Quote from: jeff37923;808809If this had been in the initial post, I might not have been so rude.

Fixed!

1) 1st Edition AD&D/OSRIC or Sword & Wizardry. Labyrinth Lord AEC is also okay.

2) As long as it's readable on a tablet. A4 or A5 works.

3) 1-3 sessions

4) 6-8

5) Depends on if it's physical or PDF. PDF, I like them at the end. Physical, covers.

6) Non-linear, site based. Doesn't screw over the players (so basically not LoftP).

7) Nope. I might as well make up my own adventure then.

I'm not buying an 8 page print module. In PDF, I would spend $2 or so

9) $10, $4 for PDF

10) $15, $6 for PDF

11) Advanced Adventures #26 - The Witch Mounds by Keith Sloan. Not the best looking module, true, but manages to fit a 4 sessions dungeon in 12 pages (and with several new monsters).

Quote from: jeff37923;808809If this had been in the initial post, I might not have been so rude.

If you say so.

1) Preferred Game System
5e (Failing that. BX or AD&D)

2) Preferred Module Size:
A4/letter sized if I am reading that right.

3) Preferred Module Length (in time to play... longer = bigger = more $):
4+ Sessions. Longer is better usually.

4) Encounters per Session:
That varies alot. Current group I DM for has been talking and bluffing their way massively through encounters rather than fight.

5) Main Map Location:
Inside of loose cover (like old D&D Modules) or centerspread in middle of book. These are the easiest to get at and read. Other options are in segments by chapter and location.

6) Adventure Requirements:
A cohesive story arch that allows for some leeway in how you get from A to B. Or a cohesive location arch that has good reason why all this stuff is here for the PCs to blunder into at random.

7) Generic Monster Stats:
Refer to the MM is fine. But having at least a AC/HP/damage line is usefull for at a glance.

Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5-$10 for a mere 8 pages.

9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$10-$15

10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$15-$20

11) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark (big publishers, indie module or homepress, doesn't matter) what would it be and why?
Keep on the Borderlands: This was a really well set up starter module and it had lots of DM advice in it that was usefull to a starting DM. It was essentially an extention of the B part of the BX rules.
Runner up would be the Darkness Gathering module trilogy. This was an epic adventure that spanned quite a bit of area across the three modules. Good story arch that allowd a fair amount of leeway in how you got from A to Z.

Quote from: jeff37923;808794It looks like spam from a marketing researcher. Especially with the wall of images at the bottom.

Dude this is Jez he's cool. He did the graphic design on Red & Pleasant Land and the art in the new Death Frost Doom.

More importantly: He played manrider.

So....don't go off half-cocked.

Quote from: Zak S;808850Dude this is Jez he's cool. He did the graphic design on Red & Pleasant Land and the art in the new Death Frost Doom.

More importantly: He played manrider.

So....don't go off half-cocked.

Goddamn, I wish people would mention important shit like this in the OP.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786Adventure Module Survey Time!

1) Preferred Game System
System Agnostic / d20 Compatible: D&D (please list which flavor: OD&D, AD&D, 3.X/PF, 5E, etc.) / DCC / LotFP / LL/BX, etc.) / Other System

Labyrinth Lord/BX

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;8087862) Preferred Module Size:
A5/half-letter sized, A4/letter sized, something else (lemme know).

A4/Letter Sized

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[3) Preferred Module Length (in time to play... longer = bigger = more $):
1 Session/2 Session/3 Session/ 4+ Sessions.

1 to 2 sessions for the adventure itself.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[4) Encounters per Session:
How many do you think you get through on average?

Depends on both the difficulty of the monsters and the skill level of the Players. It can be as few as 2 or as many as 20, although not all encounters should be combat - there has to be some role-playing and puzzles in there.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[5) Main Map Location:
Inside of loose cover (like old D&D Modules) / centerspread in middle of book / on page opposite map entries / somewhere else (lemme know).

Either inside of loose cover or in the middle so that they may be removed. Something you might want to try is have an associated website with maps available as PDF downloads for ease of customer printing.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[6) Adventure Requirements:
What must the adventure have for you to consider purchasing it?

Utility beyond the adventure itself. The module should take a page from Paizo's old Gamemastery series of modules in that they have sidebars detailing new spells, magic items, NPCs, and monsters for Players and GMs to use. It also helps if there is a base camp described in the module, a town or tavern or keep, that can be used beyond the module.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[7) Generic Monster Stats:
Are you a) happy if an adventure refers you to a page ref in the Monster Manual for typical monsters or b) do you have to have all the stats in the module?

All the stats should be in the back in an appendix for GMs without the monster rulebook to refer to. Page numbers should refer to it.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[ Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5 / $5-$10 / $10-$15 / $15-$20 / $20+

Less than $5. The old half-folded modules from AEG and FFG were about $2.50, for a PDF they should be $1.25.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5 / $5-$10 / $10-$15 / $15-$20 / $20+

Again, less than $5. The DCC d20 16-page modules were $2 each, they should be $1 for a PDF.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;808786[10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5 / $5-$10 / $10-$15 / $15-$20 / $20+

About $10 for a module and $5 for a PDF, but you may want to consider $8/$4 to be competitive.

Quote from: Giblet Blizzard;80878611) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark (big publishers, indie module or homepress, doesn't matter) what would it be and why?

The Dark Tribe by FFG, The Dragonfiend Pact for DCC d20, and The Crucible of Freya by Necromancer Games. Each one of those modules is a perfect example of what you should strive for in a module based upon the limits of printing.

I am very sorry for my earlier rudeness. I thought you were just another marketing weasel who sees us as nothing more than a demographic to sample. The story of Man Rider is what I use to convince people that playing a character with low stats can be awesome, depending on how that character is played.

1) Preferred Game System
BRP/Call of Cthulhu/Magic World/Openquest/RQ6... if it HAS to be a flavor of D&D then DCC/LotFP.

2) Preferred Module Size:
Don't Care, though I'm fond of the smaller digest size, like a 'zine.

3) Preferred Module Length
A session or two

4) Encounters per Session:
How many fights per session? It just depends. Death Frost Doom is great and has very few fights until all of a sudden it's all about running away.

5) Main Map Location:
Usually I like it near the entries... or as some seperate keyed PDF I can print out.

6) Adventure Requirements:
Some element that makes me want to buy it rather than make up my own... sometimes it's a map/layout that interests me, sometimes it's weird/scary subject matter, sometimes it's focusing on a specific monster or cult that I'm interested in.

7) Generic Monster Stats:
Either way, though generally I'd rather the module not assume I have a specific book.

Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module
Less than $5 (I'm assuming PDF)

9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module
$5 (I'm assuming PDF)

10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module
$5-$10 (I'm assuming PDF)

11) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark
The old WFRP Drachenfels book pops to mind... Shadows of Yog-Sothoth for CoC... if it HAS to be D&D then current incarnation of Death Frost Doom is a favorite.

I won't go through all the questions but...

System: mostly agnostic but I do love Call of C'thulhu, Star Frontiers, early AD&D.

Length: doesn't matter as long as the adventure feels complete. I do like having a list at the end of how to expand the adventure if desired.

Monsters: All stats in the adventure, at least the important or rare monsters.

Benchmark: I can't name only one. My favorites when I was playing AD&D in the 80's were: T1: The Village of Hommlet (nice detail, seemed like a functioning community, good use of encroaching evil.); S1: Dwellers of the Forbidden City (great map, every module should have a map like that, good variety of beasts, interesting ways to expand several of which I used); X2 Castle Amber (interesting place with good encounters, wide variety and puzzles); B4 The Lost City (I liked the double pyramid structure with the underground city below.) The Star Frontiers series Volturnus were pretty good, if a bit of a railroad. Gamma World's Legion of Gold was memorable too.

Note: When you add pictures, don't use generic pictures, such as a warrior skewering an orc. Make the pictures specific to the adventure. For example a picture of the city from above, the castle in the distance, what a complicated scene looks like. One of the best uses of a picture in an adventure was in the Ravensloft module as I recall. It depicted an NPC woman standing next to a painting of a noble woman from 200 years previous.

Also avoid wasting space with stuff like a group of "suggested PC characters", or adding a song or meal recipe that 99% of GMs won't ever use. (In other words, don't use filler like Dragonlance did.)

1) Preferred Game System
5e, CoC, System Agnostic

2) Preferred Module Size:
A4/letter sized

3) Preferred Module Length (in time to play... longer = bigger = more $):
3-4 Session

4) Encounters per Session:
2-4

5) Main Map Location:
Inside of loose cover (like old D&D Modules), or separate handout/pullout

6) Adventure Requirements:
Non-linear site based. No railroading. Think mini sand box.

7) Generic Monster Stats:
Reference is ok. Better if it includes the stats.

Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5

9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5-$10

10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):
$5-$15

11) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark (big publishers, indie module or homepress, doesn't matter) what would it be and why?
Hell I don't know. I so very rarely use modules. The Temple of Elemental Evil?

Cool thanks everyone who took the time to answer. Much appreciated!

Survey done.

1. Preferred System: 3.5

2. Preferred Module Size: Letter / big enough to lay open flat

3. Preferred Module Length: Don't care / all of the above (I have varying needs and want varying products to fill those needs)

4. Encounters per session: Depends on the encounters

5. Main Map Location: Don't care, but maps should all be in the same place for easy referencing

6. Adventure requirements: It needs to have something I couldn't whip up in 5 minutes -- either a cool idea or fully-developed resources.

7. Generic Monster Stats: I prefer to have all the relevant stats at my fingertips.

8. Price for 8 page module: $1

9. Price for 16 page module: $2

10. Price for 32 page module: $10

11. Benchmark Adventure: Masks of Nyarlathotep, http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/7949/roleplaying-games/node-based-scenario-design-part-1-the-plotted-approach]node-based scenario design

1) Preferred Game System?

Depends on the genre. I like OD&D for D&D if we are talking D&D.

2) Preferred Module Size?  

Never thought about it.

3) Preferred Module Length?

Mini-campaigns broken into 1 shots.  

4) Encounters per Session?

Are you saying Encounters = Combat? or Encounters = Event? In 4 hours, I am good for 6 events and 2-3 of those can be combat.

5) Main Map Location?

Download & Print option is a must...even if I buy the dead tree.
Otherwise, solo pages that can be photcopied.

6) Adventure Requirements:?

I rarely buy adventures. If I do, its gotta be a treasure trove of stuff I can steal for my own homebrew.

7) Generic Monster Stats?

Fuck generic monsters. Fuck them in their generic generic hole.

Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module?

$1 PDF or $3 dead tree.

9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module?

$1 PDF or $5 dead tree.

10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module?

$1 PDF or $5 dead tree. Maybe $10 if freaking rocks with lots of replay value.

11) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark?

For me...it's gotta be the 4 adventure City State Installment in Pegasus magazine from Judges Guild.

As for mini-campaigns, I look to Gamma World's GW1 Legion of Gold. Got an amazing amount of replay from that.

Since I am a convention GM, I get lots of free swag from the cons and publishers - often adventures - so maybe that's why I don't place a real dollar value on them.

Of the stuff I've gotten free over the years, the only stuff that really jumps out FOR ME has been the 4e adventures that included nice big glossy maps with squared battlefields for minis play. Those maps I have used and reused and recycled.

Quote from: jeff37923;808858Goddamn, I wish people would mention important shit like this in the OP.

Yeah, but so what that he didn't?  Suppose all this was WAS marketing spam?

So what?

Isn't it worth it to us for game companies to have a handle on what people want to buy, from what systems, with what features, and what prices they're willing to pay?  I don't give a good goddamn how cool or uncool the asker is, this is information we want the companies to have.  Don't we?

1) Preferred Game System

GURPS.

2) Preferred Module Size:

Hrm.  Maybe you should be asking word count.  400-500/page is about right.

3) Preferred Module Length (in time to play... longer = bigger = more $):

Three sessions is a good number.

4) Encounters per Session:

Irrelevant to me.

5) Main Map Location:

Back interior.

6) Adventure Requirements:

I want options.  I want motivations.  I want NPCs described with whom the players are likely to interact.  I do not want a gauntlet, I don't want Only One Way To Solve Things, and I don't want a NPC list top-heavy with monarchs and guildmasters and high priestesses when the PCs are dealing with assistant chamberlains, guard sergeants and street peddlers.

I'm also a fan of timelines, such as the Gamelords' Thieves Guild products used; something is happening at 4 PM, and if the PCs dawdle, sucks to be them.

Also: I hate the term "module."  I refuse to use it.  I won't buy a product bearing it.  It is, and has always been, a stupid neologism for "adventure" or "scenario."

7) Generic Monster Stats:

To the degree I use generic monsters (I don't), I don't want to pay you for the same information I already paid for with the corebook.

Preferred Price Point for an 8 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):

Honestly, 8-page adventures can be found in carload lots online, and for free; I can't see shelling out much if anything for them.

9) Preferred Price Point for a 16 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):

$5 works, as long as you can the illos.  Those are wastepaper to me, and contribute nothing to the adventure, except so far as they're directly descriptive: maps, diagrams of where the NPCs are going to line up for the ambush, that sort of thing.  I can gank pics off of deviantART for myself, thanks.

10) Preferred Price Point for a 32 page Module (black and white w/ maps+illos):

I'll pay more than $5, maybe, but it has to be tight.  I'm not paying for you to meander just to fill space.

11) If you could name one adventure module as the benchmark (big publishers, indie module or homepress, doesn't matter) what would it be and why?

Gamelords' The Duke's Dress Ball.