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[Tim C Koppang]

I had a great time yesterday. Thanks to everyone who played Hero's Banner with me in the morning. The drama was really cooking. I know we had to force the ending a bit, but I think everyone was satisfied.

(Josh, to answer your question, yes, that's about right for the level of drama in a typical game. I'd say that we all did a nice job of interweaving the different characters' stories, which amped things up a bit more. For multi-generation, keep in mind that you're starting with fresh characters. It's just the consequences of their actions that carry more weight because you know what the previous generation had to go through to create what the new characters are manipulating.)

Mark, thanks for the wonderful Mouse Guard session. I was glad I got to finish out the second session (I'll have to practice my train schedule reading skills evidently.) I was certainly inspired to finish up the Fall collection of comics this morning. The game had a very nice heroic feel to it, where I think we were all wondering whether we'd get through the challenges or die trying.

I have been wondering about a couple of mechanics, though. First, it seemed like we had a tough time earning "Checks" (i.e., character advancing bonuses). I know we discussed this a bit yesterday after the game, but with the level of tension we were all facing, it seemed that there was a real incentive to push as hard as you could instead of purposefully agreeing to a setback (which is how you earn Checks for those reading this who don't know). On the other hand, I think I was overlooking something. Losing a challenge doesn't necessarily mean we were all going to die, right, unless that was the explicit goal of the opposition. Is failure meant to be more common I wonder?

Second, it seemed that basic skill checks were really hard. I'm thinking of my attempt to make windows to repair the baker's battered bakery. Even though I had two points in "Glazier", that was obviously not a lot. To make even basic functional windows required three successes (at most you can generate one success per point of skill). Were there other things I could have done to improve my odds?

All in all a great time. Thanks again to everyone.

- Tim