[UA] Introducing New Players (The Future of UA)

[Trent Redfield]

Hello all.  I've been following all the talk on the list about the best way 
to introduce new players and the best possibilities for creating (and 
selling) new material for UA and I had to get involved.

First of all -- I think there is plenty of great material for Unknown Armies 
available.  This doesn't mean I don't want to see more.  I was definitely 
disappointed to hear that To Go was the last UA book from Atlas Games 
because of struggling sales figures.  I have used material from every UA 
book that has come out (except Break Today and To Go and only because my 
last regular UA campaign ended before I got them.  When I run UA again -- 
I'll be using them).  I can not say that about any other RPG I have ever 
bought, played, or run.  I have all kinds of d20 material on my shelf that 
is going to waste.  Unknown Armies has been unique because the material that 
was released for it is top-notch.  Knowing all of this, I can't blame Atlas 
Games for their decision.  UA doesn't sell as well as any of the other games 
they are supporting.

How then can we raise awareness of UA and also let Atlas Games know that we 
are doing that?  Run and play UA!  That is absolutely the best way to 
increase awareness of the game.  It sounds overly simple, but its true.  
Everyone that I know who plays UA was introduced to the game by me.  I 
regularly run UA Demos, I've ran two UA campaigns, and now I'm playing in a 
regular UA campaign.

The great thing about running demos is that it also raises the awareness of 
the store owners and workers through their exposure.  Under the Special Ops 
program that Atlas Games has set up for running demos.  And everytime you do 
an offical Spec Ops demo you are reporting back to the game publisher that 
this many more people were exposed to UA and that the game is still alive.  
I ran two demos in Ashland, Wisconsin in February and am running two in 
Duluth, Minnesota in March.  This is the best way to expose new players to 
the game.

Writing up and presenting new material for sale is not likely to draw in any 
more people than the books that are already published.  This new material 
such as the Best of UA that is being talked about is a great idea for 
presenting written material in a useable form, but if someone has not heard 
of the game already they are not likely to buy or download any of this.  
We're not likely to expose anyone new to UA this way.  I'd be happy to 
either contribute or download or purchase the material for my use though, so 
feel free to go ahead.

Another good way to expose new players is to send in material to Pyramid 
magazine.  Pyramid has run several good UA articles in the past and I am 
sure they would be happy to publish more UA material.  They also have a 
regular feature in Ken Hite's Suppressed Transmission articles, which means 
that Pyramid readers are up for the kind of strangeness that UA is all 
about.

To expand the number of players for UA we need to expose new players to the 
game and the best way to do that is to keep UA a visible and viable presence 
in the RPG community.

- Trent Redfield

_________________________________________________________________
One-click access to Hotmail from any Web page – download MSN Toolbar now! 
http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/