Aurora Magazine - Maybe

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

This is just me thinking out loud and this may not happen but anyway...

Recently I've been thinking of playing around with Battlefleet Gothic. I've bought some models on ebay and downloaded the rules, etc. When I was scouring the web for BFG-related material I found Battlefleet Gothic magazine, Warp Rift Magazine (which was in PDF) and articles in Fanatic Magazine.

It occurred to me that it might be interesting to do a reasonably regular free Aurora magazine in PDF format (maybe once a quarter or every couple of months). It would be a great place for new players to find useful material rather than trawling through the forums. I could edit it and contribute but the main content would come from player submissions. The magazine could contain fiction, combat tactics articles, explanation of rules or tutorial section, articles on ship design, articles on economic strategy, perhaps articles from me on upcoming features, updates on long-running campaigns, etc.

Anyone like or hate the idea, or would be willing to contribute?

Steve

[oldark]

Just posting to say I think its a great idea, as long there is enough content to keep it fresh.  I'm not much of a writer but I've been learning this game largely on my own for the past 2 weeks and wouldn't mind submitting tutorials on things that gave me a tough time trying to learn on my own.

[Konisforce]

I like it.  Thinking of it as a sort of expanded and more in-depth aspect of the forums, it would be a good place to consolidate good ideas and keep new players from too much wandering through forums, like you said.

Plenty of content on the forums, we'd just need someone to take the lead with consolidation.

[Erik L]

I'd suggest also putting it on DriveThruRPG.com as well.

[Conscript Gary]

Ooh, that could be very fun. Have a spotlight from a fiction series, or an AAR done specifically for it (or both), show off the pretty graphs from those of us who've crunched down and analyzed how the game works, a collection of frequently-asked questions from the last interval...
I like it.

[Icecoon]

I support the motion! Very good idea. It would be much easier for a new player to learn the game with it.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

This would be brilliant, and you can always draw on the AAR archives.  Some nice stuff there.

[Panopticon]

I would like to see this myself.

[ardem]

Great idea, a section on tactics 101 would be great for new players. In many respects it would be highlight the fabulous posts already made on the forums and perhaps expanding on them.

[alex_brunius]

I could edit it and contribute but the main content would come from player submissions. The magazine could contain fiction, combat tactics articles, explanation of rules or tutorial section, articles on ship design, articles on economic strategy, perhaps articles from me on upcoming features, updates on long-running campaigns, etc.

Anyone like or hate the idea, or would be willing to contribute?

Steve

I would prefer you use your limited time to improve the actual game, I know not as fun or exiting option but there are loads of nice suggestions to implement and equally many bug reports.

A magazine might be cool if one of longterm players/members of the forums stepped forward and wanted to do the editing, unless you consider it so much fun and so inspirational it would actually increase the time you spend working with improving the game too 

[Kof]

Good initiative, useful for many reasons (including most importantly IMO increasing the number of people who play Aurora).

However, I agree that it would be bad, if it distracts you from maintaining Aurora.

[viperfan7]

What about art, could be interesting with how aurora works

[Thundercraft]

It does sound like a very nice idea. And it'd probably help with exposure, especially if it was submitted to places like DriveThruRPG.com. Though, I share some concern that it would distract Steve from developing and maintaining Aurora. Though, maybe editing and the occasional submission of content wouldn't be too much of a distraction? It may even help inspire and maintain the drive to continue.

Thing is, in addition to an editor-in-chief, wouldn't such a magazine need a project manager or some such - a second in command - someone to help organize? It sounds like too much for one person to tackle, even with player submissions.