November 2011
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  

Categories

Follow

Feel free to follow the latest Far West developments:

FAR WEST Chat Transcript

On Sunday October 30th, FAR WEST developers Gareth-Michael Skarka (GMSkarka on Twitter) and T.S. Luikart (TSLuikart on Twitter) did a live chat with backers and fans. What follows is the edited transcript of that evening’s event:

QUESTION (@Lyfhskull): I’ve been wondering a while, will there be a ‘writer’s guideline’ for farwest contributions?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Well, @Lyfhskull, we’ll be rolling out the Far West Society in November, which will include methods for contribution.

QUESTION (@GoldenElm): Should I presume the rules “srd” might roll out in that same period?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) No, the rules will not be freely released until 2012.

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): Do the pc’s start the game as weaklings like D&D or more powerful heroes like Mutants & Masterminds?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart) Yes. Depends on what you want, like Mutants & Masterminds the game has tiers and you can make a “starting” character at any of them.

QUESTION (@FowlSorcerous): Remind me – what’s the release date?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Release of Ltd. Ed. game to backers is December. Commercial release isn’t until 2012. Fiction line starts December as well.

QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): When do you plan on expanding (or starting) the webseries?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) The webseries starts development in mid-2012. Not setting release yet.

QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): What is the Far West Society?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Far West Society is community who get access to extra material and can contribute to canon.

QUESTION (@JustinDJacobson): Any plans yet for apparel and the like? (I want my Far West lunchbox!)

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Yes, absolutely. Apparel, merchandise, etc.

QUESTION (@GoldenElm): Of the different alternate mediums you’re targeting with the product, which has proved the most challenging?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart) I can’t do music– but I can’t wait till you guys get to hear the score for the webseries currently underway. The music is as mash-up as the property. RPGs are old hat for us.

QUESTION (@Highmoon): Will #farwest be open (CC, OGL)? If so, what parts?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)Yes — Creative Commons. More detail later.

QUESTION (@Lyfhskull): Is farwest ‘grid map’ combat, or more of a ‘storytelling’ combat style?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)Storytelling, for sure. Wuxia meets gunflighting lends itself to descriptive combat.

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): Will we get to see a sample character any time soon?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)Should be able to see sample characters by the end of November.

QUESTION (@Beckx): How about a 140-character preview of character creation steps in #farwest?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)Choose rank. Determine abilities. Background. Occupation. Areas of Knowledge. Spirit. Aspects. Clan. Edges.

QUESTION (@GoldenElm): Wrapped your head around the Kickstarter total yet?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)Didn’t have a chance before large chunks were going out the door to pay various dev costs. 🙂

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): The Odyssey System characters originally were suppose to fit on an index card. Does this still hold true?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Largely, yes. Not as much description, but stats, sure.

QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): think you might do a yearbook for fun? to include more of the behind the scene stuff.

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Hard enough to do one book, without doing another for “fun.” 🙂

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): Were the Kung Fu powers a challenge to model in the system?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)Fun, not challenging. Coming up with good names, that’s the hard part. 🙂

QUESTION (@Lyfhskull): I know it’s still crazy early, but any plans for far west miniatures/figures?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)We have discussed. No firm plans yet.

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): Will there be a “dark side of the force” Kung Fu style?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)*A* style? No. MULTIPLE styles. 🙂 In the hands of those with corrupt Spirit, all kung-fu is dark.

QUESTION (@Wordwill): Is there a story behind the core kernel of FAR WEST? Where did it all start?
QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): Story Arcs? Overall theme? I am very interested too. anything you can say on that?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)Grand Theme: To protect civilization from the barbarian, you must pick up the Gun. Pick up the Gun and you become a barbarian. Specific story arcs will vary in what they convey, but then, you guys will end up having a big say in that. 😉

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): Are the corrupt Spirit types playable? Would they be hunted down much like a Sith or Dark Sider in Star Wars?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)Yes, corrupt Spirit is playable.

QUESTION (@Lyfhskull): Will war drudges be a playable race? Are there any non-human races in the world/playable?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)No non-humans in setting. Iron Roy, the War Drudge with a Conscience, is unique. (Note: Iron Roy appears in this vignette on the site.

QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): Any other juicy tidbits on story, without giving the secrets away?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)The first world event involves the return of a legendary band of heroes called the Peerless Seven. Final line up of the Seven will be partially determined by Far West Society.

QUESTION (@JJDRexroad): In the mashup, where in the world does it actually take place? Location, location, location.

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) FAR WEST is not our world. Fantasy world. Massively huge, endless frontier, two moons in sky. Different universe. Book map, which is only nearest eastern portion of Far West, is area 7200 miles across. A lot of “Here Be Dragons” on that map. Lot of space to fill in your own stuff.

QUESTION (@Lyfhskull): Speaking of dragons, are there lizards of unusual size(flight/elemental breath attacks?)

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka) Dragons are like komodo, but size (and SPEED) of tigers.

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): I know that there are “magic weapons” in the world. Are these weapons lost and need to be found (i.e. DnD)?

ANSWER: (@TSLuikart)Some are ancient, some are lost, some are being forged even today. Not “treasure”. Think wuxia genre.

QUESTION (@Jason_Sunday): What are the chances of seeing a web episodes for Far West with Felicia Day?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)Would love to talk to Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton about appearing in the webseries.

QUESTION (@chrytonbain): How do you plan on releasing content past the core? digital downloads of adventures or will there be more print runs?

ANSWER: (@GMSkarka)There is FAR far more than just RPG coming out. But yes, future RPG releases (adventures, etc.) will probably be released digitally.

We had a great time doing the Twitter chat, and will definitely be doing them again in future.   Keep an eye out on the official FAR WEST Twitter account () for announcements.

6 Comments

  1. Doc Nova says:

    Excellent update! The more I read, the more excited I get. I dig the “dragon” of the world, keeping it “mostly” real, while still adding some fantasy. I am a bit bummed about no war drudge PCs, but I imagine the community will sound off on that.

  2. Dustin says:

    I am so looking forward to this coming out!

  3. Gobbo says:

    Am likely to kick off a campaign of this on Infrno.net… can’t wait to get the book and map.

  4. Thanks for the invite. — JJDR

  5. AAAAAAAHHH!!! I can’t wait!!! 🙂

  6. […] of the revelations of the Far West chat was that FAR WEST does not take place on our world, but rather an alternate world, massively huge […]

Leave a Reply