FAR WEST: Am I Crazy?

So, longtime readers will be aware that I was working on a Western/Wuxia Mashup setting called FAR WEST (link goes to all tagged entries, including this one). The game, originally using FATE, didn’t quite gell for me, so I back-burnered the RPG project.

I’ve still been working on FAR WEST as a novel, and it’s going well, albeit slowly.

Today, though, a thought struck me, completely out of left field. Unexpected, odd….but, as they old saying goes…just crazy enough to work.

Could FAR WEST work as a 4E setting? The powers structure in 4E is already pretty wuxia-riffic, and wouldn’t take much tweaking to push over the edge into full-blown kung fu awesomeosity. Add rules for steamtech and firearms….come up with a collection of FAR WEST-appropriate classes….

I mean, sure — no non-human races or magic (beyond the wuxia stuff, which is pretty “magical” to western eyes)….but damn if it doesn’t strike me as do-able.

At this point, I’ll admit: I’m teetering on the fence here. Either way, I keep working on the novel. But would this work? Should I do this?

So I turn to you, Oh Devils and Angels on my virtual Shoulder. Whisper your Influence in my ear.