Player Recruitment - What Methods?

[Keklas Rekobah]

What methods do you use for recruiting Traveller players? Is a "hard sell" involved or does the game mostly sell itself?

What 'standards' do you have for potential players? Which can you compromise on, and which are cast in monadium?

I'd like to get back into running a CT-based campaign. My refereeing methods seem to work, stemming for the idea that "the most fun for the most players most of the time" is a reasonable goal. I know a lot of people through church, school and work, and many of them are science-fiction and adventure fans. But any 'sales pitch' I've tried seems to fall flat.

So tell me, what recruiting methods work for you?

Thank you,

-KR-

 

[Sturn]

I know a lot of people through church, school and work, and many of them are science-fiction and adventure fans. But any 'sales pitch' I've tried seems to fall flat.

I take it from this they are non-gamers? If so, trying to convince them to play and understand an RPG from the start might be tough. I would consider inviting them over for a boardgame first and ease them toward roleplaying games. If they are complete gaming newbs, then try something such as Axis & Allies or its equivalent. If they enjoy boardgames, then possibly you are blessed with a copy of Imperium or Fifth Frontier War? Jump up to one of them, including mentioning some of the history which is included with the game. Perhaps then it may be easy to mention you have a quite different version of these games allowing you to play the part of a single soldier/person within the same fictional universe.

If as you mentioned your church is a source of your gamers, I might fail to mention something like, "Traveller is a scifi version of D&D"

As an aside, trying to recruit gamers raised soley on the likes of World of Warcraft can be tough. From personal experience, try to get at these potential role-players before they touch an mmorpg. You might think these online games would be a good breeding ground for pencil and paper recruits, but from my experience it kills it for them. I tried to recruit a WoW-RPGer and she found pencil and paper gaming too slow and tedious once she was used to the computer version. She never got the concept of how much the old style can be better in many ways. When my nephews got old enough, I nabbed them up for some old style RPGing before they ever touched the likes of EverQuest or World of Warcraft. Now, one of them is a fan for life I think of oldstyle RPGing while still enjoying mmorpg's. He gets the difference having learned the non-computer version first.

 

[Khan Trav]

If you have a good character generator, sitting down and having them roll up a character is a good nab also. They make the choices then they want to play it out.

 

[kafka47]

What methods do you use for recruiting Traveller players? Is a "hard sell" involved or does the game mostly sell itself?

Since the advent of MgT, the game is largely selling itself. Before that it was a tougher sell, as existing gamers in this town, usually do not look before the shelf where all the new games are kept. So, it does not matter that GT had attractive covers or that there were things produced JB Enterprises in PDF...gamers merely look at what they can physically flip their hands through.

Before, MgT, it was a harder sell but I relied upon word of mouth and exciting visuals.

What 'standards' do you have for potential players? Which can you compromise on, and which are cast in monadium?

Having done largely the Convention circuit for the last 15yrs, I have to admit that I am a bit of a whore. I take almost everyone in. I give them a quick tour of the universe (what are the basic assumptions of the Traveller universe) and familairize them with concepts as we go along. I do insist that they do have a mocrum of SF knowledge and cater my game around that.

I'd like to get back into running a CT-based campaign. My refereeing methods seem to work, stemming for the idea that "the most fun for the most players most of the time" is a reasonable goal. I know a lot of people through church, school and work, and many of them are science-fiction and adventure fans. But any 'sales pitch' I've tried seems to fall flat.

Use a nifty graphic from a current television show that is the office cooler talk. With a bit of background of your adventure that you will running. I used Galactica as a springboard for running a series of adventures by Solomani explorers in the aftermath of the War of Solomani Liberty (Solomani Rim War) who were sent off into the Dark Nebula sector to firm up the border with the Aslan in potentially hostile space.

So tell me, what recruiting methods work for you?

If they already are familar with RPGs. Find out what they like and cater game accordingly. I use the social networking site Meetup (http://www.torontoareagamers.com/) to recruit players but unless your area already has one setup for RPGs (convert those in any D&D group) it becomes more problematic.

Other methods, if they are church, work, etc. people you know...invite them over for a movie night plus. Many who take up the invitation might be a little curious...choose the movie to "fit" your campaign idea. Even maybe do pregens from the characters from the movie to continue where the movie left off. Get the soundtrack...

Find out what bored (I mean Board) games they play. Incorporate a discussion of what RPGs are and ask if they ever wanted to play x away from the limitations of the square board.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

"... I would consider inviting them over for a boardgame first and ease them toward roleplaying games. If they are complete gaming newbs, then try something such as Axis & Allies or its equivalent. If they enjoy boardgames, then possibly you are blessed with a copy of Imperium or Fifth Frontier War? Jump up to one of them, including mentioning some of the history which is included with the game. Perhaps then it may be easy to mention you have a quite different version of these games allowing you to play the part of a single soldier/person within the same fictional universe."

I have 'Tarsus' in the original box. That might work.

"As an aside, trying to recruit gamers raised solely on the likes of World of Warcraft can be tough."

Same for trying to recruit someone solely from the "Magic: The Gathering" crowd. Such folks seem to have no concept of Role-Playing that does not involve 'winning'.

"Having done largely the Convention circuit for the last 15yrs..."

Now, THERE is an idea! Recruit players from a local gaming convention! That is, if I can pry them away from the card games, cliques, and anime costume competitions. The other reality is that by the time I hear of a gaming convention in my area, it's usually over ... and I live in Anaheim, home of Disneyland, the City Walk, and other attractions.

"Use a nifty graphic from a current television show that is the office cooler talk..."

Maybe it's time to update my 'Stargate' based sales pitch, huh?

"If as you mentioned your church is a source of your gamers, I might fail to mention something like, "'Traveller is a scifi version of D&D'"

When they bring it up (and they always do), I tell them that there are no dungeons, dragons, undead or magic in traveller, that Traveller came before D&D, and that its inventor is still alive.

All good ideas. Thanx! More?

 

[bromdenlong]

I'm pretty sure D&D preceded Traveller. I think Marc Miller mentioned it in a recent interview.

 

[bromdenlong]

One could also argue that psionics is magic, although much more limited than the magic in D&D.

 

[Sturn]

When they bring it up (and they always do), I tell them that there are no dungeons, dragons, undead or magic in traveller, that Traveller came before D&D, and that its inventor is still alive.

I'm pretty sure D&D preceded Traveller. I think Marc Miller mentioned it in a recent interview.

If you go by publication dates, D&D was 1974 while Traveller was 1977. D&D's predecessor was an expansion within the Chainmail miniatures rule book (Gygax & Perren authored my edition). I found a date of 1971 for the first edition including the fantasy expansion.

Traveller could have been earlier perhaps (I doubt it) only during its development. As in Marc Miller and friends were playing proto-Traveller before Gygax and Arneson were playing proto-D&D. I imagine this was done in a basement or garage and had to be sometime after 1964, since Doritos weren't invented until then.

 

[aramis]

Dragon #20, p.3, MWM notes that Imperium began in 1974. it also notes that Traveller starts development after Imperium.

At that point, work began on Traveller, which was about the best thing
that could have happened for the whole Imperium idea. Working out and
finalizing the Traveller role-playing concepts, as well as the background
ideas on how the universe works provided a very useful reference work to
consult when I went back to working on StarFleet.​

So Traveller didn't start until after Imperium, and imperium dates to 1974; the first printings of D&D were 1973, and the commercial release 1974.

 

[sabredog]

I try talking to people all the time about joining a game but must be doing something wrong since most of the time I either get sprayed with OC or they think I'm trying to talk them into Amway.

I gotta be more soft sell I think. Maybe wearing one of those shirts form FFE would help...

 

[BlackBat242]

Just do what I do... employ press-gangs and shanghai tunnels... with trapdoors from the bars above to the tunnels where I have my gaming rooms.


Once they are in, they are not allowed out until they demonstrate:
1. a strong knowledge of the LBB 1-8 rules
2. a compulsive desire to keep playing
3. a considerable drive to learn & play other RPGs
4. a conviction and belief that they are better off for my actions
5. a refusal to bring charges against me or testify against me if a third party does so


So simple, even a Mega-Traveller/TNE/T20 Ref might be able to do it.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

Just do what I do... employ press-gangs and shanghai tunnels... with trapdoors from the bars above to the tunnels where I have my gaming rooms.


Once they are in, they are not allowed out until they demonstrate:
1. a strong knowledge of the LBB 1-8 rules
2. a compulsive desire to keep playing
3. a considerable drive to learn & play other RPGs
4. a conviction and belief that they are better off for my actions
5. a refusal to bring charges against me or testify against me if a third party does so

...

If I'd wanted to go to such extremes, I'd've gone back to playing AD&D instead.