Here's something fun I did to begin now two new campaigns of AW.  (Inspired by the World-Burning from the Burning Wheel rpg.)

I'm reluctant to simply start a game of AW without knowing basic things about the world - setting especially - so I devised a number of questions to fill in the broad strokes of the world.  And then I get the players to answer them.

For my current game, I made nine questions, and I equally divided them amongst the three players.  In no order:

What was the height of technology before the Apocalypse?
When did the Apocalypse happen?  And what was its duration? (Long/sudden? In one lifetime?  Several?)
What's a major event in recent memory?
What's the ecology of the immediate vicinity?
Where will humanity be in twenty years?  In fifty?  One hundred years?
What is the current state of humanity?
If the Maelstrom were a person, what emotion would be tied to it?
Are we on Earth?
What or where is an example of the Maelstrom in everyday life?


Questions answered, a general idea of the world is formed.  Each time I've done this, I've noticed the players were salivating to fill the world in with their characters. Playbooks were snapped up, and I proceed to then ask probing questions about the characters.

Exciting things are defined right from the beginning, and players can create characters with confidence of where they'll be in the world, but general enough to have opportunities for further creation.  Also, because the players answer the questions, they're already emotionally tied to the fictional world.  Stakes named and put out there by the players.

Hoping this may inspire some other intrepid MCs.

I'm going to post the result of these questions from my current game, as well as post the on going sessions.  So far I'm really enjoying MCing, more than with any other rpg.

Peace.

So the Skinner wants to get Moonlighting.  Juggling-2, two working gigs.  Gotcha.
Does he also get an Obligation gig? 

Reading the Character's Crap question, I noticed it's vague on that, or is it 'vague' because a non-Operator gets no Obligations?

When another playbook takes Moonlighting is it just for running jobs, or does it come with the heady responsibility of an Obligation? 

Rowr.

I think your broad definition is good, though I would switch the word 'society' to 'civilization.' 

Though I might add the PA is a decrease in human population, and resources.  (though a decrease in one would probably mean a decrease in the other).

To me, the PA is about scarcity.  Scarcity of people, resources, technology, decency, law, ideas, hope.  And all around are the reminders of the world that once was, broken in the ruins. 

As a genre, PA fiction operates as post-modern version of the Western, and as such, is deeply routed with Americana in general. It's easy to see how Cormac McCarthy can easy shift between the two modes in his work.

I totally agree with Mr. Wilson.  The PA does seem rightly rooted in Americana (though not exclusively).   I would say that the reminding ruins of the old world is the key ingredient that would separate the post-apocalypse from a western. 

I'm playing the Duke.  Gunlugger.  I'm playing him as a grim feudal lord of the post apocalypse, with delusions of nobility.  The sight of his death mask is feared throughout ruined Detroit. 

The game I'm playing in, our characters seem to be as villain protagonists.  Specifically, the Duke participated in cannibalism (cooked up by Dr. Sundown the Brainer), broke the hand of a trader-envoy who wanted to marry his daughter, ripped apart a child gang, and raped a woman in the Hardholder's market.  (Understandably, the latter incident got our MC a bit squeamish)

We're really pulling out the stops to make our characters vile, reflecting the world that they live in - products of their environment.  Not something we planned, or normally play.    Wanting to start focusing on what makes the character somewhat decent and relatable. 

Also, a note:  there's a feeling of unrestrained freedom in playing the Duke, which is both fun and scary.   Looking forward to what happens in our next game. 

I've been inspired to do my own take on ABaHD after reading another Playbook thread on it (thank you, Willow).

A Boy and His Dog is homage to human-canine interactions such as Rin-Tin-Tin, Lassie, the Road Warrior, Dogmeat (from the Fallout series), the obvious A Boy and His Dog story by Harlan Ellison.  (a great "Apocalypse World" short story).

Wanted the Playbook to revolve around the concepts of loyalty, protection, friendship.  Inspired by the builds of the Faceless and Driver.

Finally, I consider this to be a rough draft.  I highly encourage others to comment and suggest ideas that will help to improve this. 

A Boy and His Dog

You can remember the black nights spent dodging murder, then hunting the things that weren't trying to eat you.  Afterwards, the two of you managed to pull in somewhere safe, keeping watch while the other slept.  Alone, either one of you would be nothing more than a meal, but together you're nothing to be scoffed at.  And while people will let you down, fuck you over, stab you in the back, your dog is the one person you will stick with you, through black nights and murder.
In Apocalypse World, so many people are separated from love and warmth, but not you.  You've got your best friend.  You've got your dog.

Choose your name and look:

Name
Ace, Bandit, Blondie, Blood, Blue, Dog Boy/Girl, Flint, Gibson, Harlan,                 

Hunter, Kringer, Max, McCarthy, Queen, Shepherd, Snarl, Terry, Trigger, Vic.

Look:
Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Ambiguous

Army surplus wear, furs and leather wear, ratty luxe wear, baddass ganger wear, rugged ranger wear.

Filthy face, friendly face, weathered face, cute face, thin face, quirky face.

Spiteful eyes, guarded eyes, sharp eyes, twitchy eyes, expressive eyes, warm eyes.

Angular and bony body, wiry body, sturdy body, chubby body, relaxed body, malnourished body, fit body.

Choose a set:
Cool-1 Hard+0 Hot+1 Sharp+2 Weird0
Cool+0 Hard+1 Hot0 Sharp+2 Weird-1
Cool+1 Hard0 Hot+0 Sharp+2 Weird-1
Cool-2 Hard+0 Hot+1 Sharp+2 Weird+1

Your Dog
Choose a name for your dog.

Choose a gender:  Male, female, neutral.

Pick an array.
Fierce+1, Friendly+0, Alert+1, Aberrant+0, Dependent+1
Fierce+0, Friendly+1, Alert+1, Aberrant+0, Dependent+1
Fierce+0, Friendly+0, Alert+1, Aberrant+1, Dependent+1
Fierce+1, Friendly+1, Alert+1, Aberrant+0, Dependent+2

In combat, it has: 2-harm hand implanted, 0-armour, with a health clock the same as you.  Players Healing and Harming your dog affects your Hx as if they healed or harmed you.

Also, while your dog may argue with you, hate you, or get upset, it will never betray you.  The dog is +Loyal to you.

Pick the dog's breed:  Mutt, Pedigree, Cyber, Mutie.

Pick its role:  Hunter, charmdog, sentry, science experiment, wardog, Maelstrom expy, lapdog, performer.

Pick one or two Strengths, and one or two Weakness.

Strength:  Fast, protective, tough, patient, friendly, eager, adorable, smart, aggressive.
Weakness: Lazy, filthy, dumb, lame, loud, feral, needy, decrypted, cynical, ugly, mostly-blind, small.

Moves:
You start off with A Boy Loves his Dog, and Tricks.

A Boy Loves His Dog, while accompanied by your Dog...
... if you do something under fire, add your dog's fierce to your roll.
... if you try to do something by force, add your dog's fierce to your roll.
... if you go aggro, add your dog's fierce to your roll.
... if you try to seduce or manipulate someone, add your dog's friendly to your roll.
... if you read a sitch or a person, add your dog's alert to your roll.
... if you try to open your mind to the psychic maelstrom, add your dog's aberrant to your roll.
... if you help or interfere with someone, add your dog's alert to the roll.
... if someone interferes with you, add your dog's dependent to their roll.


Tricks:  Give the dog a command.  Roll +Sharp.  10+ Pick all 5.  On a 7-9, pick 3.  On a fail, the dog does not, or cannot obey.
--The Dog obeys the command immediately.
--The Dog is not harmed or hindered.
--The Dog is not confused, distracted or frightened.
--The Dog performs particularly well.
--The Dog performs happily.
Note:  I thought the dog needs a way to determine the degree of success/fail when the Boy gets the dog to do something.  One can use this move to do a huge array of things, like guard a person, attack, navigate through a land mind, dig for treasure, etc.  Can be compared to the Pack Alpha move.

Scout:  When you read a sitch, a success will allow you to pick an additional question.  10+ Pick two questions from below.  7-9 pick one additional question.  As this is part of reading a stitch, you also can take +1 if you act on these answers.
-Who else has been here?
-Where can I find [a particular item, place or person]?
-Where is safety?
-What happened here recently?
-What is secretly going on?
-How can I best hurt my enemies?

Best Friends:
When you help another PC, gain an xp.

DON'T FUCK WITH MY DOG
When fighting together, you and your dog act as a small gang: 3-harm, 1 armour. Range: hand/close.

Canine Intervention:
Your dog races to perform a last second save when a NPC or PC is about to take Harm.  Describe how your dog can come to the rescue.
Roll +Sharp for an NPC, or +Hx for a PC.
On a success the dog reaches the target in time.
10+ - Divide the total harm in half, (round down), and divide the remainder between the target and the dog.
7-9 - Subtract 1 from the total Harm, and divide the remainder between the target and the dog.
Fail - Both the target and the dog take the full harm.
Note, the Harm can be dealt from any source, so long as the canine can physically intercede.  It is conceivable for the canine to arrive in time to prevent the Harm from a botched Angel roll (bursting in on the operation before the scalpel is lowered!), but hard to justify intercepting the Harm from a Brainer's move.

Speak:
Your dog can speak, through medical experiement, mutation, telepathy, mechanical enchancements, or sheer empathy. ("what's that Lassie?  The Hocus fell down the well?")  Others can understand the dog, if it wishes.
Still working on the details of this power.  Thinking it could give +insight, or maybe a bonus similar to the Faceless?  Or maybe scratch this as a power, and allow the dog to speak from the beginning?
Note:  I think it's important that the dog is given a voice, either literally or figurativly, especially as a way for the character to be played with and interact.  The Dog from the Harlan Ellison story was done particularly well as a speaking (telepathic) character, and that's something I want to capture with this char.

Gear
You get oddments worth 1 barter.

And pick 2:
-9mm (2 harm, close, loud)
-Hunting Rifle (2 harm, far, loud).
-Hunting spear (2 harm, hand or close & reload)
-Handspike (1 harm, AP, hand)
-Fuck off knife (2 harm, hand)
-SMG (2 harm, close, area, loud).
-Many Knives (2-harm, hand, infinite)
-Dog Vest worth 1-armour.

Also, the Boy can choose to take armour worth 1-armour.

Hx

On your turn, choose one or both:
-You want to have sex with one of the characters.  Tell them hx+2
-One character has never had a pet.  Tell them hx-2
-Everyone else, tell them 0.

On their turn, pick on or both:
-Your dog thinks you should watch that person.  Whatever number they tell you, give it +1
-You've had to pack up with that character, surviving through a particular period of murder and starvation.  Whatever number they tell you, instead write +2.
-Everyone else, write the number they tell you.

Boy/Dog Special
-If you and a character have sex, hold 2.  Either you, or the other character can spend the hold.  Spending the hold will compel the other to help, if able, or to prevent the other from interfering.

Improvement
_+1 Cool
_+1 Hard
_+1 Hot
_+1 Weird
_+1 to one of your dog's stats.
_Gain a new Boy/Dog move.
_Gain a new Boy/Dog move.
_Gain 2 gigs and Moonlighting.
_Gain a move from another playbook.
_Gain a move from another playbook.
* If your dog dies, you can also spend a level to gain a new one.  (detail).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks!

Wow, you've listened to the pod-cast, Neurook?  Goddamn.  Tell me when I've reached international fame. 

I was trying to go for a Hocus version of Reputation, seeing as JC started off as an Operator, who's dabbling.

Wanted to ask though, why do you think I would want to include an option that the followers hadn't encountered the group?  You  mean to add it as a miss?

JC is an Operator, who took Fortunes and a convoy of followers to spread the word of The Dream.
After JC turns Hardholder, he gets concerned that his followers are turning rather creepy-cultish on him, and warping the tenants of The Dream.  So JC lays down the tenants, and tells them to go forth, in all directions, into Post-Apocalyptia in order to spread the message of The Dream.

On JC's character sheet, I erased Fortunes, and wrote Gone Forth.

Here it is.  Curious as to what other ppl think.

Gone Forth:

Your Followers have been cut loose, and sent into the Wasteland to spread the Dream.  In each direction they have gone, with a message, that man should try to do more good unto others than he does for himself. Other groups in the Wasteland have encountered your heralds, and have been thus affected.

When meeting a new group of people, be it a caravan, wanderers, slavers, a settlement, etc, Roll +(Cool/Weird/Something else?).

On a hit, they've had a positive encounter with your followers.  10-12, something inside of them has been touched by your words, spoken through your messengers.  They genuinely believe in the Dream.  Pick 2.

-They want to join your settlement.
-They offer you 1 barter in tribute.
-They offer help, aid, shelter, and/or information.

On a 7-9, they appreciate the Dream, and what you stand for, but the world's a hard place.  Pick 1.

On a Fail, the Followers messed up when they encountered the group - they were annoying, heavy-handed, dangerous, lost the purpose of the Dream, and/or preached to the wrong fucking hombres.

Want ppl's opinions.

Thanks!