So as a first time Dogs in the Vineyard GM, I am going to try and run a play-by-post game on these forums. I've, to be perfectly honest, never ran a 'real' RPG session before. Only play-by-post for me, which actually works out for the better. With play-by-post, I find that the games as a whole tend to be a lot more narrative, and you can probably read through a game coherently.

In any case, I thought you guys might be interested in seeing how this will go. Dogs seems like it's better to the tables, what with the poker-like mechanics and what-not, but it's such an excellent game I just had to give it a shot. I did give the players a varied choice in alternate campaign settings, and am letting them debate it. A lot of them are averted to Western settings. So was I, until I watched Deadwood, an excellent TV series which puts the West in its correct place as dark tales of debauchery and sin in a lawless world.

My players, or potential players, are actually surprising me with their choice in settings. One of them was just a vague thought, a dark-horror-fantasy setting which I've had at the back of my mind for ages, but they're actually going for it. That particular setting is called Sovereigns in the Dark. The setting background is a creation inspired by a hundred different resources, while the actual Sovereign idea was heavily inspired by a small indie RPG I found by a group called Crayon Samurai. Kudos to them.

In any case, if you're interested in how this goes, or want to participate, go ahead and post here.

Here are the settings I threw out there, obviously not all of them original.

Wolves in the North
inspired by Icelandic sagas like Beowulf and other epic tales, it's about Thor's Wolves in the icy wilderness of dark-ages Scandinavia. i really like this one.

Postmen in the End
quick idea based off David Brin's The Postman, excellent novel. probably won't go with this one though, seeing as it's been a while since I read that

Sovereigns in the Dark
probably won't make sense to anyone. vague dark-grim-horror fantasy setting in my head, Conan the Barbarian-esque. basically the Emperor's elite (Sovereigns) set out to check in on his domains, and are pretty much kick and beat and terrorize towns into shape. really vague idea.

Lawbringers in the Wastes
heh, playing too much Fallout 3 lately. takes place in the universe of Fallout. groups of sheriff-ish characters travel around and check up on settlements.

Cheka in the Motherland
early 20th century Russia, Lenin's much-hated officers travel around Russia and requisition food and supplies for the Civil War, basically turning towns inside-out like one would do to pockets. could make for an interesting historical game. finding kulaks and setting them to the gulags and such. perhaps offensive.

Blades in the Heartland
taking place in the universe of the Elder Scrolls. The Emperor's Blades, or some offshoot, travel around Cyrodill and serve as the law basically. experimental.

Riders in the Dawn
takes place in the LOTR universe, mainly Rohan. Rohirrim troops? travel around and dispense justice, lord of the rings-style

Also I understand that for many playing an alternative setting before the canon setting is not a comfortable move, but Western just straight up doesn't appeal to a lot of people. I was one of those people before Deadwood, which put the West in a comfortably uncomfortable setting for me. Before that, I thought Westerns were about cowboys, Indians, and cacti.