I just did some research on this and it looks very similar to 4E rules on skill challenges. I'm unsure how it differs besides having the visual (is the visual public?)
You can view progress clocks like a much more flexible and less formal skill challenge, which fits in better with 5E's design I think. I attached the page about them from the quick-start.
Here are the big differences that I can pick out:
1. The
amount of segments you tick for success/failure varies by approach. In a 4E skill challenge, it's always 1 success or 1 failure. But in Blades, the default is 2 -- but it could be 1 for an ineffective approach, or 3 for a very effective approach or a very high roll. This makes the thing feel less artificial, because you really have to think about
what you are doing to advance the clock.
(This is what the quick-start is talking about with "effect levels." Every action you take in Blades has an effect that is rated from 1-3, with 2 being the "standard effect." Lots of modifiers apply to effect level. It's like, imagine if advantage/disadvantage could apply to damage instead of accuracy.)
2. You're supposed to show the clocks (except maybe the faction clocks which represent secret schemes -- but those can be discoverable). The clock is specifically indicative, not prescriptive. Meaning, the clock shows your progress, but does not determine it. So it can tick (or un-tick!) based on things other than rolling dice. The number of successes required can change. It's a tool to measure and communicate progress being made, so it's supposed to reflect the situation, not govern the situation.
3. You are supposed to use them for all sorts of things, big and small, quick and long-term. A 4E skill challenge was mostly phrased as an encounter. Progress clocks often happen in the background, ongoing, as part of other activities. They can just sort of appear and disappear as needed.
