I'm not one of the people you've been volleying with, about this, but:
I'm willing to agree with your description of GM Force, and I (maybe only now, with an example, because sometimes I am slow) understand your use of "degenerate" in this context.
I think GM Force is a thing that happens. I think some rule sets encourage it more than others, and some (maybe? plausibly?) demand it.
I think it's possible to argue that not having a way in the mechanics to determine the outcome of social interactions, or the timing (I guess) of when character flaws (or Troubles, or Vices, or whatever) come into play can feel like GM Force.
Without getting too hung up on the word, if GM Force feels like cheating at a given table (or even to a given player) there's a reasonable case to be made that in that case it is cheating, regardless of GM intent.
Looking at my previous thought, I'm thinking it's possible for different players at the same table to be in different STATEs (as you call them). I'm also thinking that there may be a continuum of STATE states (heh, heh) at least in the amount of Force that people or groups in the middle expect to be used. There's a difference between not wanting stupid/pointless character deaths and not allowing character deaths at all, but those could both plausibly be in STATE 2.
I'm not feeling particularly coherent about this, so I'll stop now.
I'm willing to agree with your description of GM Force, and I (maybe only now, with an example, because sometimes I am slow) understand your use of "degenerate" in this context.
I think GM Force is a thing that happens. I think some rule sets encourage it more than others, and some (maybe? plausibly?) demand it.
I think it's possible to argue that not having a way in the mechanics to determine the outcome of social interactions, or the timing (I guess) of when character flaws (or Troubles, or Vices, or whatever) come into play can feel like GM Force.
Without getting too hung up on the word, if GM Force feels like cheating at a given table (or even to a given player) there's a reasonable case to be made that in that case it is cheating, regardless of GM intent.
Looking at my previous thought, I'm thinking it's possible for different players at the same table to be in different STATEs (as you call them). I'm also thinking that there may be a continuum of STATE states (heh, heh) at least in the amount of Force that people or groups in the middle expect to be used. There's a difference between not wanting stupid/pointless character deaths and not allowing character deaths at all, but those could both plausibly be in STATE 2.
I'm not feeling particularly coherent about this, so I'll stop now.