game design dillema

[tldenmark]

I'm working on an RPG of Zombie Horror Survival in a Futuristic setting.

The dillema I'm having is this...what system to use?

I can look at it a few ways.

1. Marketing.  Use d20 and guarantee enough sales to make at least a little money.

2. Cool & hip.  Talk to Eden Studios and see if I can license All Flesh Must Be Eaten.  Smaller market, but maybe large enough to at least regain cost.

3. Original.  I have my own game system which is quite unique, but then I'd have to use space on system and have less room for setting.  This seems to have the least potential to recover costs, since new system = 0 fan base.

I'm curious what your thoughts and feelings on this are.

[Epoch]

Well, it all depends.

Are you in this to make money?  If so, D20 is probably your only hope.

Are you in this to recoup printing costs, but not worry about your time or making a big profit?  AFMBE and D20 would both probably work.  Your own system might make that much, but don't count on it.

Are you in this so that you will have your own product on the market and be a real, honest-to-god game designer, known (if only minimally) amongst the gaming public?  Then you might want to go with your own system.

That's my take on it, at least.  Of course, I've never done any of the three, so take that with a bag of salt.

[Mytholder]

I'd go for the Eden route. Anybody interested in zombie-specific stuff is probably already a frothing fan of AFMBE. If Eden don't do licencing...take option 3, but keep your system as close to the Unisystem as possible without getting into trouble. Basically, write it for AFMBE either way.

However, zombies bore the hell out of me, so I'm not exactly your target market.

[Jack Spencer Jr]

OK, I'm going to ask you the hardest question.

Why?  Why are you making this game?  What's so special about it that it must be made?

If you look at this hard enough you should find your answer for you.

Personally, I wouldn't use d20 for anything commercial but that's me.

Take that for what it's worth.

[unodiablo]

I'd have to agree with pblock... If you want to be the guy with the first zombie d20 product out there, go that way. But without a unique take on it, it's really just another setting for AFMBE or d20.

Check out my 'lil Zombie Movie game "Dead Meat" in the game library here (read Ron's review as well!). It takes the opposite approach of AFMBE.

i.e. you're food. :smile:

Sean

[jdrakeh]

I'd look into other free-press stuff. I know that Richard Nakamura's "Megabuster!" action-movie RPG has a fun little zombie supplement available for it, and as Sean mentioned, there's "Dead Meat" which is also a good game.

I'll see if I can dig up the URL for "Megabuster!" for you.

James Hargrove

[jdrakeh]

Here's the URL for "Megabuster!". It has fairly straight-forward mechanics, and is rules-light, both of which would leave you freed up to focus on setting as opposed to system (and it has a small but loyal fanbase).

<http://mbsite.cjb.net>

James Hargrove

[jdrakeh]

Oops! Let's try that again.... *Here* is the URL:

http://mbsite.cjb.net

James Hargrove
[/quote]

[tldenmark]

On 2001-08-02 10:45, jdrakeh wrote:
Oops! Let's try that again.... *Here* is the URL:

http://mbsite.cjb.net

James Hargrove

Thanks.  

I've decided to go with the system I developed (and John Wick put a touch on for me...thanks for the "wounds" paragraph John).

The game has been published at:
http://www.workshopcrew.com/dungeoneer/games/games.html

It is called "Betelgeuse IV".

Feel free to check it out and give any feedback you might have.