Rover,
feel free to add my handle somewhere in there, if you want, in MS2.
Myself, I'd be more inclined to play through a homebrew RPG, sooner than later, if I knew it had some in jokes and references there. I know some people hated some stuff Vic Ireland did at Working Designs, when translating, etc, etc... but....
Do some goofy stuff. Nothing too harsh, though. You could have a NPC you have to collect gold for, to buy an expensive item at a shop, or whatever, to give him , only for him to run off with it, and take it to an auction house?
Playing a straight homebrew RPG game story, ok, cool, but, add some goofy stuff, for the folks buying it... I may the only person who feel this way, but, it's an idea!