Duelmasters Past and Present

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 12:30 pm

I've been playing since August 1996 and the games been dying since then too if I remember correctly Very Happy

. I can't think of any other game that I've been in contact with as long as DM (internet-based games included) that gives me the enjoyment of DM. LOVE IT!

I do wish RSI would advertise more, but thats just me. An extra .50 at tourney wouldn't kill anyone to go towards advertising in Dragon, Dungeon, and some military magazines for the boys oversees and stationed around the states.

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:12 pm

How much does it costs to advertise in Dragon? Maybe we can take up a collection and advertise the game ourselves.

Master Poster Joined: Apr 13, 2003 Posts: 209

i think advertising dragon starts at like 750 or so. Dungeon runs like 250. or at least this was what they charged 10 years ago...

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 8:03 pm

Hefty price, but I've always heard that you have to spend money to make money. A small price to pay for a lot of new players, which is quite possible with some well placed ads.

They should use the Presidential Campaign method. When we have a tourney, they should have a box that says, would you like to donate $3.00 towards our ad campaign?

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 9:11 pm

That's a great idea Darque, I'd check that box. Then again, I'd also be willing to contribute to an ad to be run in Dragon or some such, if we have an ad wizard someplace that can generate suitable pimping for our pasttime.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 12:45 am

It's been so long, I started either at the end of 85 or beginning of 86. Played until a final deployment in the navy at the end of 89 - beginning of 90 put everything into storage and I moved within weeks of returning and all the RSI stuff was thrown out or lost. Had other things going on then, but by the time I started looking for something on Duelmasters to restart (didn't even know if it was still around) I didn't find it again until last year, in fact, what I found was this site. Now, I knew where the company was and what it was called and was on the internet and I still ended up rechecking every six months or so until I found it. How crazy is that? How many businesses do you suppose are that anonymous?

Now, there are plenty of other problems, in MY opinion, like not starting newbies in one of six or eight full arenas so they can see what basic is like when it's active and fun first thing, and at this late date the game would greatly benefit if some old hands agreed to mentor newbies for 3 months when they started. They needn't try to teach them everything, just basics so they can begin play with some competitiveness, give them this and the RT address at least. These few things along with some reasonable advertizing would net them plenty of people willing to play one or two arenas at the present prices, and god help us, a handful more megas.

Here's a question back, how many people play these on-line games? How many do you suppose it will take before they make it a subscription basis? Or will any of them still be around in four or five years?

Unchartered Poster Joined: Jul 02, 2002 Posts: 10

OK, I play Bloodpit. It has been online for 2+ years. It has been free that whole time. It is run by an individual, not a company. We players take up a yearly collection and send it to the one person running the game. In my opinion, and keep in mind I played DM from lik '84 - '94, it is a better game than DM. Duelmasters is way too limited. Races don't mean anything other than cosmetic fight reporting. Also, in Duelmasters, you have a recipe for success. Follow the recipe and you can be a god. In bloodpit there is no secret formula, no hidden "magic" numbers. It levels the playing field perfectly. Oh and did I mention it is FREE!

I'm not saying that DM doesn't have it's good points. If it didn't I wouldn't have played it for 10+ years. I still go back and look at the 175+ warriors I had when I quit. Some of them are actually pretty damn good. But for anyone to tell me it is not limited, is only fooling themselves

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 7:45 am

They advertise the best way possible. -- Demo tournaments. They go to 1-3 in California, ususally Hexacon in Arizona (though not this year Sad

), GenCon and Origins. Thats 4-6 times a year we can try to play DM for free and newbies can get addicted to the game!

TigToad

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:26 am

Comparing an online game to DM is like apples and oranges. Some of us like PBM, not the various other versions.

DM is limited..to a couple of MILLION possible combinations when you combine stats, styles, favorite weapons, rhythms, learns, luck, etc, etc.

The only activity racial bonus/negatives would generate would be something new for people to figure out in regards to the game.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:38 am

In regards to Tig's comments, I don't know if I would call Demo tourneys the best advertisement possible, but they are good. The problem with a Demo tourney is it only reaches a select group, groups that can attend them. I'm guessing that hundreds of possible DM players can't make it to any of the large "cons" that are held through out the year.

Magazines and written publication is still the best way to go. You reach a larger, more diverse audience.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:50 am

I agree with Darque on most points – but I believe that a combination of advertising in COLLEGE newspapers and military post/base newspapers would have the highest ROI (return on investment). Due to an inherent ‘cheapness’ in individuals, I don’t think the voluntary donation method would work. A .50-cent surcharge per turn would suffice nicely.

I could find out the rates for my post newspaper – I seriously doubt it’s all that high.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:23 am

I remember back in the day when Duelmasters was in Dragon. I remember talking to some managers at the Atlanta FTF(year?) and they had learned of Duelmaster through Demos. Alot of people I know that play start by a friend telling them. Word of mouth is probably the most cost effective. I'm not really in favor of increasing turns fees but would do donations from time to time. Hell, I just paid down my negative balance only to enter the Mail-In.

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:33 am

Raise the price of duelmasters without adding any value to the product? In other words you think RSI can go to the players and say, "hey, we would like you to pay for some more advertising for us." Good luck. RSI gets all the free advertising they need from websites like this. Remember this is a fansite, it doesn't cost RSI a cent. Better advertising on the internet you cannot buy.

Advertising in a magazine format today because it was successful almost 20 years ago would be a mistake and a waste of resources. If RSI wants new blood they have to look at what today's young, new blood wants and tailor their product to them. PBM survives today because of the loyalty of their original customer base. I think RSI has figured out the niche segment who is willing to pay for this type of product and that's why they go to CONs to recruit them. Good luck trying to attract military types away from their first person shooters, real-time strats, and consoles with a snail mail product.

Gergin "marketing is my mantra" Frothingslosh
Cool

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:40 am

I first got into DM after seeing an ad for Hyborian war on the back cover of a "Conan, The Savage Sword" comic and it said try our new game "Duelmasters." Man that was a long time ago. Does anyone know if RSI put flyers of their games in the turn results? I got into RTG's "Supernova, ROTE" on impulse from a flyer they sent in my "Dungeon" turn. It was a cheap and simple way to spread the word.

Unchartered Poster Joined: Mar 26, 2003 Posts: 23

Hmmm, I can't remember the exact year. I wanna say around 84/85. My sophomore year of HS anyway (ok, now that should age me) when I started. How did I find it? An ad in DRAGON MAGAZINE. Isn't that interesting. Now, someone said RSI never raised prices, that is false. When I first started playing a full team cost $9.25 a turn (approx). They raised it to it's current rate shortly after I started but it has remained the same since that time.

Considering how I found the game I would agree that advertising in magazines like Dragon is a great idea.