[Epic] REAL Fiction

From: Miller, Chris <CMiller_at_...>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 10:44:07 -0500

        In the late 20th century...

        A miniatures company was born. They made great miniatures at a
reasonable price. They saw a void in the market for rules for using
miniatures,and so they created a set of rules which struck an unheard-of
balance between realism and fun. The artwork and atmosphere were
excellent and unique. It became very popular, and drove record-setting
sales of their miniatures.
        The company decided to create a magazine about their game, as by now
they had variations covering several time periods and all were popular.
This magazine was filled with useful game information,
error-corrections, and ideas for variations. It was also filled with
ideas about miniatures in general - scenery, painting, conversion, etc.
        Seeing how other companies succeeded, they decided to adapt some of
those ideas as well, such as keeping the rules and the miniatures
seperate for those who wanted them, coming up with reasonably priced
"starter sets" of miniatures with enough to build small but useful
forces, and avoiding new "editions" which voided most of what had gone
before.
        As the game matured (as every product does), they expanded the line
slowly, each time with a thouroughly playtested game or expansion which
was supported right along with the originals. New forces and units for
the original game were developed, playtested, and issued to keep
interest fresh. Army lists were issued pre-punched for 3-ring binders,so
as to make the future expansion of existing lists easier.
        Tournaments were held yearly, all over the nation, with local and
regional winners seeing some publicity. Players were encouraged to join
them, whatever the condition or age of their mini's. Painting workshops
were held to promote better looking armies for the tournaments.
        Some retailers were given a special status, but to achieve this, there
were some requirements: At least one person in the store was expected to
know details about the different games and miniatures. Workshops and
demos were held on a regular basis. Nationwide events were held and
publicized thru the internet, with thousands of small battles being
woven into epic universe & storyline-altering events.
        A general attitude could be found that, although there were other games
out there, this company had the best. They did not ignore other games
and miniatures, but acknowledged their existence and then proceeded to
promote why they were better. At times, they even offered advice on how
to use those other companies mini's with their rules. A major goal was
to keep customers for the long term.
        With this company's customer-friendly attitude, excellent miniatures,
excellent rules, great artwork and background material, and attention to
detail they proceeded to make a decent amount of money for a long time.
Eventually they branched out into other areas such as computer games and
movies, becoming a general "Entertainment" company.


                The End

(This is not my first work of fiction, only my most recent)

Chris Miller
Received on Wed Jul 16 1997 - 15:44:07 UTC