#36: The Best Demo I Ever Got

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/counter/counter36.phtml

Summary:

On the importance of demos and WizKid's new Battlestar Galactica CCG.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/counter/counter36.phtml) for more information.

[smascrns]

I was reading the column and all the time thinking, "when is Markus going to explain what makes for a good demo?" You craftly avoided replying the question by redirecting the reader to Wizkids. (To be honest, your column looks like a trick to promote Wizkids games. I know you would not do this but it gives that impression.)

Now, you don't want to say what makes for a good demo but you also write: "I have learned a LOT of games by being demo'd them. Most, I never played again. Maybe the games were good - I wouldn't know, the demo was so boring I never wanted to play again. I could name 10 games I got horrendous demo's of which were so bad, I never even stocked the games in my store."

Then the question, what makes for an awful demo?

There's another point, the Wizkids link is about demoing ccgs. My interest is rpgs, so it seems to me that the Wizkids 'rules' don't apply it perfectly (say, rule 'competition' does not fit the rpg mold).

Then, some questions about rpg demo-ing: Rule 'Respect' states 5 to 10 minutes for a demo. This seems too short for a rpg demo. What do you think would be right in this case?

Should rpg demos include character creation or work with pre-gens?

What should be the balance between demo-ing setting and demo-ing rules?

How many people to demo to? Small or large groups?

Thanks for the answers.