Charging for rulebooks

I have only recently attended my fourth Alliance event so I am still a newbie and I, too, thought it was strange that I had to pay for the electronic version of the rulebook. Granted six smackaroos wasn't really a problem for me but I can understand why people wouldn't want to drop that money right out of the gate for what they worry might essentially become worthless after a quick skim and not finding it to their liking.

I work as a software engineer in the mobile application development field and I see people not wanting to drop two or three dollars for applications that offer great functionality, entertainment or productivity improvements on the smartphone that they carry with them everywhere and use every single day. That's why the free-to-try applications and free-to-play games have become so popular; people get to try them out before they throw down any money on them at all.

If hosting really is a problem, I have a personal web server with plenty of bandwidth available and I would be willing to host it for free.
 
It sounds like a lot of people want the opportunity to look at the rulebook to see if the system is the "right" system for them, before they commit to spending money on it, even $6. It sounds like if players have committed to actually being players, they have little issue with spending the $6 for a digital rulebook or $20 for the print version (which, I feel the pricing is certainly reasonable for what one gets).

So, the primary issue is allowing potential players the opportunity to view the rules, without them first having to commit money. If they are shopping through a half-dozen LARPs, and we are the only one charging for the rulebook, we may well be overlooked due to the barrier (which may seem small to us, but for someone who doesn't know about us as an organization, has never attended an event, and doesn't know anyone who plays, it may well be the little push to make them consider another game).

If there is an issue with the publisher about giving out free PDF copies, perhaps we could try something like this as a free-trial: http://www.ehow.com/how_6027249_create-pdfs-expire-cannot-printed.html.

That's a super-basic article on how to make PDFs that will expire after a set period of time, and that cannot be printed. This would allow potential players to view the rulebook to a time period of your choosing (say, 1 month?) to allow them to decide if they want to play our game, and then if they do, to make a character. I imagine that if that new player attended a game and decided that they wanted to play, they would then find the investment of $6/$20 well worth it.

However, I think that expecting people to spend $6 to see *if* they want to play Alliance might be preventing us from growing our player base.

I would very much like to second what Durnic said about the trial-version of cell phone apps. I know that before I buy a paid version, I usually check out the free trial version. If I like the trial, then I buy. If there's no trial for a $6 app, I'm likely going to keep looking for alternatives. If there is an option to have a "trial" rulebook, that might be beneficial :)
 
Yep. I mean, a lot of the local games have dead-tree format rulebooks. They're handy.

But they don't charge to download the PDF version. That just feels counterproductive, because that's how most of them introduce new players to their game. I mean, is it really a significant revenue stream for Alliance vs. actually having people play?

Now, once they GET there, people buying the rulebooks? Absolutely. Happens frequently, and at that point, aces. People like having reference books they can put on a table and read, and locally, you often see people doing a run at a print shop for just that kinda purpose for their games in small (300-500) doses.
 
Kasuni said:
If there is an issue with the publisher about giving out free PDF copies, perhaps we could try something like this as a free-trial: http://www.ehow.com/how_6027249_create-pdfs-expire-cannot-printed.html.

That's a super-basic article on how to make PDFs that will expire after a set period of time, and that cannot be printed. This would allow potential players to view the rulebook to a time period of your choosing (say, 1 month?) to allow them to decide if they want to play our game, and then if they do, to make a character. I imagine that if that new player attended a game and decided that they wanted to play, they would then find the investment of $6/$20 well worth it.

...

If there is an option to have a "trial" rulebook, that might be beneficial :)
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Oh, man! If this became an option just think how professional we would look handing out PDF rulebooks like this on USB drives at conventions! And depending on the USB drive we could include contact information, links, and maybe even a video!
 
I honestly don't see the problem here. It is very rare that someone will simply "discover" Alliance on their own, without some sort of background in the hobby. Almost every person I know who has joined Alliance either was introduced by a friend or learned about the game at a convention (or a Ren Faire in my case). If you are being introduced by a friend, you can borrow the friend's rulebook. If you discover Alliance at a convention, there should be multiple copies of the book at the booth and you can skim them. Most people should be able to learn enough in a few minutes (especially if the booth involves demonstrations) to decide whether they are willing to commit $6 to learning a little more. Heck, I bought the paperback copy before my first game (PDFs didn't exist back then).

So, the only people this really affects are the few people who either independently discover the game or people who are looking for a new LARP for some reason. I can see how the $6/$20 entry fee may turn off some of that crowd, but I suspect the former wouldn't necessarily realize it isn't the norm for the industry and the latter probably will NPC their first game, learn the differences from their old system on the fly, and decide at the end of the weekend if they are willing to invest further.

In short, I just don't see a problem that needs to be solved. If anything, our approach might need work. When I am dealing with potential new players, I happily lend them my book (while I am around if they are a stranger, for a week or so if they are friends), rather than suggest they should buy their own book before playing. If the community generally acted in that way, I think there isn't really an issue.

-MS
 
I guess I'm one of the rare ones then. I had known about LARPing for years but after watching Darkon I thought, "oh hey, that actually looks really neat! I wonder what's in the Oregon area" and I found Alliance. I have since brought five of my friends into the game and I'm working on others. The ones who are fresh out of college or still in college are a little taken aback by the fact that actual money has to be expended to even view the rules and I don't blame them.

Just because most of our players might come from other players getting them into the game does not mean that we shouldn't do whatever we can to make it easier for the players who stumble upon Alliance to get involved. I honestly believe that giving the eBook away is a great place to start.
 
Through Seattle's Facebook group, we've actually had a number of people express interest in coming (and some have already come to a game) without knowing anyone who currently plays or having been to a convention :) So it might not be all chapters, but at least a couple of them have people who just come across the game. And some of those people are people like Rick, who then know another 5+ friends who might be interested. So at least in the NW, we have a number of people who just come across our chapters :)

In addition, I've worked 2 conventions in the last year, and we have gotten a huge amount of interest, and we have rulebooks available. But, a lot of the people at these conventions have wanted to practice with boffers, ask questions that couldn't be answered by a book, and just meet some people from their potential new LARP. Some people have purchased physical rulebooks, but a number of them have asked where they could access it online. We tell them, of course, but at that point the $6 seems like a bit much to continue to stimulate their interest (especially when there is a convention immediately after an event, and they would have to wait 2 months to come to their first game).

I've only helped (or seen) 2 people use the rule books at the table to create their characters over the course of those 2 conventions, and those were both convention security staff with time to kill. Just my two cents when recruiting people from conventions, most of those people do not want to set aside the time to sit and make a character & read the rulebook in a super crowded room.

As for loaning out personal rulebooks, some of these potential new players are pretty darn far from a lot of the current ones, and would have to do one of those drive-an-hour-to-meet-up-with-a-stranger things. That's it's own sort of barrier (likely, a greater barrier than $6.) A number of our current players are always welcoming and will offer assistance, but I think having actual access to the rulebook while making their initial play-decision is essential.

If the ebook provides a significant revenue stream or there's a deal with the publisher to not distribute it for free, there are a number of ways to give temporary access that is convenient (and technologically advanced! :) ). Having access to the rules, at least in the beginning, for free will almost certainly mean new players.
 
Kasuni said:
Through Seattle's Facebook group, we've actually had a number of people express interest in coming (and some have already come to a game) without knowing anyone who currently plays or having been to a convention :) So it might not be all chapters, but at least a couple of them have people who just come across the game. And some of those people are people like Rick, who then know another 5+ friends who might be interested. So at least in the NW, we have a number of people who just come across our chapters :)

In addition, I've worked 2 conventions in the last year, and we have gotten a huge amount of interest, and we have rulebooks available. But, a lot of the people at these conventions have wanted to practice with boffers, ask questions that couldn't be answered by a book, and just meet some people from their potential new LARP. Some people have purchased physical rulebooks, but a number of them have asked where they could access it online. We tell them, of course, but at that point the $6 seems like a bit much to continue to stimulate their interest (especially when there is a convention immediately after an event, and they would have to wait 2 months to come to their first game).

I've only helped (or seen) 2 people use the rule books at the table to create their characters over the course of those 2 conventions, and those were both convention security staff with time to kill. Just my two cents when recruiting people from conventions, most of those people do not want to set aside the time to sit and make a character & read the rulebook in a super crowded room.

As for loaning out personal rulebooks, some of these potential new players are pretty darn far from a lot of the current ones, and would have to do one of those drive-an-hour-to-meet-up-with-a-stranger things. That's it's own sort of barrier (likely, a greater barrier than $6.) A number of our current players are always welcoming and will offer assistance, but I think having actual access to the rulebook while making their initial play-decision is essential.

If the ebook provides a significant revenue stream or there's a deal with the publisher to not distribute it for free, there are a number of ways to give temporary access that is convenient (and technologically advanced! :) ). Having access to the rules, at least in the beginning, for free will almost certainly mean new players.
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SoMN, and now Chicago has experienced the same thing with multiple people coming across the game individually, and THEN inviting friends. But if you miss that one dude that has all those friends because of a $6 fee, that most other LARPs don't charge,then that large group of folks is less likely to show up.

My question is, so we pay this money for the books, does it go into some national account that spends money on things that the game can benefit as a whole? What happens to it? I understand a percent turning into pure profit for the creators, but at the national level this is run as some form of business, so I would assume it should be putting some percentage back into the running of the game somehow?
 
mikestrauss said:
I honestly don't see the problem here. It is very rare that someone will simply "discover" Alliance on their own, without some sort of background in the hobby. Almost every person I know who has joined Alliance either was introduced by a friend or learned about the game at a convention (or a Ren Faire in my case). If you are being introduced by a friend, you can borrow the friend's rulebook. If you discover Alliance at a convention, there should be multiple copies of the book at the booth and you can skim them.
-MS
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I'm going to politely disagree with this like others have. I have multiple friends whom I've been chatting with about LARPs from time to time and many say "We'd love to try one out." First, I don't have multiple copies of the rulebook to hand out to friends (I currently have a literal half dozen waiting to try out a LARP). And often it is happening at some other function where I"m not carrying a rulebook with me.

As for the convention aspect. Can you really get a grasp for the game in a few flips between con events? Most people will want to sit down for a bit to look at it and go over it. A PDF gives them the ability to do so on their own timetable without standing there, reading through the hundreds of pages to see if it has those key ingredients they're looking for. And, as many have said before, the rules aren't the important part but if I HAVE to have them to make a character, they become one. And if I have to pay for it before even playing, that's another matter.
 
I had never really LARPed before Alliance Seattle. I didn't know a single person before going. I was a hardcore tabletop fan who needed an active hobby to lose weight. Alliance Seattle was the first game I cam across. The $6 pdf was a put-off but I paid. Had I known no other games in the area charged for rule books, I can sincerely say Alliance would have lost me and the dozen or so people I have brought into the game.

Recently we have had an influx of players from other games but they usually have to learn through word of mouth or borrowed copies, since it is just not part of the culture up here to charge for books. The NW has a lot of options for LARPing, high fantasy included. Anything we can do to grow our player base can only make this hobby better, at least in my opinion.
 
Not to do a bit of thread necromancy, but IMHO having a time limit doc might be fun for those of us that are interested, Got reintroduced to you folks at crypticon. As it is the wife and I are looking to come out and play with(especially given that we live within 10 miles of deception pass elc). However given the bitter taste in both her and my mouth from your predecessors (nero) and the site fee along with with the lack of intro rules to sit and argue back and forth (as all good geek couples do over newish rules) it is a bit of a uphill battle for me. The good news is you all came across less whiny and more ROLE play than the other group represented (rhymes with amptard). A possible alternative is to offer the cost of the rule book out of the site fee
 
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