Hello everyone,

The title of the topic makes it self-explanatory, however let me expand a bit.

I am an ardent fan of the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, it is actually the only one I GM. The setting is great, the art is beautiful and the mechanics are to my liking. It is nowhere near perfect but it is good enough to have attracted a large and loud fanbase over the years. The people playing the game are very active and wish to be involved in the creation process, as the sheer amount of posts on this forum shows. Then, let use it to make the very best edition there is and will be!

Crowdfunding has provided for sellers a new possibility to develop items of all sorts and to buyers a way inside the making of those items. It has given creators an insurance and the assurance that their creation will go through until the end, and sometimes even further thanks to special rewards, which is exactly what is attractive in crowdfunding.

I am reminded of an active crowdfunding project for the tabletop RPG called Écryme. This kickstarter has proven quite successful but especially it gives participants nice gifts. Each step brings more pages to the books, more scenarios, more coloured art and even more money to the authors, which is a win-win for everyone. The authors feel their worrk is appreciated and get paid accordingly and fans get a load of shiny exclusive toys. On that point specifically, there are some rewards that can never gained again and are loved by the fans, such as having your face on an NPC, even a second-rate one, engraved wooden boxes, paraphernalia tied to the seeting to liven up the sessions, and more.

Now, onto the question:

Would you be interested in a Legend of the Five Rings tabletop RPG crowdfunding project?

Side question:

What would you like to see as step rewards?

If this warrants enough answers I will edit this post to show the numbers.

Have a good day (or night).

FFG would shut you down so hard if you even tried it.

Honestly, Kickstarter projects are starting to get out of hands... The original idea of Kickstarter was great, helping startup to be able to get funds for their project. But now, when I see well established companies using Kickstarters, I find that unacceptable and a cheap way to get more moneys.

I don't understand why people are jumping into Kickstarter projects when it's from very well established companies.

I don't think FFG is a startup company. So my answer is No.

FFG would shut you down so hard if you even tried it.

Where in my post did you see that I want to run a crowdfunding project for L5R? Please do tell because I really can not see.

The only purpose of the topic is to see if it would be interesting for FFG to start a crowdfunding project for the L5R RPG. FFG has bought the whole line for Legend of the Five Rings but has been ever so quiet about the RPG. If on this forum it shows that a lot of people are ready to support a crowdfunding project it would give an incentive to FFG to start it.

I will edit my first post and add the previous paragraph to avoid any further comment on me starting my own L5R Kickstarter...

Honestly, Kickstarter projects are starting to get out of hands... The original idea of Kickstarter was great, helping startup to be able to get funds for their project. But now, when I see well established companies using Kickstarters, I find that unacceptable and a cheap way to get more moneys.

I don't understand why people are jumping into Kickstarter projects when it's from very well established companies.

I don't think FFG is a startup company. So my answer is No.

That is definitely true, however even big companies can have an interest in a crowdfunding project, and it can even be beneficial to everyone. I believe it depends on the approach of the rewards the company has. Many "big companies" Kickstarter are only created to cushion their financial costs and lower to the extreme their losses without any real gain for the supporters. However, some have shown a return on interest, if you may call it that, by giving awesome free rewards for each step reached. If the idea behind the project is to make the best edition possible for the lowest cost, and with as much goodies as possible, I honestly think it is worth backing up.

Well, kickstarter would be sort of.... a "who would be willing to preorder this book at least a full year in advance of it actually being printed with the understanding that if there is a lack of interest, it won't be made"

From that perspective, I don't see it at all being a bad way for relatively small companies (and, let's face it, all tabletop and card game companies are to be considered relatively small at this point) to go. It can help the company insure that there isn't very much sunk cost into a project that might not be successful, and it allows those who are backing it to feel as though they are part of something.

Of course, it also helps if the rewards for the kickstarter are such that people feel their money was relatively well spent even if it doesn't pan out.

Rewards?

Well, there is the easy stuff. Buying the final product at a well reduced discount of what its final shelf price would be, beta test pdfs versions of some of the materials that would be included in the book, putting the names of people in the book's thank you section....

Other things that wouldn't be difficult-- full sized prints of artwork of one's favorite clan signed by the artist, special counters or branded goods only available by backing the kickstarter of your favorite clan...

And then there are the kind of rewards that would actually get people excited-- creating an NPC or example character that would be included in the book, having one of the artwork pieces based on one's likeness, etc.

Of course, one can put parts of the setting that aren't really core off to the side as stretch goals to be included in the book if certain targets are reached...

Ninja

Monks

Spider Clan

Imperials
Minor Clans
Shadowlands Monsters
Spirits

Creatures (Nezumi, Naga, Mermaids, etc.)
Two starting adventures

If the targets aren't reached, those things might have to be set aside as part of expansion books.

If the idea behind the project is to make the best edition possible for the lowest cost, and with as much goodies as possible, I honestly think it is worth backing up.

You back it by buying it, preferably in gaming stores.

Kickstarter can be shown as a measuring stick of interest. As such, if a Kickstarter were put together for the RPG, I would definitely hop on board.

I would probably back an L5R crowdfunding by FFG if they were just trying to raise money for printing and I got a book by backing. Though maybe not (I'll get to that later).

As others have said, RPG publishers can use crowdfunding to:

a) gauge interest, so they don't make a product that no one buys

b) raise funds they don't have on hand for new, big projects

c) make those projects better with extra money.

Printing is expensive. Not selling printed stuff is more expensive. I learned on a recently that it's more economical for to dispose of books that aren't selling than it is to store them, even if that means paying for another expensive reprinting if the demand rises. But that's second (or perhaps third) hand, so take it with a grain of salt. With crowdfunding, authors of games and game companies that we like take on less risk if they want to do something new.

Customers take on a little more risk, since a backed project might not come through, but the rewards can be greater from stretch goals. If you back established companies with good track records, you can minimize your risk.

Many RPGs have already been published this way--Numenara, some OSR stuff, lots of Savage Worlds supplements, and (correct me if I'm wrong) some new white wolf/onyx path stuff(?) to name a few.

Authors/publishers win because they get extra money and take on less risk. Customers win because of stretch goals. The middle men--our beloved FLGSs--don't share in the winning:

If the idea behind the project is to make the best edition possible for the lowest cost, and with as much goodies as possible, I honestly think it is worth backing up.

You back it by buying it, preferably in gaming stores.

@Kakita Shiro, do you work at/manage/own/etc. an FLGS? Or do you have some other relevant experience to RPG economics? Have you noticed a negative impact from crowdfunded RPGs? My expectation would be that crowdfunding eventually benefits FLGSs, too; think Numenara: crowdfunded into creation, now sold and supported in your FLGS. But that's just an anecdote. If you've got experience that says otherwise, though...

What gives me pause is crowdfunding a core book for an established brand. To me, crowdfunding makes more sense for startup games or risky supplements for established systems. But a core book? Maybe that should be left to the FLGS.

Personally, I buy enough other products from my FLGS (namely the Netrunner LCG and food) that I don't have any qualms about buying the occasional RPG book online.