Musings

Since I retired on the 3rd of January of this year, I have had a lot of time to think about the hobby of miniature wargaming and also the writing of rule sets.

As you know I just released INEPTT II (International Extraterrestrial Paranormal Tactical Teams Second Edition) and also wrote Great War Spearhead II and working with Robert Dunlop we have completed 4 scenario books (Marching to War, Miracle on the Marne, Summer Harvest, All Fine Men so far for GWSH II and have a lot more waiting to come out.

With INEPTT II it occurred to me how difficult it is for a set of rules to break into the market, especially when you play in an area that is relatively low in numbers for miniature gaming and an even lower degree of miniatures available outside the GW/Mantic ranges.

INEPTT is a game designed around the concept of collaborative play and is a very low level RP, heavy skirmish game where High Tech Elite agents (INEPTT) fight against Alien Species, Paranormal Creatures, Evil humans and even Zombies. The game, by all accounts of feedback is both fun and exciting. Has a wide range of options to suit just about every taste and can be played just as well on a 2 x 2 table or an 18 x 4 if you have the stuff to put it together.

But its getting word out that makes it so difficult. Being a one man show and this not being a complete business per se, I don't have the ability to make it to trade shows like Adepticon or similar. Nor can I reach a wider audience like one would find in the bigger shows in Jolly Old England. Couple that with the fact that I have NO artistic ability to make my own figures and it leave one in a position of working an up hill battle against odds that are frankly daunting.

Now lets be honest here, I did not write the rules to make a million dollars or even go on vacation, the money aspect is really not why I do it. But its about exposure to a rules set that is fun, captivating and generates a lot of FUN at the table itself. Makes me wonder how many other rules sets fall under the same issue.

I played many of the big name games for years and frankly they all become rather generic and in my opinion (sorry to those that like them) simple money generators. How many iterations have they gone through to make sure they get the next round of miniature designs on the table. To be honest many of the rules systems actually suffer, in my opinion, because more effort is made to sell the minis that to produce good and workable rules.

There are Pulp rules out there as well that have captured a huge portion of the target audience because of the simplicity and quick nature of the games they produce. I like a couple of these set, but for me after a game or two it all just felt the same.

So I go back to thinking, how does one break into the market in a major way? Advertising, exposure, glossy photos? Is it simply a matter of you HAVE to put up money to advertise and get exposure to break into the market? If that is the case then what does one look for on a return of investment? I know I am musing over things that a business manager can tell me, but I am not a business manager so I am musing :) LOL

I would like to be able to get INEPTT into a larger audience for exposure because I truly believe there is great playability, repeat playability, expansion, imagination and fun to be had with the rules.
I went to Vancouver a few years back to Trumpeters convention and won best game on the first day, that I think was good exposure but still limited.

I guess I have to come up with a plan for broader exposure of INEPTT II.