From the messy desk of the brand manager...

Why 2 C?

Much like my last article, this article finds me sitting behind my messy desk. To my left is my luggage from my last trip (a distributor open house). By the time you all will read this article, I will have used that luggage for no less than 7 more trips, including the Y2C party in L.A. Of all my planned trips, this is the one that I look forward to the most. Why am I so looking forward to it? Well, much like GenCon, the Y2C event represents the best of gaming.

But the Y2C party is something a little different - more focused if you will. It is a celebration of community.

When people asked why I wanted to throw this party, the answer was not easy to vocalize. I just knew it was the right thing to do. Now that I've had time to think about it the answer to that question is clearer to me. 2000 cards is a milestone for any game, because there are probably just a handful of games that ever get this far. But why is this milestone so important that we have to throw a big (and painfully expensive) party? Magic didn't do it, and that game is way past 2000 cards.

I look at it this way, Magic climbed to the top of this mountain based on many factors; it was first, it is a great game, has big cash tournaments, etc... But L5R got to 2000 cards based almost entirely on the fanaticism of its' players. Through good times and bad, L5R players were our best advertisements. That's why the Y2C party was all about the fans, not the designer of the 2000th card, or the Brand Manager of the 2000th card, but for the FANS of all 2000 cards.

I often have to separate the business of L5R from my role as a fan. Normally, I'm very successful at this, but every now and then the line would blur. I'd be at a store playing and someone would ask me to teach them. So I teach them. Am I acting as an employee or just a dedicated fan? Is seemed to me that even though I was drawing a salary from this game, at that point - my free time on a weekend at a game store I was just being an average L5R fan. That is why this party is being thrown for the fans. Without that kind of dedication from our fans, L5R would not be in the thriving state that it is today.

I know that every fan couldn't make it to the party, but I hope all the fans take pride in their part of the L5R success. L5R is not just a game you buy and play, it's more than that - it's a game that you own and should feel proud about your contribution to.

If you're a new player to L5R, I challenge you to accept your role as those who have gone before you, and take pride in spreading the word about this great game. Be a gracious winner, a pleasant loser, a kind player to those who need help, and most of all be honorable. Your actions will be compared to the L5R players around you, so learn from them and welcome to the L5R team!

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com