In the Supplement Treadmill and spawned thread "D&D specifically," I asked the Forge what gamers need:

That begs a question in my mind. What do d20 gamers need? For that matter, what do gamers need?

I mean, besides a job and a shower and a girlfriend and all that stuff real people really need. I'm not interested to hear from anyone that "no one needs any gaming material, it's a hobby, yadda yadda." Yes, I get that.

What I'm asking is what a marketer would ask himself of the market. What market need can my resources provide?

Need? Really, actually, need? Not just more stuff to buy because gamers are, almost genetically speaking, collectors too, and want more stuff to add on to the stuff they already bought bearing the brand impint already on their shelves? Cause God knows there's no *need* to buy 90% or what's published -- though the buying of it and the reading of it seems to give lots of people lots of pleasure.

Because even after we pass that hurdle (the need for pleasure of the purchase -- a core American pleasure, and, seriously, in hobby, who can say such a pleasure is not a need -- that is, we're here for the pleasure of it, right, and really, I *do* mean that sincerely), there's what different tastes of players need.

Players who want to wallow in the details of strange world obviously *need* more details. There's no way around this. It's tough, as a GM, to come up with whirling sets of creative data to confound and astonish your players. Gamers have been paying, for years, people to produce work that would actually *suprise* the people in their group about world background and whatnot. A GM is going to kind of create details along the lines of what his group would expect (they're in the same group after all), but a bought sourcebook will always offer nuggets that are simply alien (but not too alien!) in concept.

Gamers who want to manipulate rules and to win via strategy want more rules, more things to manipulate, more prizes to win. This is a need. Witness Squad Leaders endless supply of rules. Not an RPG, but the same point applies: we need more rules to master if the game's novelty is to stick. (Some games: Chess, Diplomacy, Go, even though the core rules are rock solid and infinitie in permutation, spawn variants as well for the same reason.)

And those going for more of an aethstetic experience? A) more games trying out new permutations. But I'd say, significantly, B) ideas and essays talking about the possibilities of games -- like sex manuals with new idea for sexual positions. Consider the significance of the essays in Over the Edge, Sorcerer & Sword, the RMap chapter in Sorcerer & Soul. Peole talk about the value of these essays on chat sites the way other people talk about dice pool conventions -- they MATTER to a certain group of RPG players because they open their style of play up in ways just like setting and rules open up other styles of play. I'll be going to a museum tonight because, I realized, I haven't seen a group of paintings since I opened my own show two weeks ago. I *need* to be fed ideas on how *other people do it*; what's *possible.* To steal, to borrow, to twist and change *how* information is presented, communicated, what hte *experience* can be like from a language/story/thematic perspective is what I think folks with this kind of concern need. And I mean NEED. Because art depends on constantly feeding on more art.

At the basics, I think people NEED one set of rules they love, with supplemental material as outlined above to feed the needs of their mode of play to keep things fresh. And even then, I think they need a lot less of it then they think.

Christopher

They need understanding.

And that too, yes.

Don't misunderstand me. Although understanding in the don't we feel good and the birds are singing under the rainbows sense is nice, the sense I mean is they need to understand what it is they do when they play. They need to understand it. In every sense of the word, I would imagine.

Oh. I thought you were making a joke.

But now you're not playing by the spirit of the thread at all, which is, what, if anything, can a publisher provide that a gamer needs.

Was I unclear? I tried to explain that I'm not at all interested in discussing things like "gamers don't *need* anything, it's a luxury." Further, I specifically framed the question as a matter of publishing, of fulfilling a need within a market -- however large or small. Guys, if you can package up understanding, please let me know. I want in on the IPO.

Kidding aside, I'm looking for far more practical suggestions, down and dirty ideas, stuff publisher can actually produce (and, specifically, indie publisers). I do think supplemental material can do what you're getting at -- again, Ron's Sorcerer supplements took this approach to a great degree of success, I think. They weren't more demon powers or great setting ideas. They were manuals on how to assess the activity of role-playing, and role-playing Sorcerer specifically.

Let me try to reorient the thread (and no offense intended -- I am not dismissing Christopher's and Jacks' comments, I'm just trying to make their ideas more actionable for a given publisher). Assume a few things in my question. Assume that you're in the position to advise someone on a profitable venture in the RPG publishing vein (how much profit is irrelevant, just know you must make a profit).

HOw do you do that? One way is to assess the market. (I'm eager to hear others, of course) Examine it. Research it. Since you have no research budget, go with what you already know or can easily assess from others. . . .

Ok, you've assessed the market; you know what you need to know about the people within it. They have plenty of this game over here and that supplement over there. But, look here! They have a need for Supplement X, or perhaps Game Y, or maybe even Service Z. We'll create that, and fulfill a need.

Players who want to wallow in the details of strange world obviously *need* more details. There's no way around this.

Gamers who want to manipulate rules and to win via strategy want more rules, more things to manipulate, more prizes to win. This is a need.

Hi Matt,

First, I will fail you. I can't in good faith give an concrete advice to anyone wanting to make a profit at RPGs. Seriously. I don't know. I was approaching it from the consumer end. These are things *I* need depending on the kind of game I want to play.

So, let me quickly clarify a couple of points.

1) By more details for the "world" I meant sourcebooks and such. Whether its Glorantha, Star Wars, Shadowrun, or the WoD, if we're into exploring this other or alternate world, I'm gonna need details, because my brains not big enough to figure out what Los Angeles in the WoD is like on the fly while making it compelling and unexpected in ways my group would never guess (ie I didn't write it.)

2) As far the aesthetics goes -- that bit was about all the essays I referenced and more like them. Specifically, concretely, essays like those found in the Sorcerere Books. Narrativist players want more tricks and tools to jiggle up the game, bring more relationships, themes and whatnot to bear. Ron's essays have done this explicitely. This isn't a matter of providing more "rules" (or what people think of as rules.) Nor is a matter of providing more background material. It's a matter of saying, "When interacting as a group, you might want to frame things his way -- between players, between characters" and so on.

Ron's RMap, Ron's RPG authorship essay and more are tools people are actively using right now. People need things like this: detailed explanations of tools that people can used to engage each other in play in new ways.

I know you're looking for this "Book X" and so on. But lets keep something in mind: just because *some* people need something, that doesn't make it economically viable.

The truth is, as I noted above (and I wasn't being specious at all, but let me unpack the point), is that most gamers are like little league players who have a baseball, glove, cleats, baseball hat, bat and even a uniform. And there's a park down the street. They really, really, really do have everything they need. They have rules. They have dice. They're good to go.

All the talk about "dead" games, betrayals by publishers and whatnot is usually nonsense. The games they've got are good enough, and they need to play them. Almost everything past that is just filling the need for novelty.

I stand by my statements about sourcebooks. Some people are going to need more information about Glorantha to help both themselves and their players get (somewhat) transported to another world. That's why you would invest in the core rules for Glorantha in the first place.

I'll also stand by my statement of need for essays and aestetic tools and techniques for some players. Sorcerers rules were in that first book. But when people got hold of the first two supplements, they could go, "Oh!" Not because the rules were incomplete, but because the info in the supplements opened up ways of thinking about RPGs that let the Sorcerer rules unfold fully. I consider the chapters on Authorship and RMaps to be a need for the game... I consider some of the work Chris B and others have done around here making HeroQuest all Nar a need to getting the right feel off HeroQuest.

And now... I must go paint. I wish you luck on your venture. I posted to help frame the issue from my (perhaps limited) point of view. But I really, really meant it.

Take care,

Christopher

*assuming a gaming system is established*
Find a way to ask?
Conventions are good for that- at the booth or demonstration ask around, see what players feel is missing from Game X.
Or, do as Chris did and approach it as a "fellow gamer". If you don't know the system, learn it and see what you personally feel is missing. OR, what direction could it possibly go that is so totally different odds are only one guy in his parents basement thought of it and he's just sitting on it (because statistically almost every idea is "taken" in some form or another- its the presentation or assembly that sets them apart).

*assuming its a new system*
Kinda ditto~
Find out what people like/don't like about current systems and what other things they might rather do.

Gotta do the research though, else fly by your pants with a gut idea~
Personally, I lothe supplement after supplement, especially frivelous ones (ie D&D 3.5, I could play fine with 3, why do I really need 3.5? Why not produce a GOOD, SUBSTANTIAL book?) that claim they are updating or overhauling the existing system. I like detail, I like fodder. A core plus some decent background material that I can play with makes me one happy camper: I enjoy writing and somtimes all I need is a seed of an idea (plot hook) to get me started on my own full fledged adventure. A book or card set that simply rehashes what I already know/use with some kind of flashy gimmick drives me nuts and is more likely to make me stop buying from the company- it feels like an insult to my intelligence that they think I'll pay $100 for 5 books that all say the same thing.

Hi Matt,

Looking at supplemental material in general, it seems to follow the line of the 5 elements- System, Setting, Situation, Character and Color. Most supplements tend to provide in one or more of these facets. All 5 of these are necessary for play, although there is no formula for how much of each a publisher is required to provide in order to satisfy folks.

Of course, there is also the stuff that looks higher up on the heirarchy, and starts getting into CA's and Social Contract...or helping folks understand what this roleplaying thing is all about.

What gamers NEED, is they need that magic mix of comprehending how to play + the 5 elements necessary to kickstart play. Its a matter of enough System for functional play, and enough of the other 4 to excite and get everyone hyped to play.

Chris

Hmm, this turned out more rambling than I hoped, anyway:

One thing I've noticed over the years is the need of gamers for icons and factions (both in game and out of game). Many games/supplements that do well focus on particular archetypes and how they are cool. So that gamers can show their "tribal loyalty". Or maybe it's just brand loyalty. A social statement of which niche you belong to, same as having the latest nike trainers. I think many gamers need that sense of community, and some publishers exploit it better than others.

Look at the pinbadges and other game branded tat. These addons aren't even part of the game experiences, but still sell well, so players can show their loyalty to a publisher or settign related creation. I know people who even got tatoos of Vampire clan symbols.

Actually, a sense of belonging isn't just a thing a big puiblisher can exploit. How many games have you bought from other guys at the Forge?


-Matt

I kind of think this question is too broad to admit of a straightforward answer. What kind of gamer are you, and what system are you playing? Also, what particular need do you have?

For instance, a lot of D&D3 gamemasters (and GMs for other systems involving heavy prep) need modules, because the backwork involved for statting stuff out properly is pretty onerous for the casual GM. But it's widely believed that there's no money in modules, or only very little, because only DMs and mad collectors buy them. That's part of why there's such a focus on feats and splatbooks - the player market is much bigger, so you're selling a competitive advantage to a wider group, even though they do less in terms of day to day gameplay.

I tend to buy two things most often: cool, evocative setting materials, even if I don't buy the system that the setting is written for, and innovative rules, even if I never plan on playing the game with the rule set in question. But I'm a mad tinkerer and fantasist and surely don't represent more than a tiny fraction of the gaming community.

I think what a large fraction of gamers really need is an improved play experience, but how to sell that to them?

To some extent, players need content that can make them feel superior. I'm completely serious. I see a lot of purchases made and a lot of conversations held in which that is quite obviously the primary driving factor. Sad? I dunno...I think it's nature and in any case, it is what it is.

This typically takes the form of some kind of esoterica. If you want to make it high-quality also -- so that you can genuinely improve their play experience (because I'm still not sure what need means, but I don't want to be a dick about it), then I'd suggest doing research that the average joe isn't going to take the time for (or doesn't even know how) and make it accessible.

A good suppliment for Dust Devils could be six chapters, each of which talks about a classic western film, refers back to the written source material from which the screenwriters were drawing, ties it into history as much as is possible without becoming boring and lame and then frames it as an adventure idea -- specifically painting game-important issues, like the various characters' devils. That sounds awsome to me. I'd buy it in a second. But I don't think you'd be able to pay yourself a living wage to do it. This would provide the kind of intellectual superiority that people would get off on while also enhancing the game.

I think that Sorcerer needs an extended rewrite by someone other than Ron that ties in content from the suppliments and all the threads hereabouts that are really just necessary for play -- and a big, fat index. I'm not sure that appeals to the superiority thing, but I think it would facilitate play.

I don't think that idea-packs have really ever been exploited properly. I still use the 25 year old books of site-plans from Judge's Guild. But how cool would it be to have a map (of an island or a keep or a cave or a town...) that was pretty along with a couple of drawings (or photos or renderings) of significance and just a sketch of possible use ideas? I haven't scoured the market for thirty years, but most of this kind of stuff is either just maps or whole adventures (even when low-overhead adventurelettes). I think the extra imagery that could be provided to the players would play upon the superiority factor while also giving a real play aid.

I know people buy arcane books (history, occult lore, primitive architecture, whatever) to suppliment their games. Doing research on any of these subjects and dumping it as a game suppliment that is chok-a-block with ways to apply the info to games (specific systems or not) would be satisfying these needs.

Chris

For me, I need challenge. I think that is true with most of the other gamers I game with. All of them hardcore, lifelong gamers each with over 15 years of gaming. Whatever the product is that is produced, we what to be challenged. We have all had the 20+ level bad ass gods. We are done with that, now we want to be challenged, we want to play things, people, events that intrigue us, cause us to think and act like we have never done so.

Sure we like comfortable too, but what keeps me playing is the thought that this is something I have never done before. Lets try it. And I do not mean its the same package in a different wrapper.

I think when selling to younger players (either in age or experience), they see the game as something to succeed at. Something that needs winning. When you sell to older gamers, they see the game as something to experience. Now if you can find the product strategy that works for both, then I think you might have the billion dollar answer.




With regards to D20: After a while the game has been done. How long does it take to have played each of the core classes (a couple of months). And then lets face it, after that much of whats out there is just min/maxing. Whats the challenge of that.

This is one of the reasons I do not think the D20 idea will dominate forever. One system to rule them all seems like a good idea, learn one set of rules, and play in any environment. Its been done before (Gurps, Palladium, TSR [they had several different setting in which to play in from fantasy to Sci-Fi all using the same rules], etc.). But I for one play different games for two reasons, one is the setting, the other the rules. Deadlands with their original card playing system was unique novel and made it feel as if you were part of the setting.

I realise that each system has its place, each is to compliment to game it is used in. Take Buffy for instance, Buffy is designed to play like the TV show. D20 would actually take away from that light hearted but exciting experience. Whereas the Unisystem (?) plays well with the atmosphere that is created. That is what a system is supposed to do.

Sean wrote:
For instance, a lot of D&D3 gamemasters (and GMs for other systems involving heavy prep) need modules, because the backwork involved for statting stuff out properly is pretty onerous for the casual GM. But it's widely believed that there's no money in modules, or only very little, because only DMs and mad collectors buy them. That's part of why there's such a focus on feats and splatbooks - the player market is much bigger, so you're selling a competitive advantage to a wider group, even though they do less in terms of day to day gameplay.

I tend to buy two things most often: cool, evocative setting materials, even if I don't buy the system that the setting is written for, and innovative rules, even if I never plan on playing the game with the rule set in question. But I'm a mad tinkerer and fantasist and surely don't represent more than a tiny fraction of the gaming community.

The older I get, the less time I have to game, so what I really need is brief and pithy applications of a given system to a genre or historical setting.

An example of a book that fit the bill was the BESM supplement "Hot Rods & Gun Bunnies". I wanted to run a game within that genre, and although the rules support lots of tinkering to create cars and guns of all kinds of varieties, I didn't have the time to spare to do it justice. HR&GB provided me with a list of applications of the rules to simulate the important genre elements, and suggestions for running car chases, gun fights, etc.

Currently I would like to run a one-shot of TROS set in Japan during the warring clans era (a knock-off of Kurasawa's Seven Samurai). I would pay $$ for a short pdf that had statistics for weapons, firearms, armor and other rules applications and changes to support the historical era.

What I don't need are supplements that are mostly general information (ie a synopsis of the period, a survey of the genre), or settings that are more than 10-20% flavor. I read fantasy, science-fiction and history, so I can do the research myself. Give me a supplement on running a samurai game, but let me look up details on the difference between a katana and a wazakashi (sp?).

No need to get hung up on "Need," Christopher. It's really quite simple:

Think demand, as in supply and demand, with one qualifier. The qualifier is -- what demand can publishers supply that also promotes actual play?

That's it. It's really a question that says, "What do gamers want, what will they clamor for . . . and then actually friggin' use?" It's not something they will wear, collect, tinker with, or read on the crapper, but rather something they'll actually buy and use in their actual play.

And to clarify, I'm not asking for my sake. Sure, if I see something I can supply, I'll go for it. I ask it for the sake of publishers, and indie publishers especially, in general. We're woefully ill-equipped at marketing actual product, as this thread reminds me. (Unfortunately, I think the non-indie publishers are, too.)

What kind of supplements are most poplular now?

Gamers also need games that are written with their favorite movie, TV, or book license. Of course, a system that supports play that is like that source is needed. I think that none of the three incarnations of Star Wars, to pick a visible example, really achieved that, though West End's first edition was probably the best.

Chris

One thing I always wanted when I first started gaming was a step-by-step process on how to run a game in a certain style with examples. It is real easy to tell me that I need to create terror with the players when I run Ravenloft but it doesn't really give me a guide. A sort of manual on how to run different genres (space opera, gothic horror, etc) with blow by blow examples I think would be immensely valuable to GMs of all skill levels. Conversly a similar work on playing in those genres (as players) would also be something useful.

Keith

James Kittock did an online survey in 2001 which had 524 respondents, and published results entitled "d20 System Product Interest Market Research Report". Unfortunately, it is no longer available publically by his choice. He quoted the following:

The first rating question asked of the respondents was:

“Overall, how interested are you, yourself, in purchasing the following categories of d20 System accessories for use with the Dungeons & Dragons game?”

The results are summarized in the following table (the category descriptions are shown exactly as the appeared on the survey).

Sourcebooks, including monsters, magic items, character classes, etc -- 79%
Campaign setting materials, including gazetteers, maps, etc. -- 49%
Adventure scenarios, including self-contained modules, campaigns, etc. -- 46%

And if they can be induced to become a DM/GM, expenditures skyrocket.
Will DM/GM: $2,048
Will not DM/GM: $401

madelf wrote: Almost all discussion of trageted marketing for maximum sales that I've come across recommends creating material for players, as GMs are a much smaller cross-section of the total market. But it looks like, even so, selling to the GMs may be where the money's at.

Hi folks,

It's also very important to be aware that the polls conducted regarding D&D and D20 games may not fully cross over into other games. As I was saying previously, different games are going to produce different requirements as far as the 5 elements go.

If you look at games such as D20, White Wolf, or Palladium, their games are built on the "Magic the Gathering" sort of set up; in order to get new rules(classes, feats, etc.), you need to buy more product. Part of these games too, is based on the idea of a setting canon, sometmes with metaplot, sometimes not, so naturally that's also wrapped up in the sorts of supplements people will ask for.

On the other hand, we have games such as Story Engine, BESM, Inspectres, Heroquest, or Dust Devils, either they give you a nice neat and complete system in and of itself, or a set of tools which you can build anything into your system without much work. These games are going ot have entirely different sorts of supplement needs, which are mostly in Setting, Situation, Character, and Color.

Finally, since most game texts have left out major parts about actual gameplay, social contract, etc, we have supplements spring up such as Robin's Laws etc.

The demands of a particular game, are going to differ based on the focus of play and the design. In some cases supplements are already considered part of the initial design(such as splatbooks, metaplot modules, or setting books for GURPS, etc.). In other cases they may be deisgned to fill in holes in designs(such as many of the gamemastering books out there).

When you look at it this way, you can see that there is no single answer. It's rather like asking what kind of software you should install on your computer, to which the answer is, it depends on your needs.

Chris

Loki wrote: The older I get, the less time I have to game, so what I really need is brief and pithy applications of a given system to a genre or historical setting.

semprebon wrote:

Loki wrote: The older I get, the less time I have to game, so what I really need is brief and pithy applications of a given system to a genre or historical setting.

In this vien, I think the idea of "Plot Point" books that Pinnacle is putting out for their Savage Worlds game are very good. For those unfamiiar with the idea, they give you everything you would need to run a multi-session campiagn in a particular setting in a single book. The book is well organized, with a players section (which you can buy separately), background material, a whole slew of adventures and events(some just a few lines of suggestion, others a bit more indepth). Most of the stuff is organized by location, so you only have to read up on where the players are or will be soon.

Unfortunately, they have only produced one setting of this type so far (50 Fathoms).

Loki wrote: The older I get, the less time I have to game, so what I really need is brief and pithy applications of a given system to a genre or historical setting.

[ ... ]

What I don't need are supplements that are mostly general information (ie a synopsis of the period, a survey of the genre), or settings that are more than 10-20% flavor. I read fantasy, science-fiction and history, so I can do the research myself. Give me a supplement on running a samurai game, but let me look up details on the difference between a katana and a wazakashi (sp?).

Robin's Laws wrote:
The more the players know and feel about their imaginary world, the better. Do this even when a setting tells you not to. It's easier to get people to distinguish between player knowledge and character knowledge than it is to get them emotionally invested in an imaginary world.

Two. Evernight and 50 Fathoms.

semprebon wrote:

Two. Evernight and 50 Fathoms.

Actually, I intentionally left out Evernight, as it is not a "Plot Point" book, but a scripted campign (I think that's what they called it) the idea of which frankly didn't appeal to me at all. Basically, it seemed to me to be a long railroad ride - perhaps with some nice scenery, but with very liitle input from the payers as to the direction things go. I didn't like some of their short PDF adventures for the same reason.

One of the original points (Mike's I think) that I found important was that there are a glut of d20 releases that do the things that most DMs are already good at, precisely for the reason that these products are written by DMs who are trying to make some money using the things they know how to do!


To be successful, a supplement has to do something that a DM can't easily do by themselves. Fortunately, no one can create rich and surprising detail in every possible area, so to be sure you hook them, cover as many of those areas in Product X:

- historical / ecological / cultural / other real-world-inspired detail for DMs who aren't good at doing research and extracting its juicy bits
- character traits, motivations, and shticks for DMs who aren't good at improvisational acting and melodrama on the fly
- illustrations, maps, and other visual aids and handouts for DMs who can't draw (aka think visually & give players concrete vivid descriptions) to save their lives
- custom freeware utilities for DMs who don't know how to find the wealth of stuff on the Web and lack the skill to reprogram it for their own needs. (See http://www.behemoth3.com/vorpal/ for my own projects in this area).

Having supplemental material that's useful for players as well as DMs (or that helps break down the distinctions between collaborators in the roleplaying experience) is certainly a plus. Even more important is marketing, advertising, and cover copy that *tells players why* this book is also for them, regardless of the extent to which this is actually true.

DMs also need clear, simple, & direct marketing hooks that they can use to get players interested in the supplement: here's why using this book is going to make this game more fun for everyone.

Valamir wrote: I actually like Evernight for how upfront it is about being a linear scripted campaign. Even the GM advice to use various "illusionist" tactics to hide the tracks from the players are so obvious as to really be asking for participationism than illusionism.

Three cheers for transparency and collaboration! Designers should treat players like DMs, recognizing that they too help create the imagined world, as well as treating DMs as co-designers.

Implicit in my last post was that a successful supplement should actually have co-designers. The goal is to offer more than any one person can do themselves; it's hard to do this all by yourself. One of the many strengths of d20 is that, as an open gaming system, the body of previous work can serve as a co-designer; to a certain extent, one can get around some of one's limitations as an individual by rounding out the product with open content from creators who are good at different things.

Edit: sorry, this probably made no sense without this little quote here.

I think modules would sell a lot better if they were collections of potential. A little piece of a setting with maps, plans, etc, and some npcs who have certain goals, tied in with some discussion of what the goals and intended activities of the npcs are and some broad ideas, or hooks, that could get the players involved. Make the whole thing open-ended enough that anything can happen. As an example, rather than explaining that in X-situation the npc does Y, rather describe the npc's personality, goals, and motivations in enough detail that the GM will understand what the npc will do in any situation (without trying to shoehorn the adventure into a restricted set of pre-defined situations).

Bob Goat wrote: One thing I always wanted when I first started gaming was a step-by-step process on how to run a game in a certain style with examples. It is real easy to tell me that I need to create terror with the players when I run Ravenloft but it doesn't really give me a guide. A sort of manual on how to run different genres (space opera, gothic horror, etc) with blow by blow examples I think would be immensely valuable to GMs of all skill levels. Conversly a similar work on playing in those genres (as players) would also be something useful.

Keith

greedo1379 wrote: This would be awesome. I have never GMed a "horror" type setting specifically because I have absolutely no idea how to generate that response. A book like this would be super.

What do garmers need?

GMs:
They need to learn:
1. How to Tell a Story.
2. How to Design Adventures.
3. How to Run a Game.
4. How to Construct a list of Scenes for a story.
5. How to Guide the players through the story without making them feel they are being forced (how to pull players along as opposed to how to push them!).

They need source materials:
1. Maps of buildings, towns, wilderness locations, ruins, etc.
2. Detailed settings full of ideas for adventures.
3. Detailed locations that can be used in adventures.
4. Modules that are very detailed, but easy to use.
No narrative material! Players go to sleep when they are read to!
5. Ideas for villains and plots.


Players:
1. A good GM!!!


Please produce products that GMs can use!

Actually, I guess I'm the odd man out here...

I really like setting materials. I couldn't care about mechanics. I can think of any number of items I've bought over the years for games whose core books I never even bothered to buy.

Honestly, I could be very tempted to buy a game item that include no particular mechanical rules at all, just background and ideas by the author about situations and characters within a setting. Suggestions on the feel of the gameworld and styles of play would be great as well.

I find it interesting that posters here regularly seem to feel ( to me-strictly personal opinion) that the "color/setting/situation" part of a game is unsellable in and of itself. I've found a number of websites (PumpkinTown comes to mind, as do some of J.Sorenson's settings) that have color/situation materials available for free, that frankly, I would have paid for if available at a reasonable price.

Just a thought,
Robert

Edited to add:
I would have probably payed for an expanded version of WyldKarde's "outtaTowners", too ( check over in Indie-Rpgs forum).

This thread's a few days old and drifting like crazy, but I thought I'd respond to Matt's original question...

Gamers need books that tell them how to play, instead of simply assuming that everyone instictively knows or can make something up based on some kind of mythic, unconscious shared player experience. None of this wishy-washy "do whatever you feel like" silliness. If the authors want us to just make stuff up, why buy the book? I can make stuff up off the top of my head, and it'll probably be better than what's in the book (at least because I'm already involved with my own creation).

I'm not talking about general guidelines either, I'm talking about something closer to what Paul Czege does in My Life With Master: when X happens, do Y; when Z happens, do A. In less heavily structured games, this could be something like explaining how scene framing works, or explaining how to structure scenes so they deliver the kind of impact and punch that each one requires. It involves telling people what kind of characterization is appropriate and giving them suggestions and models to work with. It involves giving lots of examples, modeling the kind of play you want to occur.

Basically, gamers NEED books that stop assuming, books that lay all the useful tools out in front for people to choose from, books that build new sets of gaming techniques for people to use, mixing what they already know with new things that are probably unfamiliar, all in the service to creating a consistent and rewarding gaming experience.

when X happens, do Y; when Z happens do A