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The importance to RPGing of *engaging* situations
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<blockquote data-quote="Pedantic" data-source="post: 8923116" data-attributes="member: 6690965"><p>I wanted to touch on this, I don't really support systems that require you to play the GM in the sense described here, but I do absolutely think players should be avoiding rolling when possible, and should be able to take actions without risk, and frankly should be trying to do so. If they must take risks, the next step is to minimize both the chance of and consequences of failure.</p><p></p><p>This is generally what I'm describing as "parasitic" here, that players always take on new risks when they attempt anything at all, and that there is no course of action they can take that doesn't expose them to penalty, and depending on the system and the precise rules for "success at cost" (somewhat less an issue in Blades because you can buy off consequences with stress) that risk may be unbounded and unknowable.</p><p></p><p>I found Blades incredibly... Claustrophobic? The entire take on heists as a unit of gameplay for example. I like heists in my RPGs, they're an excellent closed loop situation to make and execute a plan with some room for improvisation if things go awry. There's a clear goal and a set of challenges to overcome (including learning about those challenges, so you can go plot to overcome them). The entire model of a heist in Blades inverts this. You improvise everything, including the plan, and declare moves in response to risk, instead of to avoid it. It's actively very frustrating to play as a result. I can never feel safe declaring an action, and any input I put into game can snap into a risk at any moment, and the game is very clear that's the intended play state.</p><p></p><p>I play games that involve risk mitigation/assessment as a primary mechanic, most significantly Netrunner, but those games still reward me for planning, and reward good decision making that limits risk or mitigates downsides. Knowing that your opponent could play a card that tags you if you run, you ensure you have sufficient economy to survive that, or don't run, unless say, the game is at match point and your only remaining out is to score the last point with a successful run.</p><p></p><p>Blades did not, in my admittedly limited experience, feel amenable to that analysis. I felt like I was being asked to make decisions without performing risk analysis. In particular the game kept insisting my character was competent, but felt like it was forcing me to play incompetently, in a way I found particular dissonant.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pedantic, post: 8923116, member: 6690965"] I wanted to touch on this, I don't really support systems that require you to play the GM in the sense described here, but I do absolutely think players should be avoiding rolling when possible, and should be able to take actions without risk, and frankly should be trying to do so. If they must take risks, the next step is to minimize both the chance of and consequences of failure. This is generally what I'm describing as "parasitic" here, that players always take on new risks when they attempt anything at all, and that there is no course of action they can take that doesn't expose them to penalty, and depending on the system and the precise rules for "success at cost" (somewhat less an issue in Blades because you can buy off consequences with stress) that risk may be unbounded and unknowable. I found Blades incredibly... Claustrophobic? The entire take on heists as a unit of gameplay for example. I like heists in my RPGs, they're an excellent closed loop situation to make and execute a plan with some room for improvisation if things go awry. There's a clear goal and a set of challenges to overcome (including learning about those challenges, so you can go plot to overcome them). The entire model of a heist in Blades inverts this. You improvise everything, including the plan, and declare moves in response to risk, instead of to avoid it. It's actively very frustrating to play as a result. I can never feel safe declaring an action, and any input I put into game can snap into a risk at any moment, and the game is very clear that's the intended play state. I play games that involve risk mitigation/assessment as a primary mechanic, most significantly Netrunner, but those games still reward me for planning, and reward good decision making that limits risk or mitigates downsides. Knowing that your opponent could play a card that tags you if you run, you ensure you have sufficient economy to survive that, or don't run, unless say, the game is at match point and your only remaining out is to score the last point with a successful run. Blades did not, in my admittedly limited experience, feel amenable to that analysis. I felt like I was being asked to make decisions without performing risk analysis. In particular the game kept insisting my character was competent, but felt like it was forcing me to play incompetently, in a way I found particular dissonant. [/QUOTE]
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