Forums of the Megaverse®

So you want to be a Megaversal Ambassador

1) What is an MA?

Answer: The MAs (Megaversal Ambassadors) are a growing group of Palladium Game Masters who volunteer to run Palladium role-playing gaming events and/or demos at conventions, stores and other gatherings to introduce NEW PLAYERS to the Palladium Megaverse®. They are also active talking about Palladium products and the enjoyment and merits of role-playing, online and at events, to get new players interested in Palladium’s games and to keep the enthusiasm alive among established gamers.

This makes YOU a volunteer who represents one of your favorite game companies. It also makes you an Ambassador of Goodwill. A sort of evangelist or “Johnny Appleseed” planting and spreading the word and the fun of playing RPGs in general. That means we need you to be a good-natured, friendly and patient, true ambassador, willing and able to teach new gamers how to play and have fun and introduce gamers of other RPGS not familiar with Palladium to our game system and worlds. It means showing people how and why Palladium RPGs are so much fun, making you a gateway to Palladium role-playing games for others.

Requirement: Run two or more Palladium gaming events at one or more public venues [conventions, store(s), library, school, etc.] during the year, and provide us with all the contact information we request (Name, street address, email address, telephone number).

2) How do I join?

Answer: Send us an email at ambassadors@palladiumbooks.com with the following information:

- Forums user name.
- Email address.
- Given name (e.g. Thom Smith; not just your online moniker).
- Street mailing address. (For our non-USA Ambassadors, please provide your mailing address as it should appear on a package being mailed to you.)
- Telephone number.
- Where and when you plan to run Palladium gaming events.
- And what else you may have in mind to help spread the word about Palladium Books and its role-playing games.
- Are you available to run Palladium RPG events at special events in your area or convention you are planning to attend like Origins, Gen Con or the Palladium Open House.

3) How else can I help?

Answer: Post on Palladium’s website and on the Palladium Facebook page when and where you'll be playing, and whether you are looking for players/gamers to attend.

If you are running at a convention let us know the name, date and Palladium gaming events and we will plug the convention and let fans know about it, whether it’s a local store or a convention, on our message boards. Likewise, YOU should make your own posts and announces everywhere you deem appropriate.

Talk about the success and fun of the convention and especially our gaming events ONLINE – on the convention website, the Palladium website, the Palladium Facebook page, your own website and elsewhere. Use these tools to promote your event and Palladium. Tell us how things went. Perhaps post a few photos.

4) Does Palladium offer support material like pre-generated characters, character sheets, or convention prizes for its many game lines?

Answer: For the most part, you need to work up pre-generated characters and all the details of the game, tournament or demo you are running on your own. Sorry. However, you should not hesitate to run the same game/tournament and especially demos, over and over again with different players. You’ll be surprised how different and fun most sessions are with different players. Kevin Siembieda does this all the time and has a blast. Kevin says another trick is to use the same pre-generated characters over and over again in different adventures.

To help you, Palladium has recently put together what we call the Rifts® Game Master Kit with G.M. aides, character sheets, event sign-up sheets, event poster, and 20 or so pre-generated characters for players. It is free to Megaversal Ambassadors and available for $5 as a PDF download from DriveThruRPG.com. The Palladium Fantasy RPG G.M. Kit should be available sometime in January and we hope to offer more game line specific G.M. Kits in the future. Most of these are made possible through the efforts of Carl Gleba and Julius Rosenstein.

Convention Prizes for Players: If you are running “official” events at a convention, Palladium is happy to offer prizes and gifts for your games, such as the latest sourcebook or core rule book for the best player and copies of The Rifter® to the other participants. Please Note: You must show proof that you are running games at a real and established convention, store or gaming event by having your event listed on the convention website with YOU as the G.M. and a convention contact we can confirm and call or email to verify you are running at their event. (Note: We do the same for special, advertised store events coordinated with the owner or manager.)

We also would like to get a Convention After-Action Report from you. You can keep this short and simple, but the more info the better. Ideally we want at least a list of the names and emails of your players (so we can add them to our online mailing list), the name of the game(s) you ran and a brief report of how it went (fun, slow, few players, many players, had to turn people away, etc.). It is also helpful to get a copy of the convention program book mailed to us or sent as a PDF.

If you can find the time, we’d also like to get your overall opinion and review of the convention. Did you think it was fun and well run, your estimate and the “official” attendance numbers, the general level of satisfaction from those who attended the con (i.e. did you hear grumbling and complaints or were people happy), how much role-playing was at the convention (i.e. was it a major part of the convention or a small part of it), news and observations, and whether or not you had fun and would run an event(s) there again. This helps us evaluate the success of your game(s), but more importantly, it gives us cues as to how much support (more or less) we should offer the convention in the future, whether Palladium should consider exhibiting at the event, and other valuable information. In short, you are not only our goodwill ambassador at the event, but you are also our eyes and ears. The report can be posted on the Megaversal Ambassador forum, emailed to Palladium or presented as a written and printed report mailed to us with the program book. We have a couple MAs who put together fun packages complete with photographs of their games along with notes, comments and other data.

Convention Support: If you are a member of the convention staff or know people, have them contact us to get other types of convention support such as a few signed books for a charity auction, flyers and/or catalogs, and even a few hundred copies of The Rifter® to give away to some or all of the attendees at the event. Note: We do the same for special, advertised store events coordinated with the owner or manager, just have them contact us via an email, help ticket or telephone call (734-721-2903).

5) What other resources are there for an MA?

Answer: These with more coming in the future.

● The Megaversal Ambassador Forum and Lounge. The forum is there for open discussions and exchanges of ideas that everyone can see and participate in, from MA.s to Joe Gamer.

The Ambassadors’ Lounge is for the use of authorized MAs. Use it to talk amongst yourselves, make plans and coordinate with each other. You need to be a Megaversal Ambassador to access this MA (and Palladium staff) exclusive forum.

● The Game Master Kits help with pre-designed flyers, signs and sign-up sheets. They also give you ideas for making your own for your personal use and the promotion of Palladium at gaming events.

● Think like a team and help each other. You MAs should “talk,” “trade” and “share” pre-generated characters, villains, monsters and adventures for the various game settings. They can be posted here in the MA forum and exchanged via emails. You should think of yourselves as a truly elite team of volunteers and Palladium’s advance guard promoting Palladium RPGs and role-playing in general. WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM. Share ideas and gaming materials, coordinate gaming events where more than one of you may be attending – especially events like the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, Origins and other large conventions – and so on. Don’t forget about running games at local science fiction and (some) comic conventions as many offer gaming events.

● You have a direct line to Palladium Books. Let us know your ideas and suggestions. They give us ideas and if we can help, we will. However, we are often swamped with the running of the company and getting out product, so we need Megaversal Ambassadors who are motivated and able to run with things on their own.

6) As a Megaversal Ambassador I want to feel “official.” Do I get an official Palladium Megaversal Ambassdor/G.M. card or something? Maybe post a list of Official Palladium G.M.s on your site somewhere?

Answer: We’re sorry to say as of January 5, 2012, we do NOT have such things in place, but below are things we want to do for you in the near future:

● Megaversal Ambassador I.D. Card – a business card style card. We’re thinking full color and cool looking, with a space you can print your name in.

● A darn T-shirt that identifies you as a Palladium Books Megaversal Ambassador. Probably black with white printing and some nice design. T-Shirts are expensive to make and we’d have to make a range of sizes to have on hand for new MAs as they came on board, so this is probably a few months down the road.

● A complete listing of Megaversal Ambassadors with their name, home town and email address (and other contact info?) on the MA forum. Note: Likewise, you should make sure Palladium has ALL your contact info, including a mailing address, cell phone number and your T-shirt size so we can send you “official MA” paraphernalia as we create it for you.

7) Is there a head Megaversal Ambassador who can help us or provide pointers or coordinate our involvement at conventions and events?

Answer: Yes and no. The founder of the MA program is Zachary Houghton. When Zach was busy in military service and building a family, James Brown took over as the Head MA. Both are active MAs involved in the MA program and available to help in what ways they can. HOWEVER, like you, they are volunteers and can only help so much depending on the pressures of work, family and life. Likewise, Palladium Staffers Wayne Smith and Alex Marciniszyn are available to help when they can.

Send emails to ambassadors@palladiumbooks.com. You can also reach Wayne and Alex via the Palladium Help Desk.

As noted earlier, we need MAs who are self-reliant, motivated and willing to work as a team with other MAs. Use the MA forum as a means to coordinate and work together as well as share ideas and G.M. tips and materials. The Palladium staff and others will help as they can.

8) Do I get paid?

Answer: As a volunteer, there is no pay. You are donating your time to further the role-playing game hobby and to help people learn about Palladium Books and our many RPG settings. Thankfully, you get to indulge your hobby and have fun gaming, as well as enjoy the satisfaction of spreading the word about the Palladium RPG Megaverse® and help others discover the fun of role-playing. And of course, you have the gratitude of Kevin Siembieda, the Palladium staff and every gamer you meet for your efforts.

Over time, Palladium hopes to provide the MA I.D. card, MA T-shirt, and more gaming resources to our MAs for free. When Kevin knows someone is an MA ordering a Christmas Surprise Package he usually tries to make that Surprise Package even more special. Game Masters who run three or more games at the Palladium Open House get a 30% discount. Other perks and rewards for MAs may come in the future. (Another reason to make sure we have your correct and current mailing address and other contact info.)

Remember, as an MA (Megaversal Ambassador) you become, in effect, a volunteer face of Palladium Books. We need that face to be pleasant, kind and helpful. An ambassador of goodwill who makes people want to learn more and play our games. Not an elitist, snob or insufferable jerk. Find that balance and make sure YOU have fun doing this.

Sent on the 25th. No response.

LD if you want to send me the info I can add you tot he list and see about getting your status upgraded.

Email sent.

Thanks, and email received.
Victor
MA Coordinator

Just submitted my info to be an MA. Looking forward to hearing back.

Please make sure you send it to ambassadors@palladiumbooks.com
I have not seen your email, which means that you did not send it there.

I got your email. Looking forward to being a MA.

Just sent my info in, not sure if we have a MA in the greater Phoenix AZ. area

Just sent my e-mail. Look forward to being an M.A.

Got your info, you are on the list.

W00T! I am on the list!!!!

I sent an e-mail on June 6 asking to sign up; could I please get an update of my status or let me know if you need more info. Thanks.

I sent you an email on June 6 confirming you were on the list. I just resent it again.

Not sure what happened before, but I got it; thanks. Looking forward to this.

Just sent my email application.

I just sent my email application! Can't wait to get on board with this!

Sending in my info now. I'm ready to represent in Eugene, Oregon!

Is there a place that lists all the Ambassadors? So people can find one if needed. Either in their area or online.

We have a list, but it is not ever going to be public. We need to protect and respect people's privacy.

Just ask, I would say. We want to create a team and putting Megaversal Ambassadors in contact with one another but we want to keep privacy.

I was asking more about having a way for new players to be able to reach out if they needed help or questions. Maybe instead a place for them to ask or reach out where we can respond.

This is the place to do that, as this goes across all forums!

Here here.

I want to be MA, and represent you guys in Mexico. I have this Store and Organize Gaming group. In Store Gaming 4 days a week Day gaming, Night Gaming.

Me and my organization teach people to play on Conventions. We assist 3 conventions in Tijuana so far this year.

This is the group FB. http://www.facebook.com/TijuanaRPG
The Store is Tijuanageek.com

I already sent the mail but nobody answer

Hellow Palladium i want to be a MA...!!!

I'm over here

We have you!

Super cool!

Hey Wayne, maybe it is just me, but i can't find any gaming shop in Lorain County that has the other more widespread games let alone our greatly loved PB games. (of Which i think is one of the few who is still under original ownership, thank goodness)

Email sent on November 12

I'd like to become a MA, but i seem to have an issue with the link.

Submitted my information 18 minutes ago. awaiting patiently

We are volunteers.... but got it. You will receive an email soon.

After a 10 year absence I've gotten back into Palladium RPG's, namely Rifts. I've recently introduced a new group to the Megaverse and look forward to sharing all it has to offer over the next few months. Our gaming group consists of 12 people with 9 of those new to Palladium RPG's (They never even heard of it!). I am very excited.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Just Submited an application to be an MA ^^

Hoping to introduce the games (mainly Rifts) to more ppl in my area

Someone will be in touch with you soon.

Just sent in my relevant information

Replied

Sent 2 requests no reply

I sent in my application on 5/1/13.. Let me know if you folks need more information from me..

Sent you an email.