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By Thistle, on September 2nd, 2010
‘The Troll Test’ is a scenario or ‘dungeon’ design challenge, which asks GMs, level designers and design gamers to come up with an adventure under certain restrictions. The basic idea is to take away the capacity to use monsters’ skills to provide variety and novelty. This forces the designer to find alternative approaches to setting up exciting gameplay.
The Troll Test
- Make a one side of A4, system agnostic adventure outline.
- Most encounters must involve trolls.
- The most common creature encountered by players is a troll.
- There must be at least 30 trolls in the adventure.
- Once ‘pen is put to paper’ the test is 2 hours maximum start to finish.
There are plenty of alternatives to Trolls. The important part is to ensure the design is completed without relying on a powerful monster such as a Vampire, (or a race like the Drow), where the monsters come with a large variety of gameplay options and a predictable or widely accepted set of behaviours.
Troll Fell : a slightly scary and enjoyable story (9+)
We’d like to invite others interested in GM-ing or scenario design to have a go at the challenge, because it’s remarkable to see how much many designs rely on monsters to offer variety. In addition, the time limit on the Troll Test outline seems helpful in terms of looking at ways to quickly ‘flesh out’ skeleton or outline adventures.
The results of a recent in-house Troll Test will be posted shortly. The Troll Test is about reflecting on our/ your own design. It isn’t a competition. A point underscored by the lack of any prizes other than the satisfaction found in completing the test.
By Thistle, on August 27th, 2010
A full range of RPG gameplay options can include stealth, investigation, mystery, construction, characterisation, planning, intrigue and all manner of on-going challenges, missions and quests. These options, (and the list is far from exhaustive), open up opportunities for a wide variety of open-ended tabletop roleplaying and design gaming. At the same time, sooner or later, even the most plot or challenge-focused adventures are likely to involve direct confrontation.
There are plenty of ways to roleplay conflict, but players and/ or plot will often call for raised shields and a handy longsword. The standard approach to varying RPG combat is through the many abilities of monsters, aliens and other lifeforms. However, the novelty wears off as soon as players become familiar with their own and most of the monsters’ abilities.
From there on it’s a pretty predictable business of matching players’ abilities to each monster’s weaknesses. Many RPGs end up trying to introduce greater excitement, if not variety, by making the player/ s and their opponents as closely matched as possible. This adds risk, but can make players feel they’re ‘under the cosh’. Which can bring with it the danger of being sucked into ‘rules courts’, as outcomes, (on many levels), may hang on interpreting a clause within the rule set.
Sure players want a sense of excitement and danger, but grinding away at ‘swingy’ combat after ‘swingy’ combat can get a bit wearing.
Adding a dramatic backdrop in terms of a combat’s place in the plot or novel circumstances offers a partial solution, as player characters’ motivations, (and meaningful ‘in-game’ consequences), can add tension and give a combat a wider resonance across the rest of the gameplay.
Fighting over different prizes, possessions and passions may vary the meaning of a combat within the game as a whole, but it seems necessary to go further to make the most of what combat can contribute to play. In particular, it seems worthwhile to go beyond the limits of static rules sets.
Rule sets usually take account of a selection of basic options, including fighting while wading, on horseback or in the dark. This can be extended in countless directions. For example fighting:
- at sea
- in a swamp
- on ice
- underwater
- amidst lava streams
- in a tar pit
- in quicksand
- in labyrinths
- in battle
- over bridges
- while becoming ill or poisoned
- in potentially explosive or destructive locations
These, and many more choices, can be varied again by deformation of the terrain and/ or events, i.e. conditions may deteriorate, (or emerge), as things ‘fall apart’. Modern and Sci Fi settings are all the better, with an endless array of readily available environmental hazards to choose from, ranging from planetary conditions to invasive nano-bots.
The choice of combat variants available to players is clearly far beyond knowing the difference between a Storm Giant and a Stone Giant. Except there’s a problem. How can even the largest rule sets provide combat mechanics for handling each and every possible situation. Fortunately, there appear to be a few possible approaches which might help:
- Consider what the existing rules have to offer and what might be added in terms of simple combat modifiers that don’t unbalance play.
- Extend the rules to provide fuller consideration of the situation and add tables to vary possible effects. Modifying magical or physical effects to suit the environment might well add authenticity.
- Take account of knock-on effects and on-going events, including deformation and the emergent properties of the situation.
- Populate the ‘combat zone’ with environmental combat options, e.g. items, physical features and other ‘solutions’, available to the observant and opportunist without highly specialised skills.
- Use combat choreography aka stunt fighting and freeform GMing to mediate new conditions as they emerge during play. This is a tiring option, but it does allow the rules to move with ‘the territory’ and fade seamlessly into the background. That can, in turn, bring the plot and players’ characterisation into the foreground.
Overall, combat can deliver some of the most exciting gameplay available in videogame RPGs, Tabletop RPGs and design games. There’s not that much a player can do about videogame combat. You get the combat and combat settings which come in the box. More opened-ended, imaginative tabletop games can do better, as GMs and players are able to vary, shape and remix the design and play of combat encounters to much greater imaginative effect.
By Thistle, on August 20th, 2010
Design games set out to help players to go beyond following the rules and gameplay presented by game designers. Most games can offer some level of design gaming in terms of making it easy to adjust or adapt the basic format of a game, e.g. minor changes to the rules when playing a boardgame or designing your own simple card game.
However, many games are presented to us in the form of fixed rules and narratives, which encourage players to soak-up designers’ gameplay without using much of their own creativity or imagination to customise or shape gameplay. Obvious examples of games which concentrate on delivering a largely shrink-wrapped experience include recent Final Fantasy titles, multi-volume Tabletop RPGs, tabletop wargames and so-called ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ gamebooks.
These kind of games are produced to a high standard and can offer a lot of enjoyment. At the same time, they’re designed to walk or ‘railroad’ players through the content without presenting players with meaningful choices. There may be some optional extras on offer to extend play, but these are typically limited to additional content and/ or ‘fan’ purchases, (such as the recent Final Fantasy iPhone App, which, remarkably, simply repackages screenshots from the game).
There is nothing ‘wrong’ with swallowing down easily digested chunks of other peoples’ imaginative content. After all, many players simply may not wish to get involved in designing and redesigning their own gameplay. (Though one has to wonder whether or not that’s because we’ve become accustomed to marketing and game formats which discourage design gaming).
For those who do want to use games as platforms to support their own imaginative input, design gaming has a lot to offer. Lego serves as a good example, because purchasers are immediately presented with two options. Many Lego products are packaged as kits, which are, at least initially, intended to allow the construction of a particular model, e.g. the Eiffel Tower or a fortress from Prince of Persia. The same bricks can, however, be re-used and re-mixed to make any number of models. From there, the models can be used to play all manner of games based around players’ designs.
Lego, therefore, presents as a procedural, instruction-based exercise, but can easily become an open-ended design platform, which players can use to construct whatever their imaginations find appealing. (Procedures and instructions may be important, but there are plenty of opportunities to develop such methods. Imaginative play and design gaming are less readily available and seem better able to access learning rather than just training).
It’s difficult to draw hard and fast lines here, as pretty much any game can be used for design gaming on some level. It’s more a case of how easy a game makes the process of introducing design gaming and, in particular, how it supports ‘springboarding’ from viewing the rules and content as fixed, to treating the rules and content as a framework for design gaming.
Design gaming is ‘up-and-running’ when it delivers a qualitative difference, which can, perhaps, be described through analogy. With fixed gaming players basically take the rules or ‘skeleton’ and dress it in extra garments from the manufacturer’s wardrobe. With design gaming players take the ‘skeleton’, put ‘flesh on the bones’ and design any clothing.
There are four obvious ways in which games may deliver design gaming:
Personalisation
Games which allow players to easily auto-style the format, configure gameplay, skin environments, design avatars and select personal, narrative and gameplay characteristics contribute to design gaming. Sims 3 and Sims 3 Ambitions are ‘stand outs’ for allowing players to customise, construct and re-mix gameplay.
Design Activities
Sims titles offer plenty of ‘construction’ options, but designing interactive experiences within games went a step further when Neverwinter Nights appeared with a relatively straightforward level design ‘kit’. Players could design their own adventures and much of the resultant gameplay from the ground up. Doing so can be a pretty demanding task, but the now dated game still remains popular as a result of it’s design kit.
Some recent games, including Dante’s Inferno and Dragon Age: Origins, have similar adventure or level design options, but these tend to be either fairly complex to learn to use or a bit short on features.
Design Gameplay
Gameplay can be designed to project players into particular types of interactions and challenges, which involve designing solutions to fairly complex problems. For example, a traditional counter wargame focuses on resource management, poker involves a social dimension to play and a boardgame design, (like Catan), asks players to occupy a ‘gamespace’ combining resource management, social interactions and rapid decision making. (Ideally, the gamespace can be extended or modified using straightforward variations, such as with the many versions of poker or Catan’s add-on packs).
Springboarding
Tabletop RPGs offer personalisation, design activities and design gameplay opportunities as a matter of course. Some Tabletop RPG games also act as ‘springboards’ to creative, imaginative roleplaying, involving high levels of player choice, open-ended storylines, ‘house rules’, depth of characterisation and the construction of shared, imaginative narratives.
Ideally, an on-going interplay between rules treated as guidelines and gameplay makes it easier to move or ‘spring’ beyond the confines of fixed gaming to a flexible or ‘fluid’ gamespace where the guidelines fade into the background during play, (leaving design gaming to focus on communication, creativity and critical thinking).
Most Tabletop RPGs have the potential to act as ‘springboards’ to design game roleplaying. However, leading publishers have adapted many of the original Tabletop RPGs to offer easily consumed fixed narratives and procedural rule sets.
The resulting pre-packaged pastime only offers limited design gaming and most multi-volume systems require extensive modifications to make it easier to deliver creative roleplaying. The sure route to design gaming, including ‘springboarding’, is to start with a set of guidelines designed to serve as a platform or framework for helping players to access imaginative roleplaying.
‘Rules light’ Tabletop RPGs are often best equipped to enable design gaming. Games with enough clear guidelines to sketch out player characters, set challenges and outline a setting tend to fill less than 250 pages, use modular game designs to make it easier to integrate new content and, ideally, leave room for ‘in-game’ interpretation and expansion of the underlying framework. Typical examples that we’ve mentioned before include the Traveller SRD, Treasure, Fortune’s Fool and Eden Studio’s Buffy RPG.
If you’re a Pathfinder or an AD&D enthusiast the route to ‘springboarding’ into ‘cinematic’, ‘freeform’ and ‘sandbox’ play is always open. Though it seems necessary to take a step back from the combat-focused rule sets and mechanics to consciously lead play in the direction of design gaming.
These multi-volume, combative games can support player choice, but doing so involves mixing exploration, characterisation, discovery, mysteries, investigations and purposeful missions into the gameplay. It also requires a willingness to interpret the rules as guidelines and place the rules ‘cart’ behind the gameplay ‘horse’.
Though Tabletop RPGs offer a unique medium involving social gaming and capable of supporting design gaming on various levels, Tabletop RPG publishers are in some danger of being completely overtaken by videogame design games. The forthcoming Sims 3: Medieval promises to allow players an almost unprecedented level of choice within the fantasy genre. It will do so by providing readily accessible design game kits or modules for building medieval gameworlds and gamespaces. Simply learning to building a ‘scene’ in Dragon Age’s design kit is time-consuming. With Sims 3: Medieval constructing an entire castle, populating it and defining a series of ‘missions’ will be quick and easy.
Players of Sims 3: Medieval and design game-focused Tabletop RPGs will not be getting the same qualitative experience, but Tabletop RPGs can expect to have (further) difficulty ‘competing’ unless they become more accessible and emphasise design gaming.
By Thistle, on August 12th, 2010
After checking out over twenty Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs), it’s safe to say that there’s a bewildering choice of MMORPGs out there. They range from the fairly familiar and straightforward World of Warcraft (WoW) series, through to Player v’s Player (PvP) focused titles like Aion, and more demanding titles, (such as the space epic Eve).
As might be expected, there are a lot of broadly similar fantasy titles, which differ mainly in terms of either being linked to an established brand, (e.g. LotR or Conan), or offering a particular focus on, for example, PvP.
There’s also a similar range of Sci-Fi and superhero titles. These are, however, less numerous and tend to be well produced games, because companies find it necessary to invest heavily to connect with enough high spending subscribers. Eve is, perhaps, an exception but few ‘modern’ or ‘futuristic’ MMORPGs have had much impact on the market in recent years.
Final Fantasy XIV
Taken together, there are lots of well-designed MMORPGs for players and potential players to choose from. It’s not really practical to produce a reliable Top 10, as the somewhat adult Age of Conan won’t be an option for younger players, while titles such as the forthcoming Star Wars: Old Republic depend largely on just how much a player likes such a distinctive setting.
What follows is, therefore, more of a selection of good options from amongst the current crop, set alongside some of the more promising titles scheduled to arrive within the next twelve months. Readers will have to make up their own minds about which, if any, title to go for.
If you do buy a MMORPG please remember to match your connection, your graphics card and your processor/ console to the preferred options, as newer titles can be pretty demanding on your hardware. Your kit may be able to meet the minimum specifications on the box, but it’s usually necessary to get close to the preferred specifications to pull together decent graphics, a reliable frame rate and ‘fluid’ online interactions.
Free Realms
We’ve looked at Free Realms before and our regular playtester continues to be absorbed in the community side of the game. This is the only ‘child-orientated’ title up for a clear recommendation at this point, as the site’s content and moderation are suitable for kids of 8+. The fantasy gameworld is rich and varied, the minigames are excellent,and there’s plenty to do other than, (or as well as), beating up monsters.
The game is also to be commended for allowing a range of design activities, where players take the gameworld into their own hands and use it to build all sorts of different buildings, facilities and self-directed micro-businesses. For example, one player turned her home base into a large hotel, then employed other players as staff and used the virtual proceeds to extend the hotel. This opportunity to use the game as a framework to develop your own social gameplay is moving from MMORPG territory into the kind of virtual ‘design worlds’ offered by, for example, the more adult Second Life.
The site does encourage upgrading to full access and in-game purchases of virtual items. The marketing of these options is fairly persistent, but not forced. A full subscription is good value, though not entirely necessary. The one slight concern is that Sony haven’t added much new content in the last year. A series of greyed-out ‘territories’ on the boundaries of the world map have remained unavailable for quite some time. Hopefully, the game’s planned release on the PS3 platform will result in a fresh injection of new content.
WoW: Cataclysm
WoW is so well-known that there’s not a great deal to explain. Get yourself a fantasy character, join up with some mates online and ‘persuade’ plenty of monsters to hand over their ill-gotten gains. The latest expansion pack promises new zones, more PvP (Player v’s Player) gameplay, higher level caps, new races and new character class combinations.
WoW’s success is based on being easy to learn and run, while offering a wide selection of different landscapes, encounters and plots to develop. There’s unlikely to be much genuine novelty in the new pack, but the extra content will extend the game’s lifespan for existing players and continue to attract lots of new players.
Aion
Aion’s twist on the WoW format is to borrow slightly from Tabletop RPG Exalted, where players start out with great powers and play the role of supernatural beings working beyond the mundane world of mere mortals. The system has a PvPvE, (Player v’s Player v’s Environment), design, which can be a bit ‘crunchy’ or combat-orientated for some players. So, while it’s probably not the best starter system, there’s an appealing combination of ‘powerplay’ and ‘mortal combat’ waiting for those who favour competitive gameplay.
Guild Wars 2
The obvious advantage to Guild Wars is the absence of a typical subscription model. Buy the game off the shelf and away you go. Guild Wars 2 is not available quite yet, but the original gets a lot of praise from those who’ve tried it. The game offers familiar fantasy gameplay and there are loads of plots, encounters and monsters to tackle.
The move to Guild Wars 2 promises better graphics, new territories and varied plots. There are a few new MMORPGs we’d like to explore in more detail when they arrive and Guild Wars 2 is top of the list. This is, in part, due to the value for money, but also because Guild Wars is held in such high esteem by current players.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
It’ll be some time before Star Wars: The Old Republic is good to go. Nevertheless, this Bioware backed title looks likely to pull in a great many Star Wars fans. Some may be movie fans, but we suspect it’ll be the past success of Star Wars videogames that’ll bring the cash flowing in. Expect excellent graphics, a possible over-reliance on Star Wars staples, lots of Imperial Stormtroopers and more than a few light sabres. There were mixed opinions about becoming immersed in such a ‘heavily-accented’ setting, as fans will love the gameworld, while those who’ve tired of the films may feel a bit ‘corralled’.
Final Fantasy XIV
The current Final Fantasy XI MMORPG offers stylish graphics, an intriguing plot and enjoyable gameplay. Unsurprisingly, the game attracted lots of subscribers and its successor, Final Fantasy XIV, seems sure to follow suit. Recruitment won’t have been hindered by the impressive, if somewhat linear, standalone Final Fantasy XIII.
Those prepared to wait for FFXIV can look forward to lavish graphics, a cinematic, (possibly even operatic), plot and ‘the usual’ Final Fantasy ‘tropes’. All things considered, the game can be relied on to deliver exactly what players expect, which is a serious compliment when talking about games of the quality of much of the Fighting Fantasy series over the years.
Eve Online
Eve Online
Eve is a heavy-duty Sci-Fi MMORPG based around interstellar corporations and combat. There are few better options for committed gamers, as a massive, highly detailed ‘universe’ allows players to become immersed in complex political and economic intrigues. Those looking for a more ‘casual’ Sci-Fi option might want to consider the currently overpriced Star Trek Online, which seems to be improving as more content appears.
However, dedicated Sci-Fi fans, with a certain amount of cash on hand, are not going to be disappointed by Eve’s relative complexity. (It’s customary to use freely available video clips to pick up the essentials before cutting loose in Eve).
Conclusions
There are several currently available titles which deserve an honourable mention. The developers just wouldn’t thanks us for naming them, because a ‘shake out’ seems pretty much inevitable over the next year or so. FF XIV and Star Wars: The Old Republic are far from the only major new MMORPGs on the way. Consequently, some of the more ageing and expensive games among the current range of titles are likely to struggle. Especially if recent rumours of a new Neverwinter Nights prove correct, as the original is well known for both it’s general gameplay and plentiful design options, (including building your own levels and customising gameplay).
For now, it makes a lot of sense to try a few ‘free-to-play’ systems and trial offers while waiting for other options to arrive. Prices are set to fall as competition increases, so patient buyers are likely to get the gameplay they’re looking for at increasingly reasonable prices. Particularly when developers are falling over themselves to deliver more and more complete gameworlds, (often capable of supporting tactical and/ or strategic play, alongside a full set of PvPvE gameplay).
There’s so much going on in the MMORPG market that we’ll have to return to the topic. Until then ‘try before you buy’ is the clear ‘winner’.
By Thistle, on August 6th, 2010
A resurrected thread over at ENWorld has, once again, raised the topic of ‘Where Did All The Girls Go?’. The OP put out a lengthy questionnaire, which claims to be interested in finding out why females may or may not be keen on Tabletop RPGs (TRPGs). The post is clearly trying to deliver a ‘message’ or outlook, as it starts the discussion with questions that obviously ‘load the dice’. This is done by repeatedly implying that female TRPG players can be associated with types of gameplay often dismissed by ‘battle game’ or ‘encounter game’ players.
The questions deliver a series of familiar gameplay ‘put downs’, which begin by outlining ‘proper’ TRPG play in terms of ‘encounter gaming’, i.e. a ‘proper’ player has complete rules-mastery, a combat-focused ‘win-mentality’ and a passion for presenting simple arithmetic as the preserve of ‘competent’ males.
Girls, well according to the line of questioning, they probably only like ‘Storytelling Games’. These games clearly aren’t seen as deserving to be called RPGs and seemingly involve a lot of relationship ‘stuff’, perhaps including letting your personal life intrude upon gameplay or ‘hanging out’ in the hope of netting a boyfriend, (presumably from among the arithmetically superior stock gathered round the game table).
This approach to questioning is a familiar device aimed at polarising opinion. Readers are being asked to take sides, and, of course, to take the ‘proper’ side. You either play a ‘proper’ battle game RPG or you play a ‘story’ system such as Mouseguard, where the game concentrates on narrative play. Everything in-between is artificially excluded. The OP’s ‘method’ is comparable to insisting that you can choose a movie, but your choices are limited to either a Rambo movie or a Brittany Spears movie. In this ‘world’ there is no ‘Where Eagles Dare’, and there certainly isn’t any room for Tomb Raider, Resident Evil or AvP.
The questions go on to label anyone who doesn’t know their rules inside-out as plain “ignorant”, which is condescending at best. Apart from that, the writer is also on incredibly shaky ground when implying that an encyclopedic knowledge of the rules amounts to ‘good’ roleplaying. Using your initiative, developing your character, coming up with inventive solutions or opening up new types of gameplay may amount to good roleplaying. Quite how the capacity to read a book and/ or use a simple index is relevant isn’t made clear?
Which takes us to the central message within the questioning, i.e. we should all like the same kind of games and gameplay. Particularly the OP’s kind of gameplay; which is seemingly open to being undermined by female gamers.
To their credit, few of the many respondents have allowed themselves to be drawn into agreeing with or supporting the views of what are a series of leading questions. However, it does appear that there remains some doubt over the reasons why some girls/ females may be disinterested in TRPGs. One female poster touches on a few key points when mentioning the objectification of women, their supposed lack of competence and the notion that there might be more to roleplaying than ‘combative’ gameplay.
Those points match some of those set out in our OP on this topic. If there are any ‘die-hards’ who remain in any doubt, why not pop over to Mongoose for a preview of their latest girl-orientated publication. If you’re still not convinced, you could always check out some of ENWorld’s recent advertisers, e.g. the innuendo laden Evony ads, or the equally classy Rappelz.
Sorry guys, but you’re twistin’ in the wind on this one.
By Thistle, on August 4th, 2010
In an ideal world there’d be gaming cafés on every street corner and plenty of local players always looking to try out new boardgames and Tabletop RPGs. Unfortunately, this is probably never going to happen, because most cafés can’t afford to set aside enough tables and a great many potential players find it easier to ‘meet’ fellow gamers online.
For most, the virtual meeting places of choice are Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs). The numbers signing up to take part in these ‘adventure world’ computer games seem to suggest that many gamers prefer to play as part of a virtual community rather than playing alone.
 World of Warcraft is currently the most popular MMORPG
Players and potential players of MMORPGs are presented with a bewildering range of titles to choose from. These are generally marketed through multi-tier subscription models, which emphasise the unique ‘spin’ offered by each title. In some cases a product’s ‘extra ingredient’ is focused on the gameplay, while others rely on their links to established ‘gamer friendly’ brands.
Before taking a look at a few of the available options it seems worthwhile to get a clear idea of exactly what lies behind MMORPG gameplay and branding. This can be presented as a series of ‘pros’ and ‘cons’, but it’s necessary to qualify these labels by noting that one player’s ‘disadvantage’ can be another’s ‘absolute essential’:
Pros
- Online access means there’s no need to organise games.
- The standard of MMORPG graphics and plotting has improved in recent years.
- Plenty of players are available to play at all times.
- Many MMORPGs offer a ‘try before you buy’ subscription option.
- Most MMORPGs have ‘try before you buy’ online gameplay videos.
- Leading MMORPGs usually offer features that distinguish them from others.
- The sheer scale of some ‘game worlds’ provides a lot of gameplay at relatively little cost.
- Some MMORPGs support Design Gaming, which hands players opportunities to re-design and develop gameplay beyond the boundaries of the basic gameplay model.
Cons
- The hardware and connection speeds required to get the best out of some MMORPGs can be expensive.
- There is, generally, ‘no such thing as a free lunch’.
- Charging for extras ensures that gameplay is not conducted on a ‘level playing field’. Those with ‘out-game’ cash can buy better gadgets, ‘power-ups’, missions and locations.
- Significant personal investments in terms of time and spending may be lost if the game doesn’t grow, and sustain, a sizeable community.
- There’s currently no way to translate PCs (Player Characters) and items purchased in one game into another.
- Moderation of both gameplay and ‘out-game’ forums can be patchy at best.
- Online communities often take a fairly unforgiving approach to new players.
- Most fellow players are likely to persist only as acquaintances rather than becoming friends.
- There’s not as much variety out there as the marketing would have us believe. In most cases gameplay follows subscription-focused ‘slay and shop’ or ‘group, slay and shop’ models.
- Forceful ‘slay and shop’ games can foster a ‘win-mentality’ more consistent with the games’ ‘values’ than players’ preferences.
- Without regular injections of new content gameplay can become repetitive.
Further ‘pros’ or benefits resulting from participating in collaborative gameplay and exploring novel situations also seem relevant. However, concerns over repetition, ‘shop and slay’ gameplay and consumer inequality are significant and persistent. This is, in part, because it’s fairly obvious that there isn’t that much to choose between the many systems.
 Free Realms is one of the better MMORPGs for kids
Fortunately, there are a few companies which seem willing to test or stretch current boundaries. These will be included in the next post on MMORPGS, alongside a selection of the pick of the current ‘crop’.
By Thistle, on July 31st, 2010
A copy of a completely new version of Tabletop RPG Fortune’s Fool arrived a few days ago. It was difficult to know exactly what to expect, as the game is set in a fantasy Renaissance Europe and uses a pack of Tarot cards to resolve outcomes.
A complex Renaissance RPG like Ars Magica didn’t really appeal and we thought the Tarot pack mechanism might be a bit too mystical or elaborate for our tastes. Fortunately, such concerns went out the window after a quick run through the rule set.
Fortune’s Fool is, essentially, a fairly ‘rules-light’ TRPG, which serves up all the elements required to quickly learn and deliver a flexible Renaissance period setting. The rules are unpacked in a steady, (and familiar), progression through character design, skills, spellcasting and combat. From there, the rules go on to offer helpful sections on both the setting and running the game.
A short playtest followed and Fortune’s Fool did well. The players picked up the basics with ease and the Tarot-based outcomes were readily accepted. (It helped that the Tarot cards fit in seamlessly and don’t get in the way of the gameplay).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the frequent Assassin’s Creed 2 players at the table saw a lot of potential in the game. Not least as a quick route into a Renaissance packed with ‘magic and intrigue’. The fantasy races didn’t get much of a run out, but that was consistent with the group of players, who favour ‘gritty realism’.
Of course, you’ll need a Tarot pack handy. If nobody has one it’s easy to put the pack into a table and roll outcomes. Alternatively, and preferably, a quick visit to Wikipedia lets anyone download a Tarot pack. The images shown here were among the options on offer from the Tarot page. Simply drag the images into a word processor template and print a free pack on labels or card.
Complaints were few and far between. Some might prefer a slicker presentation with more bought-in graphics, but the PDF we were using was ideal for a PDF, i.e. single column, large text, clear headings and the ‘backbone’ of a solid underlying structure. Consequently, the game seems good value at $10 for the 252 page PDF version. (Though the adjustments to some of the clever, but limited, use of Renaissance art were, perhaps, unnecessary, because the originals are so effective).
Overall, Fortune’s Fool is a good system for introducing new players to TRPGs, learning to GM and jumping straight into a period packed with atmosphere. It’s also particularly successful at striking a balance between relative simplicity and offering a complete system. As a result, it could easily be used as the basis for building your own Renaissance settings and/ or adding your own house rules. Pantheon Press go into more detail HERE.
By Thistle, on July 27th, 2010
If we’re to believe the hype, 2010 is a year packed with dramatic new gaming and media technologies. Much of this is attributed to the iPad, 3D TVs and new motion controllers. In reality, only a portion of the overall market will have access to these technologies in 2010.
Which is good, because it lets those with money to burn pay for the continued market testing of ‘touch tablets’, while those with even more money to burn check just how long people can look at a 3D screen without feeling sick.
These technologies will arrive at more reasonable prices when any problems have been ironed-out. Until then it’s likely the $499/ £429 required just to get started with an iPad could be equally well spent on other options.
Obvious alternatives include a PS3, Move and some software. This offers the best of the present console selection for teenagers and adults, because you’ll get plenty of motion sensing software on an excellent console. Not exactly new technology, but technology that’s ‘good to go’.
A PC upgrade is another option where cash won’t go to waste, because the combination of fast multi-core processing, speedy graphics and games is almost as complete as that available to PS3 gamers. For example, speedy AMD and Intel processors have come down in price, while AMD’s HD5770, (and similar graphics cards), now cost roughly $150/ £100. In addition, most of the last year’s top games are available for PCs.
Either of these purchases is easily within range of the costs involved in running an iPad. They are, however, pretty much ‘more of the same’, which is why it’s maybe worth considering a form factor that’s starting to deliver a good combination of portability and reasonable performance.
The first wave of netbooks failed to impress. Feeble processors were barely capable of multi-tasking, the graphics ruled out almost all modern games and prices were high for what was on offer.
The first of a second wave of netbooks is soon to arrive. A quick look at what’s on offer suggests that these devices are both highly portable and capable of enough multi-tasking to replace many of the premium ultra-portables sold for $1000+ in recent years.
That’s not to say you’ll find a blisteringly fast processor or full-on gaming graphics built in. More a case of being able to complete most standard tasks, (ranging from surfing to basic content creation), without everything grinding to a halt.
With a weight of roughly 3lbs/ 1.4kg, the Asus EEE PC 1215N is the ION 2 model expected to reach the market first. It packs in a dual-core Intel Atom N525 setup, Nvidia’s ION 2 graphics, an HDMI port, a VGA port, a 320Gb hard disc, 2-4Gb of DDR3 RAM, a glossy 12.1 inch (1366 x 768 px) display and WiFI connectivity. Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity is going to be an optional extra.
The ION 2 graphics work alongside Optimus technology to seamlessly switch the graphics to a basic Intel GMA 3150 mode when ION 2 isn’t needed. This is an important consideration, as battery life is, inevitably, highly dependent on your choice of tasks. Running full-blown 1080p video will tear through the battery in less than three hours, while general surfing is likely to extend battery life towards 5 hours.
Unlike earlier netbooks, these new machines are able to run some worthwhile games, (such as Sims 3 and World of Warcraft), at playable speeds.
The (recommended) silver version of the 1215N is on pre-order at $499, but there are several manufacturers working on comparable machines and there may be as many as 40 variations on the same theme by Christmas 2010. Dell’s M101z already offers an example of a similar approach. It uses AMD’s Neo technology and is currently available. The first of these netbooks to hit the $499 price mark with 4Gb of RAM as standard is going to offer an attractive alternative to larger or more expensive portable options by January.
By Thistle, on July 23rd, 2010
After collecting a bit of information from and about Kingdom of Adventure, we’re confident we’ve a few suggestions that can help to grow the business without jeopardising the existing customer base. They’re offered informally and presented as ‘zero cost’ options, so it’s up to the owner, or any other FLGS owner, to make up their own mind over whether or not any of our proposals merit further investigation:
Check the Numbers
Before making any changes to a business it’s important to be as sure as possible about what’s already going on. Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) data is one valuable source of information, but it doesn’t cover all the options. Working out, (or developing a system to work out), how staff are spending their time, which of their activities are of most value, when the shop is busiest and most profitable, and which stock is ‘deadwood’ are all priorities.
Web analytics, forum contributions and the uptake on pre-order promotions offer readily available ‘snapshots’ of what’s going on within the business. These types of data can be brought together to build up a systemic understanding of how different areas of the business impact on one another. So, our first suggestion is to make sure the most valuable data is being collected and to develop approaches to integrating that data.
Command and Control
A FLGS is often highly dependent on the owner’s personal commitment and enthusiasm. Assuming the intention is to build a solid, local business, (rather than start a chain), it’s essential for owners to consider how to stay motivated and also take a wage from the business at an early stage. Trying to do everything yourself, working every marketing channel, making sacrifices for ‘the hobby’ and/ or running games you don’t enjoy are a quick route to a ‘grinding routine’.
 We suspect the owner’s role on-site is critical to adding value to the business. Supporting gaming sessions, showing staff how to run game sessions and delivering face-to-face marketing all seem important in terms of making it clear the shop is offering a range of managed services.
Time spent on ‘meet and greet’ or ‘outreach’ work with groups is not necessarily going to bring the same benefits as keeping ‘the Captain’ at the ‘helm’. Ideally, valuable ‘outreach’ opportunities will arise through growing the shop’s community rather than trying to ‘reel-in’ other more ‘distant’ or disparate communities.
The Team
A FLGS usually has a team of contributors at the heart of its community. The team usually extends well beyond the owner and the shop’s staff. Staff, friends, GMs, game players, comic fans and family may all be involved on various levels. They have the potential to act much like forum moderators and add value to the business by ‘spreading the word’, running game sessions, encouraging new players and offering honest feedback.
Consulting with the whole team, identifying training and learning needs, meeting those needs through your own training and learning, and, most importantly, explaining plans and changes may make a considerable difference to the team’s collective contribution.
For example, a regular GM/ employee who plays CCGs and runs combat-focused, ‘rules heavy’ 40K and AD&D 4e sessions may not be too keen on running a boardgame, ‘training up’ novice players or playing a relatively ‘rules light’ RPG like Witch or Buffy. Until the shop’s owner leads a staff training session on Dominion, invites the GM to play in a well-designed 4e-based Essentials campaign or offers up an atmospheric game of Buffy at Halloween.
Aladdin’s Cave
The standard retail model calls for diversification and it’s tempting to set off on the ‘Forbidden Planet’ route. Get in the action figures and dolls, add fantasy and Sci-fi book stock, throw in some Marilyn Manson posters and sell every vampire format around. It’s an option if there’s a suitable community to fund such purchases, but it can work against adding value through a FLGS’s unique selling point, i.e. being friendly aka the quality of your entertainment services.
Media diversification also means more competition, time spent managing stock, more risk of overstocking, less space for displaying ‘open boxes’ and less space for running ‘fish tank’ or ‘sandbox’ games. At the same time, there’s an additional danger in terms of placing even more emphasise on a narrow, increasingly saturated, group of core buyers.
So, by all means cash in on multimedia franchises like Twilight and Dragon Age, but please be wary of turning into a DVD or book store.
The Ladder
Committed fantasy wargame and ‘rules heavy’ TRPG players were typically introduced and guided into the hobby. Many known hundreds of pages of detailed rules, spend hours painting their own figures and run games lasting anything up to a day. Unsurprisingly many FLGS owners are part of this ‘fan-base’ and rely on such games for income.
Unfortunately, many kids and adults don’t get the same opportunities to gradually learn complex games in the company of friends and mentors. A FLGS that wishes to pack out game sessions, run profitable competitions and classes, sell lots of games and encourage parents to urge their kids to spend an evening at the game store needs to put in place a revenue-focused gaming ‘ladder’. This should be easy to scale and open to tutoring.
Selecting the correct combination of products, support and charging depends largely on where you want the ladder to start, which is best decided by the team’s capacity to support an unbroken progression through the skills, and fun, different games offer. For some, extending the ladder’s reach from MtG, 40K and 4e down to Dominion, the Dragon Age RPG and/ or the D&D Essentials line is more than enough to be getting on with. (Especially when 40K and 4e need to be kept going).
Others may have the time, space and community ‘flexibility’ to put more steps into the ladder, or to start getting involved with younger age groups by lowering the ladder further. Catan, Talisman, the free Warriors Adventure Game, Dread Pirate, Rush Hour and even Marvel Superhero Top Trumps are options that can either lengthen or widen the ladder, while opening up new sales channels. These media sell well through a variety of outlets, but a FLGS is in a position to offer a pleasant environment, a demonstration of the gameplay and a warm, safe place to pop-in for a quick game.
Comics and graphic novels present many similar opportunities, as parents who won’t buy a copy of ‘The Punisher’ will pay for kids and youths to learn to design a hand-drawn comic or produce a comic through, for example, Comic Life software. The ideal mix of options depends mainly on staffing, but access to a computer and/ or putting a bit of thought into printing costs and options can reveal new opportunities.
From Ladder To Escalator
Having decided which opportunities can be well supported, (and identified those most likely to deliver gradual change), it’s time to tweak or adapt marketing and promotions to get those most able to reach the bottom rungs of the ladder through the front door – and to ensure most of them keep coming back.
The overall proposal is not a switch from a specialist ‘battle games’ and comics store to a fantasy store or general retailing store.
It is, instead, a transition from a specialist battle games and comics store to a specialist battle games, adventure games and fantasy art hub. Consequently, it should be practical to introduce changes quite subtly and to measure the effects of change step-by-step. The following areas are probably worth careful consideration:
Rules and Regulations
Trying to attract new game players, younger game players and a wider audience for comics involves gaining the confidence of players, parents, carers and, eventually, organisations like schools and libraries. That means making it clear who is ‘running the show’, indicating which staff offer each level of support, and prioritising any ‘childcare’ requirements in terms of police checks and Health and Safety.
Doing so doesn’t involve sticking up a big sign saying ‘here are the rules’. It does mean making appropriate use of handouts and online posts, which can re-assure customers and their families, while pre-empting arguments over competitions and interpreting rules. For example, a CCG competition or comic art class/ session usually involves signing-up. This presents an opportunity to use pre-booking, (and ‘at the door’ sign-ups), to not only set out the rules of the competition but to also set out general acceptable behaviour, necessary sanctions, childcare credentials, a clear point of contact and a summary of games, comics and forthcoming events/ sessions likely to be of interest to participants.
We particularly recommend that games are run with a limited count ‘Time Out’ system in place to separate rules and personal disputes from gameplay. It can also be a good idea to run competitions offering several worthwhile, if smaller, prizes. These two simple steps should reduce the intensity of gameplay ‘win mentalities’ and help games to run more smoothly.
The Shopfront
It’s great to have a large shopfront but difficult to populate it with high quality media on a regular basis. The easiest starting point is to go to your calendar and identify which areas can sustain persistent and/ or rotating displays. These are a game store’s equivalents of a restaurant’s printed menus and ‘dish of the day’ chalkboards.
Ideally, persistent and rotating images shouldn’t take up so much space that they prevent customers from looking into the retail area and/ or viewing any gameplay display or presentation game tables placed at the shopfront.
The exact size, positioning and blend of posters, handouts, upcoming events and access to the interior calls for some thought. For instance, an A1 Dark Heresy Space Marine poster placed on the shopfront is very different from an A1 Rogue Trader starship poster placed in a gameplay area, (where you can explain that it’s a game about building, running and, of course, defending your own business in the far future).
Layout
The overall layout of a LFGS is important in terms of defining the activity in each area and how each area connects to the others. Ideally gameplay areas go towards the back of the shop and are distinct from a ‘presentation table/ s’, which may be placed at the front window. A LFGS that’s offering café facilities needs to be particularly careful to separate retail and gameplay areas. (Though it’s possible to use a vending model, providing reasonably priced mineral waters and juices, alongside less reasonably priced pre-packaged ‘treats’ such as small bars of Black and Green’s chocolate. You really don’t want a party of a dozen 12-year-olds trying to play while fired up on fizzy drinks and crisps).
Community
There’s little doubt that much of the community supporting a FLGS at any given time will move on. In addition to those who get older or relocate, some will develop new interests, fall out with other players or grow tired of a particular product line.
It’s, therefore, clear that a FLGS needs to connect with today’s 10-year-old, who currently stops and peers in while passing the shop’s shopfront displays. You’re going to have to turn such kids into part of the store’s community, and the team, sooner or later. It appears easier, and more profitable, (in terms of numbers, charging for support services and ‘childcare’), to start while the parents are still paying and desperate to get presents that impress.
Outreach
You’ve thought things through, made an effort to support new players and welcomed kids into the store, (without upsetting ‘hardcore’ gamers or taking a hit from shoplifting). You’ve support available to run planned and ad-hoc games. There’s also a clear ‘flow’ or progression from the shopfront and displays through the retail area and gameplay areas. Parents, teenagers, new players, ‘familiar faces’ and the team all know what’s on offer and how to get started. You’ve even run a couple of Big Draw events and packed-out a few family sessions or ‘cartoon/ comic parties’.
The FLGS can now start to build awareness and contacts with businesses, schools, colleges, youth organisations and libraries. ‘Why not get your staff round for a team building session?’ ‘Could we put up a posters about our new graphic novels in your library every month?’ ‘Can I make a presentation to the school parents’ council that you run?’
It may be difficult to pack a FLGS all day, every day, but it should be possible to gradually extend use until school holiday periods, early evenings, evenings and weekends build up a broader customer base that’s willing to pay for daytime classes, events and competitions.
We’ll leave it there for now.
Hopefully, Kingdom of Adventure will send some feedback and, perhaps, an update in about a year. Thanks to our team for giving me so much material to edit. There isn’t time to include everything, but we hope FLGS owners find something useful among the various topics under discussion. The information is published as opinion rather than advice, so please remember that if you’re thinking of following-up on any of our suggestions. There’ll be a thread at EN World for anyone who wishes to comment and we’re always available via thistle@thistlegames.com or thistlegames@gmail.com.
By Thistle, on July 20th, 2010
An interesting email arrived from Favourite Local Game Store (FLGS) Kingdom of Adventure, which is based in the Scottish town of Kirkcaldy. The store’s owner runs a successful ‘comics, RPGs and wargames’ model that’s ideally suited to delivering a loyal customer base.
A quick look at the website, (and related media), gives a clear indication of just how well the business is being run. For example:
- The shop’s name rules ‘everything’ in and nothing out. (It also has a strong local association with the ancient ‘Kingdom of Fife’).
- The premises include a large, separate gaming area beyond the retail area.
- The shop is pretty much ‘open all hours’, including well into the evening.
- Promotional activities involve running a variety of competitions, charity events and product promotions.
- Regular, well-advertised game sessions are run and promoted constantly.
- Sales of comics are also promoted by events, e.g. “Come along and create a comic together”.
- Revenue from running competitive game sessions ‘chips-in’.
- Collectible Card Games (CCGs), Games Workshop’s 40K offerings and AD&D feature, but recent events also include a games design competition and D&D Encounters sessions.
- The website is kept up-to-date, puts the promotion of events ‘front and forward’, and offers options for ‘pull’ and ‘push’ marketing.
- There’s evidence that the website, its forum, the events and the newsletter cement relationships with a core audience of CCG, RPG, ‘wargaming’ and comic fans.
- The shop itself is not cluttered and overstocked with every possible ‘fantasy’ or ‘gaming’ product out there.
Any FLGS team delivering on all those options is to be congratulated! It’s pretty easy, (if unprofitable), to set up a store, put some boxes on the shelves and market locally. Kingdom of Adventure have gone a lot further by building and developing a community. This presents the opportunity to add lots of value by linking retail sales to a support network/ services, which can open up new revenue streams.
Instead of shifting boxes Kingdom of Adventure can, and is, providing training, tuition, ‘a place to connect’ and, potentially, a safe place for kids and youths to gather. The whole enterprise is off to a great start and the dynamics of the business appear to mark the owner as a capable planner.
So, why contact Thistle Games? There might be a number of reasons. The FLGS trade is notoriously fickle and valuable sections of a shop’s community can move on for reasons as simple as a group of players starting families or going away to college or university. More generally, the best way to insulate a business against the current uncertainty in global markets is to review the available options and focus on developing services that add value.
In the case of Kingdom of Adventure, the reason for getting in touch was quite specific. Local schools, colleges and youth organisations offer a possible means of extending daytime use of the store’s game space and encouraging more young people to visit the store.
Unfortunately, accessing these options is difficult at the best of times and much harder under present circumstances. Scottish schools and colleges are currently shedding teachers and librarians, while trying to adapt to a new curriculum. As a result, budgets have never been tighter in education as a whole, and that extends to youth organisations.
We’re used to working with teachers, lecturers, curriculum designers, online businesses, publishers and games designers. However, this was the first time a FLGS business has been in touch. After an online chat with the owner, we thought it might be interesting to find out a bit more about the options open to retailers and see if we could come up with a few ideas.
The results will be back before the end of the week.
Kingdom of Adventure
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