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I think Masks probably provides a crisper view of what playing to premise can look like: Let's say I am playing The Protege playbook. The main thematic premise is that you have trained by a more experienced hero and are defined by your relationship to them. As part of character creation I...

I don't particularly care to get into the particulars of what is and is not a sandbox, but what I would say differentiates say typical Blades from typical Worlds Without Number is that we focus on the thematic premises of everything (not just the player characters) over our detailed conception...

I think a game ran and played according to best practices will look a lot like that and I think it's where the game really sings. It's what the reward systems seem to point towards (the stuff you get personal and crew XP for). It's also what I got out of the actual plays I saw John Harper run...

Let's forget about labels and instead discuss the sort of play experience I look for when playing games like Blades in the Dark. I am playing Tal Rajan (a Lurk) who has the following set of premises: He is an Iruvian Noble (so someone who comes from privilege but is a foreigner) His Vice is...

Um. Daggerheart uses conflict resolution. It explicitly uses Apocalypse World style GM moves and its rules for action rolls snowball in exactly the same sort of way action rolls do in Blades. Success With Hope = You get what you want. Success With Fear = You get what you want and GM Makes a...

I don't speak "player driven" is a very good descriptor. I think play that addresses the thematic premises embedded in the character is a much better one. What conflict resolution brings to the table is a way to keep the focus on consequences that relevant to things players are trying to address...

Violence and fight scenes are not a problem (and often play a big role in games like Maks, Apocalypse Keys and Avatar). What is an issue for me (when I am looking for Story Now play) is the 'combat mode' where the normal flow of the conversation is disrupted. It's stuff like cyclical...

Just because a game or style of play is not for you does not mean you should not respect its place in the hobby.

Are you suggesting that just because play is more intentional that people are not inhabiting or portraying their characters? Come the <naughty word> on. You should know better by now.

No Country for Old Men, Breaking Bad, Homicide and Sons of Anarchy are l very good examples of media that use conflicts to setup other conflicts (and mostly avoid scenes that exist only to establish things).

The slower moments don't have to be conflict neutral or without genuine stakes. They can simply be moments of play where the stakes are lower. but still contribute to the momentum of play. These smaller conflicts than become fertile ground to establish the sorts of details that bring meaning to...

Greedfall, Witcher 2, Deus Ex series and Cyberpunk 2077. About as close as you can get to playing an actual protagonist in the CRPG space. Lots of impactful choices, multiple approaches to most challenges, rich characters with varied relationships to your character. Probably the best games are...

There's a very very big difference between framing situations that address a character's (and the game's) premise and delivering the story a player wants. I know when I run games like Apocalypse Keys the last thing on my mind are story outcomes or character arcs.

Terrion Arnold at 24 is a steal for my Lions. Can't believe the board broke that way.

I'd likely say the personal story of the characters and reinforcing players' conceptions of their characters taking precedence over rules as GM rather than just story generally taking precedence (where GM directed plot is a norm of middle school (1990s design) / trad design).

I think the most important thing is that there are many things that are great/unique about the medium. For me personally the capacity to dynamically frame situation and build a setting as we go with fairly minimal effort is one of its' biggest advantages. It means we can build off the things...

There is not just one reason to create a rule or a piece of lore. Sometimes one comes first and justifies the other. Sometimes its uno reversi. One is not more valorous or normative than the other. Roleplaying game design is about synthesis of these things to create both compelling gameplay and...

I don't dispute that people feel more comfortable with a process of play they are more accustomed to. What I dispute is that this is actually the case. How plausible, consistent or credible an established element of the fiction is has far more to do with the thought process around it than who...

I think if you want the current Fighter and Warlord to exist within the same class chassis you have to reduce the footprint of things like extra attacks, action surge etc to leave more room for customization to occur. Otherwise, you are only going to ever be slightly a leader of men. It's never...

As an inside I really hate the word 'mundane' being used as a stand-in for not supernatural. It breathes life into the notion that only magic can be incredible, fantastic, special. Looking at all the things that exist in our world and calling the artistry of the great architects, the prowess of...