[UA] Spreading UA to the Masses

[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

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