> > Woodelf wrote: >> >Jim Butler wrote: >> >To be fair, I understand that there are a small number of gamers that >> >only want to see new rules systems; new ways to do things that are >> >better than the old ways. But that number of gamers is much smaller >by >> >comparison, and publishers are looking to where the consumers are >right >> >now. >> >> actually, i was thinking of a 3rd sort of gamer which is, i suspect, >> much larger than the rules-tinkerers: those who are simply content to >> use a good-enough rules system, but don't happen to like D&D/D20. >> *those* are the ones for whom, i suspect, D20 has done nothing. > >My gut tells me that these rules-tinkerers are either a.) a subset of >what I think are those looking for new rules systems, or b.) >non-purchasers that have been disenfranchised from any game system. If >either of these are true, they're the last people I'd want to try and >market my products to.
either terminology is getting in the way, or we're talking past each other. i'm not talking about those who look for new game systems, nor those who are compulsive tinkerers. i'm talking about exactly the sorts of gamers you are--those who are interested in new material for their current game--*except* that their current game happens to be something other than D&D/D20. >I'd say that the reason you don't see more products that are rules-free >is because they don't sell. I know that when I go out to buy new gaming >products, I'm looking for things I can easily adapt into my game. I'm >not looking for something I'm going to have to put a huge amount of work >into (because I don't have the time to devote to it). I realize that I'm >not our typically consumer, but I know that if time and work wasn't an >issue there would be no reason for anyone to buy any manufacturer's >product; players and DMs would just create them on their own. agreed. here's the point of disagreement: i can lift a scenario, setting, NPC, or other non-mechanical bit with essentially no effort beyond reading through the original. it often takes considerable effort to adapt a new rule or mechanical widget to my game, even when using the same system (due to house rules, or differences of power level or style, or whatever). so, i, too, look for the easily-adapted content when buying RPGs--and for me that means no mechanics. now, i'll certainly except as empirical evidence that rules-less RPG supplements don't sell (i have no way to know). i'm just not convinced of your rationale for why. -- woodelf <*> [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://members.home.net/woodelph/ My day today? Nothing major, just Xenon base gone, Scorpio gone, Tarrant dead, Tarrant alive and then I found out Blake sold us out. _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
