NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 9245024" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Well, Dogs in the Vineyard got postponed till tomorrow (hopefully!), so here is a quick post on the subject:* Does your system/game feature the GM writing a series of scripted plot points that converge in their sequence to generate a story that the GM already knows about (sequence, outcomes, throughline etc)?  If so, you are NOT running a Story Now (Play to Find Out...what the story is) game.  The GM already knows (what the story is).* Does your system/game feature players who have a strong conception of character before play whereby they either (a) expect that conception to be mapped upon play via GM curation or player-side railroading tools (including social contract) or (b) are able to assure that this conception is mapped upon play via either (i) an EZMode setting of the game or (ii) the systemization of trivially gameable trading out of low-stakes consequences for the certainty that high-stakes conflict resolve to the player's pre-play preferences?  If so, you are NOT running a Story Now (Play to Find Out...who these characters are) game.  The player already knows (who the character is).Now...* Are you running a system/game that features that first bullet point but not that second?  If yes, you are running a Traditional game.* Are you running a system/game that features both the first and second bullet points?  If yes, you are running a Neotraditional game.[HR][/HR]Upthread I expressed some thoughts about Agon after GMing it for like 12-15 sessions or whatever (a full game).  Agon is NOT a Neotraditional game because the first bullet point is very much not true.  However, the second bullet point kind of materializes in play due to the systemization of that (i) in that second bullet point.  Despite the fact that the GM is only prepping situations and neither plot points nor throughline nor sequence nor outcomes, the game just doesn't generate an enormous amount of dynamism because there just isn't enough mechanical teeth to consequences nor ambient nor direct threat against the heroes to create a snowballing, dynamic narrative that emerges.  The overwhelming amount of dynamism in play is downrange of (a) deft GM framing/decision-space affording to players in scenario design and (b) interesting player action declarations and emergent affiliations (with the micro-setting of the islands, with each other as PCs, and with the Gods themselves).Consequently, the play often (though not always) feels a little "saw that coming-ey" on both GM-side and player-side even without any planning or curation.  The contrast with a game like Dogs in the Vineyard, Apocalypse World (and certain others in that line), Blades in the Dark, Torchbearer (etc etc etc), and hardmode D&D 4e is significant.</blockquote>

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