find out what it's all about.

 

[aramis]

I fully agree. I see no reason why someone who already owns Traveller would buy this and it's way too expensive for the newbies.

You might also be right about the piracy aspect. I haven't actually thought about it, but I guess quite a few people might pirate it in order to find out what it's all about.

There's a reason most starter sets are under $25... $25 seems to be about a week's allowance for the upper middle class kids, and a month's for the poor.

 

[colinfit20]

It does seem odd especially after that kick-starter with the Liftoff version of this failing for the same reason?!

They've released the campaign book separately in pdf format didn't pay attention to the price as I'm wondering how much the box set is going to to be if the PDF is that expensive!

 

[aramis]

Dead Tree Preorder prices: $70 or £50.
US http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/us/rpgs/traveller-1/traveller-starter-set.html
UK http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/rpgs/traveller-1/traveller-starter-set.html

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

What do you guys think about Mongoose's Traveller starter set which is now available on DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for $39.99?

IMHO as many other Mongoose products, it's too expensive and not really suited for the intended purpose. If previous MgT releases are an indication, the upcoming boxed set will be about $60 which is way too much for something intended to recruit new players.

What are your thoughts on this?

Seems odd to me that something would buy a Boxed Starter Set of an RPG on PDF. Even more odd if the buyer has Traveller everything already.

I'll wait and see who out there is buying the hardcopy version of it. I'm guessing the demographic will be new players to Traveller that are going to play at a table.

Mongoose will also be happy if existing players re-buy rules that they already have, maybe as gifts for new players? Maybe they want the core rules in two books instead of one?

I already have all the Mongoose 1st Edition books. So 2nd Edition books are not a thing I need to have, outside of the 2nd Edition core rule book. I prefer 1st Edition's career books.

 

[Cryton]

Hilarious actually, especially the arguments over price when compared to the current RPG giant, that GIVES the basic set out for free as a 100% FREE download from their website, and charges a grand total of $150 (that's $50 per book for three books) for the main three books.

Near as I can tell.....they aren't hurting one little bit by the fact that you can get a FREE copy of the game, play the game in organised play for FREE, and never have to buy anything to enjoy their product. In fact, since they came up with their fifth edition, they have been number one in BOTH popularity and sales.

Kinda funny huh?

 

[pendragonman]

It looks like they tried for the "three little black books" idea, combining the starship book and the world generator book into a single book and adding an adventure to replace the now missing third book.

Even if all three are hard backed, I can't see the current price point either.

After all, gateway drugs are supposed to be cheap and easy to find, and (while I live in Kansas, not an RPG Mecca of any sort) I can't find it on the shelf of any of my FLGS.

Part of the problem with the identity of Traveller is that there is not a single vector for the game. Yes, Mongoose hold a license. That does not stop Marc from offering anything not Mongoose under the same title. This makes it difficult to penetrate the new player markets as how do they know what will be available in two years? Which vector will still be around?

This would be like Gygax/TSR selling to Wizards selling to Hasbro with Gygax retaining the rights to the sales of all versions not Wizards/not Hasbro. Considering the bifurcation of D&D players between the first and second edition Old School players who do more proselytizing and the 3/4/5 edition players, how would someone new chose what set to buy in to?

Because there is one source vector for D&D, they can afford to offer the starter version for free. If you play the free version and like it enough to continue, you are going to go buy the dead tree. Especially since there is still a version right there on the shelf of the FLGS.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Game stores are going with "franchises" that sell. Traveller is not a franchise pretty much. Stores won't stock it. They might not even do orders for it when asked.

New players to RPGs are fully aware of OBS, where they can download quick-start rules of games and decide on buying hardcopies or not. New players hear of new games from Kickstarters mostly. Then go to sites that generally have great prices on books, like Amazon.

 

[aramis]

Hilarious actually, especially the arguments over price when compared to the current RPG giant, that GIVES the basic set out for free as a 100% FREE download from their website, and charges a grand total of $150 (that's $50 per book for three books) for the main three books.

Near as I can tell.....they aren't hurting one little bit by the fact that you can get a FREE copy of the game, play the game in organised play for FREE, and never have to buy anything to enjoy their product. In fact, since they came up with their fifth edition, they have been number one in BOTH popularity and sales.

Kinda funny huh?

You can run the game in question just fine with one $40 PHB...

 

[Vargas]

Hilarious actually, especially the arguments over price when compared to the current RPG giant, that GIVES the basic set out for free as a 100% FREE download from their website, and charges a grand total of $150 (that's $50 per book for three books) for the main three books.

Near as I can tell.....they aren't hurting one little bit by the fact that you can get a FREE copy of the game, play the game in organised play for FREE, and never have to buy anything to enjoy their product. In fact, since they came up with their fifth edition, they have been number one in BOTH popularity and sales.

Kinda funny huh?

You're talking about an RPG that is in a class by itself. There's a lot of things that it can do that no other game would even consider. It's not a fair comparison.

 

[Spenser TR]

As near as I can tell, the fairly successful scifi RPG Eclipse Phase gives away updated, edited, and usable PDF versions of -all- its for-sale material.

"While we encourage you to share these PDFs with friends and strangers, we also encourage you to support our work and purchase them if you want to see the game thrive!"

You don't have to be The Biggest RPG Out There to give out material for free and still be successful. Even apparently all your material.

 

[Adam Dray]

Most people reading it will be engaged in IP violations is what I think. Price is too high for the newbs, and it's a retread, so the Grogs generally won't spend that much upon it.

And Traveller's not high enough profile to support a $40 PDF starter, or a $60 dead tree.

I do expect Mongoose will at least break even, but I would hazard to say that for every purchaser, 3 people will pirate it. (seems to be the non-D&D ration IME; D&D is lower.)

It's been on the Top Sellers list for at least a week. That's a LOT of pirates.

Who do you think will be pirating this? How?

 

[aramis]

It's been on the Top Sellers list for at least a week. That's a LOT of pirates.

Who do you think will be pirating this? How?

It's already hit the request threads on one of the chan's...

The more "disconnected" the price seems to the pirates, the sooner it goes up... often on servers in Russia. (Mail.RU has hosted a lot of pirated stuff.)

Cryton and I used to do searches for Traveller pirate materials which we then notified DonM about, who wrote the takedown letters.

Typically, mongoose materials go up about 2 weeks after release...

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

All people that refuse to pay for computer files know where to look and who to ask for downloading apps, games, Steam codes, PDFs, etc.

Some of them will tell you that piracy is good for a company's business. Because if people like the pirated copy they have, they will then purchase a legit copy. I refuse to game with someone in G+ Hangouts who has pirated Mongoose PDFs.

 

[Adam Dray]

Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you meant that the majority of people buying it on DTRPG were doing so to pirate it, and that made no sense. What you're saying makes sense to me now. Thanks for clarification.

My wife, as a historical fiction author, also has to deal with a lot of pirate sites. Take-down notices last a week or two, maybe.