When Will Castle Marrach Move to Pay For Play?

[Sariel]

Quick answer: April 1, 2001

http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

More details about this in a later post.

Sariel
Customer Experience Host

[Catharsis]

Oooo!

Looking forward to all the details.

(my pocket book likes this!)

[Atama]

Ok... so it won't be in January... I got a million questions but I will wait for your next post Sariel. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Retribution]

We know you folks need money at Skotos, and I was wondering if you might get banner ads or something that we people who want, could help support some of your effort by clicking on them...

Retribution

[Darren Brimhall]

What will be the monthly charge for the players? Or will it be yearly?

Darren Brimhall

[Dagaron]

The pay-for-play is a great idea for getting rid of disruptive people, but I think some banners or something that would help cut down on the monthly/yearly charge would be very helpful for us no-money college types.

[Atama]

Just be patient Darren. They will post more info later. I would save your questions until then. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[JeffCrook]

April Fool's Day, eh? How appropriate.

This is good though. I should have my first stage ready by then.

[Angron]

I agree with Dagaron.

[Artegal]

Dear Skotos gentles,

Though I'm pleased beyond hope that the beta period is going to run through the end of March, how are you guys going to start making revenue? Is there anything that the players can do to help? I think I speak for many when I say how enthusiastic we are to be playing and would do anything we could to help promote the concept you have here!

I've never been a huge fan of banner ads, but maybe something to help you sell your t-shirts and stickers...? I, for one, would love to buy an ermine pin, a la the Winter Watch. The products could provide a revenue stream for you while you ramp up to the pay for play.

[Atama]

Ooh! I want an ermine pin too! Man, I would pay alot for one! That would rule!!! http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Retribution]

Isn't it a Weasel? http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

[LadySilverwolf]

I believe Retribution is correct... http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Artegal]

Actually, according to http://www.dictionary.com... (http://www.dictionary.com) in addition to the perjorative "weasel" that Retribution and some others are so fond of calling the Watch, it also means:

2. The fur of the ermine, as prepared for ornamenting garments of royalty, etc., by having the tips of the tails, which are black, arranged at regular intervals throughout the white.

3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain. --Chatham.

4. (Her.) One of the furs. See Fur (Her.)

Note: Ermine is represented by an argent field, tufted with black. Ermines is the reverse of ermine, being black, spotted or timbered with argent. Erminois is the same as ermine, except that or is substituted for argent.

I think that the iconography of the ermine on an argent background would make a very kewl pin and is how I imagine that they look.

Okay, sorry for the off-topic aside, but I just wanted to mention that the Watch symbolism is much cooler than "weasels." http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Retribution]

There still weasels http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Artegal]

I agree that pins for more than one guild are in order. I only mentioned the wea--er, the Watch as an example.

An item with wider appeal for the castle populace could be t-shirts that say something like "I spent the night in the dungeon of Castle Marrach--and all I got was this lousy t-shirt." Hey, there's one that Retri's sure to want to buy. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Whyndam]

I'd buy an ermine pin, but your right, there would only be orders for like six of them at the most. It's a good idea though. I think Skotos does have a t-shirt they sell. It's not specifically about Castle Marrach, but it's pretty cool.
---
Whyndam

[ChrisW]

Hmm...all this talk of pins makes me wonder whether people might be interested in Castle Marrach-themed Button Men. (Not familiar with Button Men? It's a nifty little dice game from Cheapass Games; check out www.beatpeopleup.com (http://www.beatpeopleup.com) for info.) Skotos has the artwork already (and lovely artwork it is, too!); picking up a license from Cheapass is definitely doable.

Players: if you might be interested, speak out; obviously there'd have to be enough interest to warrant getting the license (and the button-making gear).

Skotos folks: if you might be interested, I can hook you up with the folks at Cheapass, and mebbe even design the buttons for you.

This has the advantages of being (in all likelihood) easier/cheaper to produce than the proposed guild pins (especially if you're wanting to use real ermine! http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif ), and of tying into an existing, successful game product (i.e., there're a lot of buttonheads out there who'd likely snap these up, over and above any of our own Marrachinos (heh--been waiting for a while to use that one) who'd like them).

[Monkey]

Taxinomically, ermines are part of the weasel family, but that doesn't mean we have to like it http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif

I think the pins of other groups would be nice too (Duelist pins, Rememberer pins, Poet rosettes, Seeker green leaves and silver leaves, etc.). But it seems like a large investment for Skotos for a small return (I can think of only a handful of players who'd buy an ermine pin).

[Lucas]

"Marrachinos"? Oog, that's awful. I applaud you.

I'd buy an ermine pin too, and the button men is a good idea though personally I have too many games that were bought just for the theme, that I never play. But that's just me. I'd also buy a t-shirt, so long as it had something besides just the generic castle logo on it.

And what's wrong with weasels? I like them - they're cute.

[cedric]

Okay ChrisW, you've been working on getting me hooked on button men for months now. But this might actually do it. I'd definitely go out and buy every Marrachino buttonman that became available. There are some obvious matchings, too. (For those that don't know, Buttonmen are sold in pairs.) One that quickly comes to mind is Roland/Eduardo.

[Seidl]

Originally posted by cedric:
There are some obvious matchings, too. (For those that don't know, Buttonmen are sold in pairs.) One that quickly comes to mind is Roland/Eduardo.

Roland/Edouard
Martel/Philo http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif
Allenya/Carey
Petris/Mark

Just some ideas.

-=- Matt aka. Martel

[KathyN]

The Ermine pin is a great idea, could also have rosettes for the Poets, etc. I love Cheapass games! Buttonman buttons would be great! For pairs I suggest Victor\Martel, Retribution\Sara, Philo\Chav Haemos\Katherine and of course the Court.
Just when I thought it was safe to put the dice away...
Kathy

[ChrisW]

Re: the Button Men thing and character pairings--I was thinking strictly of the main castle NPC's for whom Skotos has some lovely artwork already done, commissioned from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law (and apologies if I've misspelled that name; it's hard to make out on my CM mousepad http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif ).

Getting artwork for other characters would be problematic.

Especially if those characters are PCs (but see the whole thread on copyright issues).

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, just that it might not be worth the expense to do it--especially if the whole point to doing CM Button Men is to generate some revenue for Skotos.

So to reiterate, what I originally envisioned was a set of CM Button Men featuring Queen Vivienne, Sir Boreas, Dr. Getheaht, Master Orson, Lady Serista, and Sir Launfal (i.e., the folks w/ portraits hanging up in the Outer Bailey's gallery).

[Atama]

Chris, I want a Castle Marrach mousepad! Mine sucks. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/frown.gif

[Lucas]

Oooo, Mousepad! That would be really cool - the one I have at work is just blue with a big "Dell" on it - in other words, it came with the computer. Count me in for that idea too.

[Artegal]

Mousepad! Y'know for most companies I'd say it's a lame idea, but the Marrach pad could be useful if it had a nice graphic and included a list of verbs. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[ChrisW]

Well, the CM mousepad that I have has the picture of the castle that's, IIRC, on the cover of the hardcopy of the Player's Handbook. I got it at the Skotos party in Berkeley last October. If they have any left, mayhap they'll add 'em to the t-shirts and stickers swag currently available from Wizard's Attic.

HINT HINT.

http://www.skotos.net/ubb/wink.gif