Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2 • IDEA: New instant FF mini-adventures

Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2 • IDEA: New instant FF mini-adventures

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So here's a crazy idea that would draw new players into Fighting Fantasy and also provide value to existing fans:

Short single-shot adventures with the basic FF game system built in. Release a series of them as cheap PDFs.

The selling point is that it's an instant alternative to your usual RPG. (*cough* D&D *cough*)

Essentially, the pitch goes like this:

Need a new pick-up game for tonight? Check out this awesome fantasy adventure. It's only a few bucks.

Oh, and by the way, it also comes complete with characters, combat system, monster encounters and score sheet. You can download it right now and start playing in five minutes.

From a marketing perspective, I’d put the emphasis on the adventure itself: brilliant cover art, grabby title, interesting story hook.

The game system becomes almost a free bonus. What you're really selling is the invitation to go on an exciting adventure.

Look closely at the original books –- it didn't matter whether you knew how to play FF or not. It wasn't complicated, so there was no intimidation factor, no learning curve. You just picked it up and started playing.

People are brand loyal. It's a proven fact. (As a marketing copywriter, this is something I deal with daily.) So, de-emphasize the brand. Don't imply: “Hey, you need to switch from your existing game to Fighting Fantasy!” Instead, imply: “No matter what you play – even if you don't usually play RPGs – you can play this too. It's quick, fun, and a real bargain.” Lower the barrier to entry into FF.

I'm looking at Legend of Zagor right now and thinking how it could be an amazing multi-player adventure. Simple characters, simple game system. Do a one-night version of that.

So my idea is basically this:

Offer people a quick, interesting dungeon or wilderness adventure using the basic FF rules. SKILL, STAMINA, LUCK. Nothing fancy.

Maybe include a MAGIC score for wizards and/or priests. But no magic points. Just handle spells the way they did in Citadel of Chaos and other FF books: choose a handful of spells, and you can cast each spell once.

Existing Advanced Fighting Fantasy players could, of course, skip the basic rules and use these adventures in their AFF campaigns.

But even someone who's never even heard of FF could start playing in five minutes.

It's not a "quick start" pack. It's not a sample of a bigger game that you need to buy. It's self-contained. All you need (say it with me, now) is two dice and a pencil.

My idea is that each adventure would stand alone ... or you could string them together in any order to create a campaign. And that, my friends, is how you get people hooked on a good game.

Statistics: Posted by Laurence — Fri Oct 14, 2016 4:44 pm

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October 14, 2016 at 12:53PM