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  1. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    So a couple of things that I wanted to capture/summarize that's been discussed so far-- To discuss narrative-style play in "natural terms", it seems to lead to a discussion of character. I think that's because talking about character is a natural pivot point to looking at how fiction is...
  2. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    Thanks for bringing this up. I hope the player didn't feel I was treating him contemptibly. Something I need to be careful of. In terms of attitude toward the "gamist treadmill" style of play, I don't know that I would say my attitude toward it goes so far as outright contempt. Up to a certain...
  3. innerdude

    NeoTrad/OC Play, & the treatment of friendly NPCs (++)

    So I'm in an interesting . . . boat, so to speak, regarding neotrad/OC play, in that I can fully see and recognize it definitionally, and have seen it in play several times (one particular player comes to mind). (I just re-read the original 6 Cultures of Play essay just to remind myself). My...
  4. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    I appreciate you trying to point out the things you see in EotE. It's possible there is more "traditional" game living in the weeds in EotE than perhaps I expected. And that does perhaps change some of the color of my interaction with the player in question. But a couple of points --- First...
  5. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    I'm not running this like it's Dungeon World or Ironsworn. I'm using a published module, for heaven's sake, which I haven't done in 15 years since I ran the first Runelords packet for Pathfinder 1. It's clear you don't see the FFG system in the same light I do. All good.
  6. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    Well . . . perhaps. But perhaps not. Thing of it is, I gave them the choice when we started which version of Star Wars to run --- Classic D6 (2e Revised), D20 Saga Edition, Edge of the Empire, or house-ruled Savage Worlds. Two of the five players wanted EotE, hands down, because they like that...
  7. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    Hmmm, not so much trying to "redesign" the character, so much as help the player find better alignment with the goals of the campaign. The player has struggled at times with what I perceive to be remnants of "trad" gameplay sensibilities that run counter to the "platonic ideal" of how FFG Star...
  8. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look! This is a good question. It wasn't so much the desire to improve gear, accrue funds, etc. that was problematic. It was definitely more the manner and attitude towards it. I, in most cases as a GM, am more than willing to let characters spend money...
  9. innerdude

    Trying to Describe "Narrative-Style Gameplay" to a Current Player in Real-World Terms

    So I had an interesting conversation with one of my players immediately following last week's gaming session. We're currently in the heart of an FFG Star Wars / Genesys system campaign using Edge of the Empire. The player in question has a long, long history of RPG play but almost exclusively...
  10. innerdude

    Payn's Ponderings; System mastery and the concept of fair fight.

    Well, in a discussion about balancing encounters, creating "fair" fights, and the role of players and GM in meeting expectations around those subjects, it makes sense to investigate what, exactly, is demanded of the players. My experience with GURPS overwhelmingly points to the fact that...
  11. innerdude

    Payn's Ponderings; System mastery and the concept of fair fight.

    You've just described in once sentence why GURPS has never, and will never be more than a fraction of 1% of the overall game playing population. Well done.
  12. innerdude

    Payn's Ponderings; System mastery and the concept of fair fight.

    My favorite system, Savage Worlds, has 2 very specific breaking points that can be exacerbated by extreme optimization---difficulty to hit (Parry) and difficulty to damage (Toughness + Armor). And what makes it worse at times is that the two are often correlated. PC builds that optimize high...
  13. innerdude

    Be a GAME-MASTER, not a DIRECTOR

    And I'm telling you it makes absolute sense once you experience it, is 1000% completely possible, and results in a very specific, highly enjoyable gameplay experience when you do. I mean, sure, I could be lying to you. Maybe I didn't really have any of those experiences playing solo Ironsworn...
  14. innerdude

    Be a GAME-MASTER, not a DIRECTOR

    The fundamental misapprehension you're having here is that in the style of play we're talking about, the very existence of the "Old Elf Tree" should be fundamentally tied to something absolutely core to at least one of the PC's described motivations, instincts, beliefs, desires. Finding the the...
  15. innerdude

    Be a GAME-MASTER, not a DIRECTOR

    Because it teaches you how to be both a player and GM at the same time --- which conceptually forces you to adopt the same kind of mindset that a "non-director" GM would take when playing Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, Blades in the Dark, or Ironsworn. Why would you play a solo RPG if you...
  16. innerdude

    Be a GAME-MASTER, not a DIRECTOR

    I literally DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU to download the Ironsworn PDF for the price of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING---literally $0.00, free, gratis. Then read the rules from page 1 through 109, and then sit down and play a solo session of the game for 90 minutes. What you will experience, if you approach it...
  17. innerdude

    Be a GAME-MASTER, not a DIRECTOR

    This statement is quite obviously coming from a place of ignorance with regards to PbtA adjacent gaming, particularly my favorite iteration, Ironsworn. With the help of my players and a small set of prompts, we could build a "six competing noble houses" game together, in session, in about 45...
  18. innerdude

    Status of Edge of the Empire?

    My group is actively playing Edge of the Empire as we speak. Just in the last 2-4 months, Edge Studios issued reprints of all of the core 3 books (EotE, AoE, FaD). They are available on Amazon now with the Edge Studio imprint, and 3 different local FLGSes in my area (I just moved from Seattle...
  19. innerdude

    Peregrine's Nest: Who Goes First?

    My two favorite initiative systems, both already mentioned: Savage Worlds: Using a standard 52-card deck + Jokers, deal a card to each player + NPC or NPC group. Highest card goes first. Discard all cards at the end of the round and continue dealing from top of the deck. Special: Jokers are...
  20. innerdude

    How to find the "joy of prep" in PbtA games?

    Thank you for this. You totally captured what I was trying to say in my response much more succinctly. :)
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