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*TTRPGs General
A Question Of Agency?
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 8153873" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>Two things on this.</p><p></p><p>First, the comparison is about resisting the fundamental means of momentum in the game. Mounting consequences is to Blades what room/level exploration is to D&D. Yes, I know you don't run dungeoncrawly type games, but gimme at least a little leeway with my metaphor. I think it would still apply however you ran the game; if you're relying on the fiction to shape the coming events, then what if a player balked at some new element you introduced, that's the kind of resistance I'm talking about. It's about not engaging with the game the way its meant to function. I mostly used the map and key example to avoid making any assumptions about your game and how it runs. </p><p></p><p>So, a player who balks at a consequence coming up in Blades is the same as a player balking at another room or another level of the dungeon in classic style D&D. </p><p></p><p>Second, to take your example, I think that would work quite well with a little bit of modification. Let's say a PC Scoundrel is skirmishing with some gang member in a manor house. There are other gang members nearby who are a threat, and the rest of his crew is around, too. So the PC attempts a Skirmish to stab the guy and gets a 4, Success with Consequence. He stabs the guy, but as he falls dead he stumbles back and hits a lantern that smashes on the floor and lights the nearby curtains. Now, the house doesn't just become a raging inferno, but there's a consequence that doesn't negate his success, but introduces a new element that needs to be dealt with. As I said, this isn't a raging inferno yet....but it probably needs to be dealt with before it gets worse, or, if the PCs are perfectly happy with the place burning down, then it puts a clock in place for them to do what they're there to do and the GTFO. </p><p></p><p>I mean, this scene seems straight out of genre fiction of all kinds.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Removing the odds from the GM's control, do you mean? I'm not quite sure I'm following.</p><p></p><p>I think that removing GM ability to simply overrule anything, and to specifically constrain how they can frame scenes and so on, is a big part of player agency, no? The more authority that the GM has in this arena, the less the players have, right? Yes, there are still other factors at play, dice result being the big one, but I think that's what enables the agency. The math is all transparent to the player. They understand the odds and likely the consequences (or their severity, at least) and then can make an informed decision to proceed or not. </p><p></p><p>I think that agency largely has to belong to either the GM or the players, such that reducing it for one increases it for the other.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 8153873, member: 6785785"] Two things on this. First, the comparison is about resisting the fundamental means of momentum in the game. Mounting consequences is to Blades what room/level exploration is to D&D. Yes, I know you don't run dungeoncrawly type games, but gimme at least a little leeway with my metaphor. I think it would still apply however you ran the game; if you're relying on the fiction to shape the coming events, then what if a player balked at some new element you introduced, that's the kind of resistance I'm talking about. It's about not engaging with the game the way its meant to function. I mostly used the map and key example to avoid making any assumptions about your game and how it runs. So, a player who balks at a consequence coming up in Blades is the same as a player balking at another room or another level of the dungeon in classic style D&D. Second, to take your example, I think that would work quite well with a little bit of modification. Let's say a PC Scoundrel is skirmishing with some gang member in a manor house. There are other gang members nearby who are a threat, and the rest of his crew is around, too. So the PC attempts a Skirmish to stab the guy and gets a 4, Success with Consequence. He stabs the guy, but as he falls dead he stumbles back and hits a lantern that smashes on the floor and lights the nearby curtains. Now, the house doesn't just become a raging inferno, but there's a consequence that doesn't negate his success, but introduces a new element that needs to be dealt with. As I said, this isn't a raging inferno yet....but it probably needs to be dealt with before it gets worse, or, if the PCs are perfectly happy with the place burning down, then it puts a clock in place for them to do what they're there to do and the GTFO. I mean, this scene seems straight out of genre fiction of all kinds. Removing the odds from the GM's control, do you mean? I'm not quite sure I'm following. I think that removing GM ability to simply overrule anything, and to specifically constrain how they can frame scenes and so on, is a big part of player agency, no? The more authority that the GM has in this arena, the less the players have, right? Yes, there are still other factors at play, dice result being the big one, but I think that's what enables the agency. The math is all transparent to the player. They understand the odds and likely the consequences (or their severity, at least) and then can make an informed decision to proceed or not. I think that agency largely has to belong to either the GM or the players, such that reducing it for one increases it for the other. [/QUOTE]
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