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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6823936" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>Throwing this spurt of the conversation together to comment on what you guys are discussing. Below is what I think is relevant:</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Story Now</em></strong>: Tight, thematic zoom where the exclusive locus of play is the conflict-charged in which the action is centered around what the players (through their characters PC build flags and their actions) have signaled as important content. Typically this focuses on things like relationships, oaths/vows, emotion, redemption and the prioritization of values. PC build + the game's reward/incentive cycle will integrate these components.</p><p></p><p>GM's job - Follow the rules and your principles. Fast forward past mundane or innocuous goings-on. PCs need to be relentlessly framed into "Action Scenes" whereby they're making decisions that they have signaled that they care about. All table time should be spent exclusively on this. Your "Exposition" and opening of the "Rising Action" should observe (a) the continuity of the prior fiction, (b) genre expectations, (c) PC build archetype (eg don't frame Master Pickpockets into scenes where they've been caught pilfering someone), (d) "Transition Scene" action declarations and resolution, (e) the thematic interests of the players. Your "Denouement" and the fallout tha stems from it needs to be an outgrowth of your principles coupled with (a), (b), (e) above and obeyance to the course that the resolution mechanics has charted.</p><p></p><p>Player agency - The only thing that matters is that the GM is always following the rules, table time is exclusively spent on stuff we have signaled we care about, and the GM does a proper job with Exposition, the opening of the Rising Action, Denouement, and lets us dictate the outcomes of the Rising Action, Climax, and Falling Action.</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Sandbox Exploration</strong></em> is quite different (obviously). Play isn't separated into discrete "Action Scenes" and "Transition Scenes" as time spent and exploration of space are centered around a more granular, much more serial nature. Consequently, the resolution mechanics need to enfold that granularity. GMs and players need to observe that granularity, specificity/nuance in the conversation of play and action declarations (per parcel of time:space) will accordingly be more discrete, more concrete/less abstract, and consequently more numerous (obviously). Player agency in these sorts of games demands as much. </p><p></p><p>Finally, play needs to include material that is effectively conflict-neutral; not hooked directly into thematic components of PC build (if the system even has them in the first place). Haggling with merchants, "state your business" conversations with gate guards, tavern-canoodling, caravan-guarding, random-thieves-guild-encountering, NPC001-escorting, "fetch quests" into Ye Old Crypt. All of these sorts of things need to all be available to the players as menu options so they can effect their expectant agency in exploring the sandbox. Players expect to engage (or not) in this "non-PC-centered" stuff and see how the setting/sandbox evolves as a result of their involvement (or not). The sandbox/setting needs to evolve naturalistically both when the players involve themselves (through the course of engagement of the resolution mechanics and impartial/skillful refereeing) when they do not (via GM extrapolation).</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>Those are very different jobs for the GM to be doing and very different "agency expectations" by the players. But so long as the GM does those jobs resolutely and the player's "agency expectations" are met, things are fine.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 6823936, member: 6696971"] Throwing this spurt of the conversation together to comment on what you guys are discussing. Below is what I think is relevant: [B][I]Story Now[/I][/B]: Tight, thematic zoom where the exclusive locus of play is the conflict-charged in which the action is centered around what the players (through their characters PC build flags and their actions) have signaled as important content. Typically this focuses on things like relationships, oaths/vows, emotion, redemption and the prioritization of values. PC build + the game's reward/incentive cycle will integrate these components. GM's job - Follow the rules and your principles. Fast forward past mundane or innocuous goings-on. PCs need to be relentlessly framed into "Action Scenes" whereby they're making decisions that they have signaled that they care about. All table time should be spent exclusively on this. Your "Exposition" and opening of the "Rising Action" should observe (a) the continuity of the prior fiction, (b) genre expectations, (c) PC build archetype (eg don't frame Master Pickpockets into scenes where they've been caught pilfering someone), (d) "Transition Scene" action declarations and resolution, (e) the thematic interests of the players. Your "Denouement" and the fallout tha stems from it needs to be an outgrowth of your principles coupled with (a), (b), (e) above and obeyance to the course that the resolution mechanics has charted. Player agency - The only thing that matters is that the GM is always following the rules, table time is exclusively spent on stuff we have signaled we care about, and the GM does a proper job with Exposition, the opening of the Rising Action, Denouement, and lets us dictate the outcomes of the Rising Action, Climax, and Falling Action. [HR][/HR] [I][B]Sandbox Exploration[/B][/I] is quite different (obviously). Play isn't separated into discrete "Action Scenes" and "Transition Scenes" as time spent and exploration of space are centered around a more granular, much more serial nature. Consequently, the resolution mechanics need to enfold that granularity. GMs and players need to observe that granularity, specificity/nuance in the conversation of play and action declarations (per parcel of time:space) will accordingly be more discrete, more concrete/less abstract, and consequently more numerous (obviously). Player agency in these sorts of games demands as much. Finally, play needs to include material that is effectively conflict-neutral; not hooked directly into thematic components of PC build (if the system even has them in the first place). Haggling with merchants, "state your business" conversations with gate guards, tavern-canoodling, caravan-guarding, random-thieves-guild-encountering, NPC001-escorting, "fetch quests" into Ye Old Crypt. All of these sorts of things need to all be available to the players as menu options so they can effect their expectant agency in exploring the sandbox. Players expect to engage (or not) in this "non-PC-centered" stuff and see how the setting/sandbox evolves as a result of their involvement (or not). The sandbox/setting needs to evolve naturalistically both when the players involve themselves (through the course of engagement of the resolution mechanics and impartial/skillful refereeing) when they do not (via GM extrapolation). [HR][/HR] Those are very different jobs for the GM to be doing and very different "agency expectations" by the players. But so long as the GM does those jobs resolutely and the player's "agency expectations" are met, things are fine. [/QUOTE]
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