Re: Points, Mass and FT3 [FAO MJE-JMT-GZG]

At 09:05 AM 12/12/96 +0000, you wrote:
>Date sent:  12-DEC-1996 09:01:28 
>
>Another problem I've seen here is New Edition vs Suplament. Is the
Suplament
>such a great idea? Think of it like SFB, you need the core rules PLUS
this
>PLUS that PLUS the other before you can play. So for us old hands, a
new 
>suplament may seem preferable, but I'd go for a new edition because
that is
>what new players would want.

I want to throw something else in here. A friend of mine published a
roleplaying game (actually, sort of a generic supplement) a year and a
half
ago and is now working on his second supplement (I'm working on the
third).
What stores want are supplements. What distributors want are
supplements.
And they want lots of them. My friend was told repeatedly that it's
easier
to sell a game (to stores) if it has a couple of supplements than if
it's a
standalone.

Now this might not apply to wargame rules, and Jon DOES have three games
in
the one universe. Even still, according to my friend, distributors
prefer
supplements. While some new players prefer everything in one book, if
the
game is good they will buy all of the supplements. Meanwhile, players
who
have never played the game can sample the base rules for a smaller
outlay of
cash.  The higher cash outlay is more of a detriment to getting players
into
a new game than having to buy multiple supplements. 

Essentially, one book with all of Full Thrust for C$30 will not sell as
well
as a rulebook at C$20 and two supplements at C$15. SFB, of course, is an
extreme example. If the main FT rulebook is maintained as a viable game
without the supplements, it won't fall into the SFB trap.

Allan Goodall:	agoodall@sympatico.ca 
"You'll want to hear about my new obsession.
 I'm riding high upon a deep depression. 
 I'm only happy when it rains."    - Garbage