Recruiting New Players from Tabletop RPGs

[Barsook]

It seems that we get most of our new players from other text-based RPGs that range from MU*'s to forum based ones. Which seems to be a very, very niche versus the growth that some tabpletop RPGs are facing. D&D is the biggest example.

I'm wondering how would recruitment be done for these such players. Aside from mechanics, one RPs with their voice rather than text- and that's where the problem that can I see arise.

The good points that I can see are, at least for RPI's such as Arm, the focus on collaborative storytelling along with worldbuilding.

Would it be even possible to recruit these kinds of players into our niche of text-based games?

[Lizzie]

The main emphasis is on reading and writing. That's actually the appeal to those gamers. It's not a negative. It's a positive. Especially now that some parts of the USA and even parts of the rest of the world are still being super-cautious about the virus and social distancing.

You appeal to the geek's greatest pleasure: reading a good fantasy. And expand it by adding they will be contributing to the story, and helping to create and resolve the plotlines spontaneously, via the singular mode of communication that forces the mind to do its own visuals: text.

[Shaydee]

That's how I got into it! I got into D&D first, (Pathfinder is the best edition fight me) Then was introduced to Armageddon, granted it did take me two years to finally start playing after I made my first character. But now, I love it.

But I think that's a great audience to target. They could be like me, where it takes them some time, but eventually they get into it or they could dive right in ready to go! I mean to be honest, I still mess up my emotes a lot, and I often annoy myself when I do it too. It's definitely a learning curve to go from verbal-collaborative story telling to text-based, but it is super do-able.

As far as ways to spread the word of Armageddon to them, these are two options that immediately come to mind:

Word of mouth to anyone you may play with, or that you know plays  - if you have a local game store that might be an awesome place to start, maybe print out the main page of the Armageddon website and ask the store if you can leave a few copies there with a brief explanation?

Social Media, if you have any accounts where you know or follow people who have expressed love or interest in table top RPGs or something similar?

[Is Friday]

I'm DMing 4 games right now. I'll drop an advertisement at the end of the campaigns. Probably 1 will show up.