Hi!
You probably don't know me, but I used to moderate this forum (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=22.0) here on the Forge. I haven't poked my head in here for almost five years. I found great deal of value in the thoughts shared here, but between sliding into mental illness and the distraction of maintaining a presence on a forum, I had to take a break.
However, development on my game system, Scattershot (http://universe6.scattershotgames.com/), hasn't been on hiatus.
I have moved forward on my plans to integrate Genre Expectations (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=2043.0) (here too (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=3572.0)) and Transition (scroll way down) (http://indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html) into the system. For the short term, to more focus my thoughts, I'm starting with a four-color superhero genre. (A great example of which that I just finished is Soon I Will Be Invincible (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soon_I_Will_Be_Invincible).)
Late last year I decided that the 'as a publisher' approach was going to leave me with nothing. I set aside the idea of self-publishing, even not-for-profit. Weirdly, it seems I'm not the only one. A couple of months ago, it seemed like there was a noticeable shift around the indie game scene. A number of people have much better and more thought out reasons to drop publishing. I just wanted to bust my creative block. So listen to them, not me.
After a few mentions (http://rpgheretic.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/play-is-the-point/) of the flood of bad indie games (http://www.i-would-knife-fight-a-man.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3296), the reasons NOT to publish were examined. Jonathan Walton (http://thouandone.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/getting-out-of-the-status-game/), Clinton R Nixon (http://rpgheretic.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/marketing-in-the-land-of-hobbyists/) and Fred Hicks (http://drivingblind.livejournal.com/327324.html) wrote on how publishing is not the way to make friends and influence people. Jonathan specifically officially gives up the money (http://thouandone.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/getting-out-of-the-status-game/) side of self-publishing. Then Joshua A C Newman shows us (http://glyphpress.com/talk/index.php/2008/02/08/maybe-you-want-not-to-publish/) what we can avoid doing this.
That said, I wanted to let everyone know that I have begun posting Scattershot presents: Universe 6 - The World of the Modern Fantastic (http://universe6.scattershotgames.com/) on its own website. (And I'll add a forum as soon as phpWSbb catches up to phpWebsite 1.4.2.) Feel free to drop by. Let me know if you would like to help out! Playtesting the pre-alpha begins immediately. Feedback is highly welcome (and you can even make corrections yourself!).
Now, for 'specific inquiries' (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=19146.msg200832#msg200832), Genre Expectations (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=2043.0) are one of the core concepts of Scattershot (and core to Transition (http://indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html) as well). Do you think introducing a 'character sheet' that the gamemaster fills out (a Milieu Sheet), with Stats, Ads and Disads would be a clear way of settling the group's expectations? (I put up one example of a Milieu Disadvantage (http://universe6.scattershotgames.com/superpower/index.php?module=wiki&page=MilieuDeathtrap) on the site so far.) The system rewards players and the gamemaster for 'playing to' the Milieu Sheet; is this too weird?
Thanks a lot for your time and attention! Stop by and help if you like. I enjoy the input! Feel free to register and add your own tropes to my list (http://universe6.scattershotgames.com/superpower/index.php?module=wiki&page=DisadvantagesList).
Fang Langford