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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8397364" data-attributes="member: 6696971">I've not read a ton of this thread (I just skimmed some posts working backwards), but I wanted to address this recent line of posts leading up to your last.So far as I know &quot;be a fan&quot; (in those exact words...its elsewhere aplenty in TTRPGs) of characters began in VB's Apocalypse World.&nbsp; It 100 % isn't about putting a thumb on the scales.&nbsp; In fact, when integrated with the agenda of play and the other principles and best practices, there_can_be_no_question that it is, in fact, not about thumbs and scales. Here is what it means (directly from the text):1)&nbsp; Make their lives &quot;not boring&quot; (interesting).2)&nbsp; The best way to make their lives interesting is by making it consequential.&nbsp; How do you make it consequential (I'm glad you asked)?3a)&nbsp; Take what they (the players) and the game gives you and use what you find interesting about the PCs. Play there (provoke them).3b)&nbsp; Make the world respond hard to their actions.&nbsp; When they (the PCs) make waves, let them topple an already unstable situation and make waves right back.[HR][/HR]That's it.&nbsp; Be curious, be interested, and be interesting.&nbsp; Nothing more.&nbsp; No thumbs on scales either way.What it really means is &quot;don't make play thematically/premise-absent&quot; and your table time should be spent on conflicts that matter to the protagonists and the participants at the table. Play there.&nbsp; Don't spend table time on conflict-neutral stuff or Setting Solitaire etc.&nbsp; Its &quot;thumb on the scales of table time on provocative and consequential (interesting and conflict-charged).&quot;&nbsp; That is how a GM is a fan of the PCs (not in terms of story outcomes by in framing and of type/kind of obstacles and post action/conflict resolution evolution of fiction).I doubt you feel like I've had my thumb on the scales for the PCs you've played in my games!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 8397364, member: 6696971"] I've not read a ton of this thread (I just skimmed some posts working backwards), but I wanted to address this recent line of posts leading up to your last. So far as I know "be a fan" (in those exact words...its elsewhere aplenty in TTRPGs) of characters began in VB's Apocalypse World. It 100 % isn't about putting a thumb on the scales. In fact, when integrated with the agenda of play and the other principles and best practices, there_can_be_no_question that it is, in fact, not about [B]thumbs [/B]and scales. Here is what it means (directly from the text): 1) Make their lives "not boring" (interesting). 2) The best way to make their lives interesting is by making it consequential. How do you make it consequential (I'm glad you asked)? 3a) Take what they (the players) and the game gives you and use what you find interesting about the PCs. [I] Play there (provoke them)[/I]. 3b) Make the world respond hard to their actions. When they (the PCs) make waves, let them topple an already unstable situation and make waves right back. [HR][/HR] That's it. Be curious, be interested, and be interesting. Nothing more. No thumbs on scales either way. What it really means is "don't make play thematically/premise-absent" and your table time should be spent on conflicts that matter to the protagonists and the participants at the table. [I] Play there[/I]. Don't spend table time on conflict-neutral stuff or Setting Solitaire etc. Its "thumb on the scales of table time on provocative and consequential (interesting and conflict-charged)." That is how a GM is a fan of the PCs (not in terms of story outcomes by in framing and of type/kind of obstacles and post action/conflict resolution evolution of fiction). I doubt you feel like I've had my thumb on the scales for the PCs you've played in my games! [/QUOTE]

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