Dust Devils storm a brewin'

[Matt Snyder]

Ok, folks, GenCon is almost here. I'm up to my neck in freelance design, with Universalis and octaNe up to bat next. Just finished Trollbable, and Ron's going over revisions (soon, folks, soon!).

So, as I announced very recently, Dust Devils will be on sale at the Forge booth (as well as a PDF download about the same time). I'm rewriting like crazy, and I've already got an outstanding cover pic (and boy do I mean outstanding!), with more interior art on the way. The game will be either a stapled or comb-bound half-letter sized booklet. It will be more than double the material available now on the free playtest version.

First, to make everyone drool, check out the AWESOME cover pic by Jon Hodgson.

Second, a couple urgent pleas . . .

* Who has read Ron's thoughtful review of Dust Devils? His comments really helped me reshape the game, but I haven't heard much feedback from anyone else since his review posted. Any thoughts about the review or just comments about the game itself? If so, let's hear about it in the unanswered(!) thread started by Clinton in Review Discussion.

* Would you pay $10 for Dust Devils as a 5.5" by 8.5" publication with color copy and interior B&W art? Would you pay for a PDF of the same in regular letter size?

* Who has played the game? Obviously Ron and his crew has, as has Clay and I think Sean Wipfli. Anyone else? I'm VERY eager to hear any comments you might have in Actual Play.

* If you haven't played yet, why not? ;)   Seriously, is it just a "haven't got around to it yet" or does anyone have hurdles to overcome, like what to actually do in a session!?! Again, I'd love to hear from you, and help out if possible.

* GENCON -- Who wants to play Dust Devils demo at GenCon? I'm hoping to see some Forge regulars, of course, but all are welcome. I'll try to run the game more than once, space and time willing, of course.

[Jared A. Sorensen]

The link to the image is broken. As for your questions?

* Who has read Ron's thoughtful review of Dust Devils?

* Would you pay $10 for Dust Devils as a 5.5" by 8.5" publication with color copy and interior B&W art? Would you pay for a PDF of the same in regular letter size?

* Who has played the game? /  If you haven't played yet, why not?

* GENCON -- Who wants to play Dust Devils demo at GenCon?

I read the review -- I think playing out what happens when you hit 0 would be awesome (we talked about this anyway).

I would totally pay $10 for Dust Devils...heck, the PDF on your site is worth that. No problem there.

I haven't played...no game group yet. YET. I do wanna try it at the Con.

[Matt Snyder]

Damn, damn, damn. Ok, the image link should be fixed. Here it is again for posterity:

Dust Devils cover

[Ron Edwards]

Great cover, Matt.

I think Dust Devils is one of the finest games ever to emerge from the current design scene. I'd really like to know how other people's play proceeds. Let's see; Sean Wipfli did some play at one point, I think. Anyone else? I'll echo Matt - more, more.

I'm currently writing a shortie demo for Dust Devils for GenCon. (It's one of TWENTY such demos I'm preparing, geared for 25 minute - 45 minute play). With any luck we can get some buzz going there.

Best,
Ron

[Paul Czege]

Whoah...what a fantastic cover. Holy smokes.

[Valamir]

My situation is similiar to Jared's I'm afraid.  Having just moved to Peoria I don't have a group to play with (unless I want to play 3E or Mech Warrior...which I don't).  But Seth is out here now, so hopefully that situation will be changing soon.

The only thing I'd include that wasn't in the pdf (but might be now) is a handful of sample characters with focus on the types of devils that work best (and maybe some mention of what devils would be lame and Ron does regarding Price in Sorcerer).  And then a handful of plot hooks for the type of western stories most likely to generate good focus on the devil.

Perhaps, if your feeling ambitious, you can tie the two together and have 1 or 2 sample characters with devils and a plot hook designed for those character's and their devil.  Maybe a couple little items like this just to serve as "ahhh...thats what we should be playing" items.

And yeah, I fully expect to play the hell out of it at GenCon

[Matt Snyder]

The only thing I'd include that wasn't in the pdf (but might be now) is a handful of sample characters with focus on the types of devils that work best (and maybe some mention of what devils would be lame and Ron does regarding Price in Sorcerer).  And then a handful of plot hooks for the type of western stories most likely to generate good focus on the devil.

Perhaps, if your feeling ambitious, you can tie the two together and have 1 or 2 sample characters with devils and a plot hook designed for those character's and their devil.  Maybe a couple little items like this just to serve as "ahhh...thats what we should be playing" items.

And yeah, I fully expect to play the hell out of it at GenCon

First off, see you at the con for sure! My sympathies on the lack of a cooperative group. Hell, I can't get my own group to do much more than yammer about the game. We haven't played much of anything in recent weeks and months.

As for the revisions you suggest, I'm on it! It's ambitious all right. The revised edition of Dust Devils will include the following:

* Expanded devil mechanic to include Ron's suggestion that it be set from 1-3 each sesison. I also suggest in a little more detail what works and what doesn't work.
* At least 6 sample characters with attention on their Devils and how they might interact. I'll be writing these up along with a sample scenario that folks can either use to play, or simply to see how to play. The sample scenario will be the one I run at the con for demos!
* Text on how to play, both for players and DMs. So, it'll include advice on "not playing it safe" as Ron suggests, as well as how to prepare and run scenarios, converge player paths,
* How to handle character "expiration" once the character reaches 0 in an attribute.
* Some text on the variations on a Western approach, as well as cursory attention to introducing supernatural elements, and/or setting the game in alternate realities -- sci-fi and Mad Max style, for example.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Matt,

I cannot over-stress that you must actually play the game. If your "group" (which sounds like it's not a group at all) won't play, then find someone else. It's really crucial.

Best,
Ron

[Matt Snyder]

I cannot over-stress that you must actually play the game. If your "group" (which sounds like it's not a group at all) won't play, then find someone else. It's really crucial.

I'm working on it, Ron. We've played, but in the immortal words of one of my fellow players, "It was a fucked up, ass-grabbin' affair." 'Course, he wasn't talking about Dust Devils, but that's another story.

Anyways, I'm fully aware that I gotta play the damn thing! I'm actively looking for a group right now via the local game stores, which are reasonably active. I'll be posting a notice there if I don't get any bites in the next couple weeks. Too bad there aren't any Forgers in the Des Moines area. Still, with some more effort, I'm sure I can track down a narrativist leaning group, or at least one that's willing to try.

[Valamir]

Matt...Des Moines is only about 4 hours from Peoria, if you need to play and can't find anyone local...come on over.

[Mike Holmes]

Matt...Des Moines is only about 4 hours from Peoria, if you need to play and can't find anyone local...come on over.

Or the same distance from Madison (and Peoria), which could get me, Wipfli, and maybe Neff involved. And maybe others as well. OTOH, finding a suitable time before the Con might be difficult. PM me if interested, Matt.

Mike

[TSL]

Matt- You could sell 10 copies for $10 a piece based on that cover image alone.

Don't believe me?  Hell, I'LL do it at GenCon. :)

[Jason L Blair]

How many pages is Dust Devils going to be? Did I miss this information?

Matt, the cover image is the whip, man. The whip. Bravo to Jon on that.

And if I'm not invited into a demo at GenCon, not only will I be personally offended, I will never remember your name again.

[Matt Snyder]

How many pages is Dust Devils going to be? Did I miss this information?

Matt, the cover image is the whip, man. The whip. Bravo to Jon on that.

And if I'm not invited into a demo at GenCon, not only will I be personally offended, I will never remember your name again.

The book will be approximately 24-30 pages of material (a guess). I just decided to be selling the thing, rather than giving away the free playtest version as it stands now. Talked to Ron about this just yesterday.

Count yourself invited to a demor, man. I'm going to have a blast playing this with all you guys, but I admit my own Sorensen-syndrome -- fear I'll run the game poorly in such good company! I'll manage ...

The whip indeed! Jon rocks, and he's not even a damn Yankee. He's a Britisher of all things!


Oh, and to all the Midwesterner (specifically Ralph, Holmes, and anyone else interested, of course!), we should hook up this fall for a roundup of Dust Devils, and sessions of Universalis, and whatever else trips our trigger. Let's get this organized here and in person at GenCon. Since I had to miss the get-together in early June, maybe we can have an informal recap!

[Clay]

Matt,

I've played, and I loved the game.  I hope to be able to run a game for my regular group, once they get over their Star Wars infatuation. I'm a huge western fan. I nearly failed English in Jr. High because Louis Lamour was a lot more interesting than diagraming sentence structure. To be honest, I still think that I've gotten more real value out of the novels than I ever did out of the classes (and I've published).

Will you be selling the printed book off your web site?  I won't be going to GenCon, but I'd like to buy the book.  $10 is a very good price, even for a slim volume.