Re: [HOE] Lost Colony book

[balance@tubas.net]

On Monday, September 9, 2002, at 06:34  PM, Jefferson Dunlap wrote:

> Howdy all.
>
> Has anyone picked this up at GenCon? How is it? I've been searching the 
> web
> today for any reviews & haven't seen any. I was just curious at what 
> all was
> in this new book & how it stacked up against the other two.

Its... interesting. Overall I like it, as it's a truly new setting 
whereas HoE often was a postapocalyptic retread of standards Deadlands 
themes. WHen I start running it I'll really like the fact that it's a 
bit fresher and the secrets don't have to be as 'deep' as in the other 
two settings. What I mean here is that Knowing that the players likely 
won't know about the communities, places and other bits, so the need for 
Big Secrets like the ruler of Lost Angels or the Wormling's ancestry...

I'll know more when I get to use it in play, but that's several months 
off.

> Also anyone know when is this book going to reach my local game store?

I saw copies in my FLGS over Labor Day weekend, so it should be there 
soon, although you may want to ask the store 
owner/manager/flesh-eating-zombie if they'll order it. I think that 
PEG's financial troubles of several years back (well, the whole merger 
thing), combined with the weird trip to Lost Colony (addition of d20 
stats to the entire line, the apparent switch from LC being a full rpg 
to a sourcebook) may have, unfortunately, put Deadlands on some 
retailers request-only list.

I consider myself fortunate that I used to run at a store that kept 
Deadlands in stock, and generally made sure their was a copy of 
everything set aside for my purchase...

> THANX in advance
> MAdHaTtEr
>
> In my travels on the web today, I got the impression there were a lot 
> of HoE
> players out there, maybe even outnumbering the DL:Weird West groups. 
> Does
> anyone out there think this is the case?

There's advantages and disadvantages to both settings. I was surprised 
when I found HoE easier to run... I assumed the more powerful player 
characters would make things more difficult, but it hasn't. Also, HoE is 
much freer from making even a token attempt at following a meta-plot, I 
think... The whole thing is just much more self-contained, and the 
real-world influence is minimized. I know this shouldn't matter, but i 
have trouble messing with real-world events or people...

The Weird West has some definite advantages, though. Many players aren't 
as big of scavengers, and the fact that the law does, at least in 
theory, have a lot of power helps keep the PCs in line.

As for my players, they seem to enjoy both. HoE brings out the munchy 
instincts a bit more as a result of the setting, but it's about the same 
either way. All-in-all, playw hat the group likes, I guess.

--
Brett

LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER 
MAN? (Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett)