News:

Forum changes: Editing of posts has been turned off until further notice.

Main Menu

World Books vs. A full RPG for a first project?

Started by GozerTC, April 28, 2009, 01:15:03 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

GozerTC

Greetings friends, this is my first post here and as always I did a search to see if this has been asked before.  Of course my search criteria could just be poor but I didn't notice a similar question so here goes:

"Is it better/easier to get started in writing a game by doing a world book or suppliment first?" 

I ask because I've got a very nice world I've been working on for a while but I'm not sure I want to tie it to a system.  Especially since my personal role playing history comes from games like GURPS and BESM where I used any world I could get my hands on with the mechanics in hand.  So I was thinking that making a world book like GURPS China, IOU, Greece, etc. would be a good way to get into this business.  Is this wrong or short sighted?  I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. 

Thanks in advance!

Luke

This post should probably be in Publishing, but moderators fear to tread in First Thoughts!

What does this mean "get into this business"? Do you want to be a writer on staff at Steve Jackson Games? Do you want to freelance for WW, GR, Mongoose, etc.? Do you want to write and self-publish your own material?

Option a) You should apply for a position with Steve Jackson Games or Palladium or whatever. Do not write your own material. Write on assignment.

Option b) Send writing samples around to these companies. Do some work for them. It's no unheard of that they accept pitches from freelancers to write books.

Option c) If YOU'RE using extant game systems to play in YOUR world, what makes you think we're not doing the same? Why would we want to play in your world? Worlds are a dime a dozen.

Best way to write a game is to write a game. There is no easier.

-Luke