Re: [DL] Looking for Gamers (in all the wrong places)

["Roy Spence" <roy.ster@virgin.net>]

>How many of posses out there just use the Marshal's books?


Nope not us.

>How many players purchase _only_ the book appropriate to their particular
>character?


None of my players purchase any books.

>How many Marshals _don't_ want the players reading the Posse sections in
>each book?


Generally I don't mind, reading the Posse section gives them a better feel
for the genre, it means that they know more than they should, but I figure
most folks that survive learn bits and bobs as they travel around.  For
instance when my posse went to the City O'Gloom for the first time, no one
said that they were picking up the Epitaph, but I didn't mind them skimming
the book (and seeing the picture of Black Hands right before they met him
:). some things work out so nice)

>One thing we've always tried to do with our books was set up a "Posse" and
a
>"Marshal" section so a player could get some use from the book as well.


This is a must - not necessarily to get players to buy the book but to keep
them interested in their character and the world around them, and therefore
the game.

What I'm interested in is for
>setting/informational sourcebooks like, say, the Back East and other
>location books, Tales o' Terror, etc.


You still need it, unless the posse are history buff's they'll know little
about places and events.  I usually use the books as an inspiration (what a
novel idea!) and so it helps if the characters to look up the players bit in
the relevant book and clue themselves in on what their character could have
picked up whilst travelling in the first place.  If there is something I
want to keep from them - I just keep the book from them (like the Book O'
The Dead, until one of them died .......... and came back again)

>I doubt we'll change the format, but I'm wondering about the space devoted
>to the Posse section in these works. If only the Marshal is buying/reading
>them, we'd best be serving you guys by reducing the size of the Posse
>sections in these books and _increasing_ the Marshal section.

I think that the Marshal reads the books from cover to cover, and the posse
skims it (unless they are keen) for what they need.  If the character comes
from a certain place, then sure I would encourage them to read it in depth
and use it to flesh out their character.  I think that most games stop
because of lack of players rather than a lack of Marshals, and the posse
sections help to keep everyone involved and more importantly interested.

Just my, increasingly long, two cents worth

Roy