Goodman Games

Blood Axe wrote:• For participating road crew judges, an upgrade to print is also available at a cost of $9.99 plus shipping (visit our online store).

I'll be darned. I got that same e-mail, only seem to have missed that one key bullet point. I stand corrected.

Its easy to miss. I had to double check myself.

Did you click on the link? When I did it went to a Well of the Worm page, not a Tower Out of Time page. I need to check with Joseph to see what's up.

Rostranor wrote:pretty noncommittal for a minster of propaganda!

Keep in mind that sometimes propaganda is best when it's subtle and obscure. If I stand on a soapbox preaching, you rebel. If I give hints and vague references, you question and think about it. Pretty soon you have been absorbed into The Cause.

On the other hand, when I speak with lack of knowledge it's also handy to be vague and noncommittal.

The point that goodman games gains nothing from collectibility is a good one, and this is especially true where the item in question costs $9.99 in print.

My understanding is that the limited availability is a reward for individuals who are taking time out of their busy lives to run public games - effectively advertising the product and generating more DCC RPG sales.

It is very interesting to me that a common complaint about con (or other public) games is that everyone has read the module..... I would not have expected this.
I thought the point would have been to introduce new blood to the game, not running DCC RPG veterans through Portal Under the Stars for the n'th time. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Maybe the unique wealth of module support is making all us judges lazy?? I know if I were to run a con game I would be much more inclined to come up with something original. The limited offer to road crew judges does just that - ensures the adventure they run is original, avoiding the complaint mentioned above. I have a feeling however that this does more to preach to the converted than to attract new players.

/cynicism

maxinstuff wrote:It is very interesting to me that a common complaint about con (or other public) games is that everyone has read the module..... I would not have expected this.

It does happen, and can be quite frustrating. That's why so many groups have secret stuff for conventions; stuff which might or might not ever see the light of day.

As I mentioned earlier, many of the old TSR modules were convention tournaments that were cleaned up and sold later. The funny thing is that they were run using OD&D rules but sold as AD&D modules.

maxinstuff wrote:The point that goodman games gains nothing from collectibility is a good one, and this is especially true where the item in question costs $9.99 in print.

My understanding is that the limited availability is a reward for individuals who are taking time out of their busy lives to run public games - effectively advertising the product and generating more DCC RPG sales.

It is very interesting to me that a common complaint about con (or other public) games is that everyone has read the module..... I would not have expected this.
I thought the point would have been to introduce new blood to the game, not running DCC RPG veterans through Portal Under the Stars for the n'th time. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Maybe the unique wealth of module support is making all us judges lazy?? I know if I were to run a con game I would be much more inclined to come up with something original. The limited offer to road crew judges does just that - ensures the adventure they run is original, avoiding the complaint mentioned above. I have a feeling however that this does more to preach to the converted than to attract new players.

/cynicism

These comments contradict each other if you think about it.

How is everybody reading the adventure ,if they aren't already a GG/DCC customer?

A demo game aim should be to get new players. If you are a new player, I doubt you have read & memorized the adventure.

Its great to reward someone that runs demo games, but what about a loyal customer who buys many GG products?
Why not make the pdf available to him at a later date?

Blood Axe wrote:

maxinstuff wrote:The point that goodman games gains nothing from collectibility is a good one, and this is especially true where the item in question costs $9.99 in print.

My understanding is that the limited availability is a reward for individuals who are taking time out of their busy lives to run public games - effectively advertising the product and generating more DCC RPG sales.

It is very interesting to me that a common complaint about con (or other public) games is that everyone has read the module..... I would not have expected this.
I thought the point would have been to introduce new blood to the game, not running DCC RPG veterans through Portal Under the Stars for the n'th time. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Maybe the unique wealth of module support is making all us judges lazy?? I know if I were to run a con game I would be much more inclined to come up with something original. The limited offer to road crew judges does just that - ensures the adventure they run is original, avoiding the complaint mentioned above. I have a feeling however that this does more to preach to the converted than to attract new players.

/cynicism

These comments contradict each other if you think about it.

How is everybody reading the adventure ,if they aren't already a GG/DCC customer?

A demo game aim should be to get new players. If you are a new player, I doubt you have read & memorized the adventure.

Its great to reward someone that runs demo games, but what about a loyal customer who buys many GG products?
Why not make the pdf available to him at a later date?

That's why it surprises me - and why I feel it might be doing more to 'preach to the converted' than attract newbs.

As far as PDF's go - really not interested. I want hard copies. I would jump at the chance to run a road crew game but I am in Australia and cannot seem to find any place to do it that would feel like a 'legit' road crew game. No FLGS here stocks DCC RPG stuff actively, they can order in for you but the markup is ridiculous. Someone in another thread noted that stores here determine their margin by taking the sticker price and adding their phone number - and I am inclined to agree. I can run it at a local gaming club but that isn't really a 'public place'. I wouldn't feel right trying to pass that off as a road crew game.

Joseph's reply still doesn't address the problem overseas buyers have of obtaining the pre-order bonus (Well of the Worm). It's unclear if the request form for retailers to honour this promotion extends to the international market, and if it does, it's unlikely all retailers would be willing, making it quite a chore to hunt one down. We'll happily put our money where our mouths are IF WE CAN. Thus, if Joseph is interested in harvesting all of the market for converted 3.5 modules, he has to facilitate its distribution. Could Joseph qualify for us if retailers, such as Leisure Games in the UK, or the distributor Edsevium, will be included in this pre-order promotion or not?

Blood Axe wrote:These comments contradict each other if you think about it.

How is everybody reading the adventure ,if they aren't already a GG/DCC customer?

Generally the way new players get attracted is by seeing existing players having fun. Running a game with 3-4 experienced players in an open environment almost always attracts a couple new people. Some of the other posts on the forums about road crew events attest to this experience. That's the idea behind the road crew events...you don't have to run games all the time with new people; just take your existing games to a store or con. It brings in lots of interest.

Stainless wrote:Joseph's reply still doesn't address the problem overseas buyers have of obtaining the pre-order bonus (Well of the Worm). It's unclear if the request form for retailers to honour this promotion extends to the international market, and if it does, it's unlikely all retailers would be willing, making it quite a chore to hunt one down. We'll happily put our money where our mouths are IF WE CAN. Thus, if Joseph is interested in harvesting all of the market for converted 3.5 modules, he has to facilitate its distribution. Could Joseph qualify for us if retailers, such as Leisure Games in the UK, or the distributor Edsevium, will be included in this pre-order promotion or not?

The process for retailers is same whether international or domestic: the customer (perhaps you!) should order one of the eligible modules (Colossus Arise, Easley Cover, Frozen in Time, etc.) through their store. Then order Well of the Worm through our web site, and send along a scan of the retailer form (see http://www.goodman-games.com/50765preview.html ). That's all.

I played in a game with raven_crowking a couple weekends ago in a room packed full of Pathfinder people. I think most of the players at the table new about DCC RPG, with a couple brand new players. There was definitely some interest in this new game we were playing from the Pathfinder guys. That store, which mostly carries Pathfinder stuff, had a lone DCC RPG on their bookshelf. I'll be curious to see if it sold or not the next time i'm there.

Our local shop is about 50 miles out. The shop is a smaller one and, like many smaller start-up stores, Magic pays the bills and war games most often fill the tables. Like any business, they cater most heavily to their customer base. That said, last year for free RPG day that had a couple copies of the DCC rulebooks in stock, and....they sold out. With a bit of coaxing, we got them to order adventures and, not really understanding, they ordered a mixture of DCC adventures from d20 on forward.

Since Pathfinder is their main RPG staple, the D20 adventures are all but gone and all the DCC RPG adventures? Sold out.The rule books? Sold out...again.

The local store is the cornerstone of any gaming community. Sure, in most cases, things can be purchased cheaper online...but that doesn't give you people to play with, or even someone to teach you how to play. Where I live? No local gaming store, not much of a gaming community. I think I know everyone by name and could fit them all in my dining room.

So it is vital to brand growth that Goodman Games continue to encourage people to support their local stores. Enter, the Road Crew. Exclusive items are a wonderful way to reward the people who are going out and expanding awareness of the game. It is a nice thank you from the company for people who are out spreading the word. Rather than being upset about things that are not immediately available to the masses, perhaps folks should brainstorm ideas that might help overcome their particular reasons for not being able to take part. The international barrier is a tough one, but if someone comes up with a workable solution, I bet it gets jumped on.

Just my .02