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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8588789" data-attributes="member: 6696971">I don't have a ton of time to deep dive into anything here, but I want to just say two things about the conversation that [USER=7023840]@Snarf Zagyg[/USER] and [USER=82106]@AbdulAlhazred[/USER] and [USER=16814]@Ovinomancer[/USER] are having and how it relates to what will later be (after we get the meat of/parameters of the discussion sorted through) under scrutiny (is Torchbearer 2 a capable Story Now vessel or even at all?):Torchbearer 2 absolutely has elements of "Pictionary Play" in it ("playing the GM" parlance):1)  In Conflicts the GM is (a) "equipping a weapon" (although this won't be a weapon if its a wilderness expedition conflict or a social conflict etc) and (b) providing fiction for you as players to evaluate your move-space (and all the resources you can martial that integrate with that) + your present Disposition/Condition situation + the Attack/Defend/Feint/Maneuver matrix.  This aspect of play has both a Pictionary element and a Rock/Paper/Scissors element to it.  Therefore, there is absolutely a "playing the GM" component to it.2)  You can defeat obstacles in TB2 without engaging the mechanics.  Hell, sometimes you have to.  But the TB reality is, if you are coming up with a sufficiently capable move that doesn't result in a Test, you're still (a) ticking the Grind forward and (b) you're working against your own Advancement interests for your PC (you don't Test, you don't get an Advancement Tick).  So there is all 3 of an attrition inevitability, a requirement of ingenuity, and an advancement tension.  Because of all of these 3 things, overwhelmingly, TB2 sees obstacles being addressed by players considering the present state of the PCs, their Goals/Beliefs/Instincts et al (and later Creed), the present gamestate (which includes a host of parameters), and end up skillfulling marshalling resources and making Tests.  However, I've run heaps of TB1 Adventures (and 6 x TB2 Adventures including the one this present ENWorld group is in the thrall of) and there are enough cases where you don't go to the dice for obstacle resolution that they have to be an input into the conversation.Finally, and unrelated to the above, [USER=82106]@AbdulAlhazred[/USER] is correct.  You can (and I do regularly) procedurally generate the obstacle array (and their connections and integration to the theme of the Adventures and the Goals the PCs have set out) of Short and Medium Adventures in TB in-situ.  Its particularly "easy" for Adventures that predominately or wholly take place in the wilderness.  The GMing skill is in (a) creating coherent, stimulating, consequential choice within move-space, (b) integrating each instance of this (so the whole Adventure features coherence, stimulation, and consequence), (c) knowing where/what when it comes to potential Camp sites, and (d) faithfully staying within/hewing to the parameters of Adventure design (including Loot and threats > expectant # of Obs, value of Obs, Might, etc).</blockquote>

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