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

[Dane & Melody <melndane@cableone.net>]

> It seems to me that one person in a group tends to buy most of the books for
> an RPG (not just Deadlands); in the case of my group--which has been running
> for 4 years--it's me <g>. This plays into a lot of things both business and
> creatively for me, so I'd like as much input as you folks would care to
> give.
> 
> How many of posses out there just use the Marshal's books?
> 

We've been playing for about 10 months now, though I've been preparing
for nearly four years. For my particular group, I've purchased 100% of
the of the line, my share within the posse being 96% of the total
materials available.  We use as much as we can from all, per se.

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

Of the five players I've had, three purchased PC specific source
material thus far:
Player 1 (3 books): F&B for a blessed; BoD for a Harrowed, and the DL
book;
Player 2 (2 books): LD and Agency for an Agency op, the DL PC book;
Player 3 (1 boxed set): The Maze for his MA;
My wife "borrows" my H&H, or maybe I should say I borrow _her_ H&H?

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

I have encouraged players not to read too much into the posse info.  I
like to run a VERY tight muzzle on world info to try to keep everything
as fresh as I can.  There are some elements that are not even touched in
our game, and I don't want their absence to be noticed.  I "publish"
handouts and newspapers for all background info.
 
> 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 believe the posse sections are important to give the "feel" of the
information that can be provided to the posse.  It's nice to have an
example of what might be the most effective way to present the info to
the posse, or to determine the extent of the content the posse will have
access to.

If I were to suggest anything, it would be to keep going with what has
worked up to now.  The posse sections read like the first half of the
old Dime Novels -- the fiction fleshes out what would otherwise be dull
textbook information.

Just my two cents worth!  Anyone got change?

D.