Here we go with another attempt to pick your brains. We've got a very obvious ulterior motive; if we can find out exactly what you want, and then do it, we'll sell a lot more games . . .
Please return this questionnaire, or a photocopy, to Steve Jackson Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760, as soon as convenient.
Our most important GURPS supplement is the "worldbook," describing a specific sort of game-world or setting. Which of the elements below do you think is important in a worldbook? Rate on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is necessary and 5 is trivial (or objectionable).
____ New skills appropriate to the game-world
____ New advantages and disadvantages appropriate to the game-world
____ New weapons and gadgets
____ Complete (short) gamemastered group adventure
____ Complete (short) solo adventure
____ Brief adventure ideas or outlines
____ Genre-specific rules sections (e.g., autoduelling in Autoduel)
____ Histories, timelines, etc.
____ General background and "local color"
____ Detailed NPCs with full character sheets
____ Detailed NPCs (text description only)
____ Lots of short text descriptions of NPCs
____ Detailed table of contents in front of book
____ Detailed index at back of book
____ Short index at back of book
____ Illustrations
____ Color maps
____ Large-scale maps
____ Battle maps
____ Notes and suggestions for GMs
____ Repetition of already-published material appropriate to this book.
____ List of credits and playtesters
How do you feel about repetition of rules and systems between books? For instance, Autoduel contains rules for automatic pistols; some of these will probably be repeated in Illuminati, and they would all have to be repeated in detail in High-Tech. The advantage is that you don't have to buy all the books if you don't want to. The disadvantage is that, if you do buy all the books, you have repetition. Then again, some people find this convenient! Tell us what you want – please check only one:
____ Don't repeat anything – cross-reference between books, instead.
____ Repeat only if absolutely necessary, and there better not be much.
____ Go ahead and repeat rules where it seems worthwhile to make each book
complete in itself.
____ Repeat all you want; it helps me find things.
We like to do big books, because we're buggy on completeness. But both the Fantasy and Autoduel worldbooks had to be trimmed down somewhat from their original manuscripts, to fit a $9.95 price point. And we could have written a lot more! Assuming that we always pack as much as we can into a given page count, what is the most you would think a reasonable price for a worldbook? Please check only one.
____ Under $9.95 – I couldn't afford the ones you already published.
____ $9.95 is right – no more. (This basically gets you 80 to 96 pages.)
____ $11.95 (this probably gets you around 112 pages, maybe 120)
____ $14.95 (maybe as much as 160 pages)
____ Over $14.95 (who knows what we could do?)
Some publishers put "worldbook" type products, or large adventures, into a box with extra goodies. Needless to say, this raises the price. Assuming that nothing is actual junk, which of the following would you like enough to pay extra for in a boxed set? Check as many as you like.
____ Separate gamemastered adventure(s)
____ Separate solo adventure(s)
____ Cute clues and "artifacts" for an adventure
____ Color world maps
____ Battle maps
____ Cardboard Heroes miniature figures
____ Extra character sheets (NPCs, PCs, or both)
____ Separate book of GM hints and information
____ Separate book of charts, tables, equipment, etc.
____ None of the above! Stick with booklets.
What would you like to see in the way of fantasy adventures and supplements for GURPS? List these on the 1-5 scale as above, with 1 being high and 5 being low.
____ Material set in the world of Yrth, described in the Fantasy book
____ Material set in other fantasy worlds – whatever the authors invent
____ Licensed material from classic fantasy fiction
____ Generic fantasy material that could be set in any of the above?
____ Mythology (e.g., Greek / Roman heroes and gods; American Indian; etc.)
____ Other: ____________
Which would you rather see, of the following choices? Please check one:
____ All GURPS fantasy material set in the same world/background
____ Most fantasy material set in one world/background, with occasional interesting digressions
____ A wide variety of material in different backgrounds
How do you get your friends to learn GURPS? Check all that seem appropriate . . .
____ Nag them until they play
____ Bribe them
____ I have so much fun they beg to play
____ Blackmail
____ I'm such a great GM they beg to play
____ I give them the game as a present
____ They play what I tell them to
Why do you fill out snoopy questionnaires? Check as many as you like.
____ I don't.
____ I do, but I lie a lot.
____ Mommy told me to be polite.
____ I like getting newsletters.
____ I like having input on the things you publish.
____ The Illuminati told me to.
How many game conventions (approximately) do you attend each year? ____
Where did you first hear about GURPS? Check one.
____ Space Gamer
____ Roleplayer
____ From a friend
____ Saw it at a store
____ The SJ Games catalog
____ A magazine ad
____ At a convention
Why did you buy GURPS? Check more than one, if necessary.
____ I didn't; I'm playing with somebody else's copy.
____ I played it with a friend and liked it.
____ I believed your advertising.
____ I saw it demonstrated at a convention.
____ I liked Man to Man and wanted the whole system.
____ I spent $40 on copying fees rather than buy a set.
____ I buy anything you publish.
____ I buy anything that anybody publishes.
____ Idle whim.
____ I got it as a gift.
____ My memory of that day is a blank.
____ You're not cleared for that.
____ I was dissatisfied with the other RPGs on the market.
____ Other: ____________
____ Other other: ____________
Please rate each of the following products on the good old 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is Nirvana and 5 is the pits. We're looking for feedback on our performance, not on the underlying concepts, so please rate only the ones you have actually read and/or played.
____ GURPS Basic Set
____ Man to Man
____ Orcslayer
____ GURPS Fantasy
____ GURPS Autoduel
____ Roleplayer
(Back to Roleplayer #4 Table of Contents)
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