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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 9311455" data-attributes="member: 6696971">(Cont)ON BLADES IN THE DARK* [USER=82106]@AbdulAlhazred[/USER] , I'm pretty sure the scene you're depicting was in some hedge maze park right off Charterhall University (or right across the canal in haunted Six Towers) that I either made up or was on the districts map that I quickly referenced?  Key to this (from memory) was that I'm fairly confident that was session 1.  The thing with Blades in the Dark session 1 (which is derivative of AW and handles this the same way) is you're trying to get a feel for both (a) the characters themselves and (b) the players of those characters (even though I had run TB2 for you guys, I still need to know how you guys are approaching BitD play generally, how you guys have internalized the Best Practices, and how acquainted you guys are with the emergent meta of play for the game).  So, just like in AW, the opening Free Play is to (i) get that (a) and (b) done above and, in the course of that, establish, develop, mature the milieu both in the micro for this character/player combo and in the macro for our game-at-large (setting and situations we're interested in engaging with).Some of the below is a little bit of Blades in the Dark inside baseball as a GM that has run an eff-ton of this game specifically and the family of games its nested within generally.  So bear with me.* Blades in the Dark has a pretty transparent play meta.  But it becomes damn clear once you get some seasoning under your belt.  If you get yourself beat up (resource-ablation and/or Setting/Faction Clock generation) during Free Play/Info Gathering phase...you're effectively bleeding yourself dry before the main exsanguination (Score/Crime Boss/Heat/Wanted Level/Entanglements) has even started.  Don't_do_that...if you can.  If you do though, make sure its a hill your character is willing to die on...that it says something important about your character if you take that risk...that it engages intimately and intensely with your thematic portfolio/triggers.  These sorts of decision-spaces are what GMs should be implementing now and again in Free Play/Info Gathering phase of Blades...especially session 1 (where we need to get to know the characters).  Key here is "now and again."  It shouldn't be much.  Just a bit of conflict-charged scene framing here...a smidge there...but not much...that is because conflict is not what Info Gathering/Free Play is about (more on that below).However, when there is conflict during that phase, it absolutely goes from Fortune Roll (Information Gathering) to Action Roll (which means you're establishing Position: Effect matrix and there will be Consequences and they may cascade if you don't resolve things or extricate yourself/fold your hand).  Again, circle back to the play meta; don't get into trouble in Info Gathering/Free Play unless you have to make a stand/fight for what is important to you/express your character viscerally in a way that will establish important premise for subsequent play.* What is Free Play/Info Gathering phase of Blades for? Its for rostering/budgeting/building out the constituent parts of the Score and contextualizing it/anchoring it within the present conflagration (and play better be just that or something has gone awry...either the GM isn't putting enough/the right kind of pressure on the Crew/PCs or the players aren't deploying their Best Practices).  What is it not?  Free Form effery/rudderless exploration.  Its not Grand Theft Auto where players should be just wonking around without purpose and incidental or starting side-tracking (session pacing/time and play meta) trouble.  "Cut to the Action" is about The Score.  A principled, structured conversation by all parties (including the GM who is leading the conversation) should be about getting to The Score.  What do you need for a Score (the anatomy of)?<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A goal (definitely)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A specific target entity/faction/thing and the assets/roster dynamics in play (definitely)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A type of plan and detail (definitely)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Contextualization within the game's emerging milieu (definitely)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some idea of what Crew constituents (including satellites like Allies/Friends/Contacts/Rivals) are involved/available/unavailable (definitely)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Engagement Roll buffs for intel garnered and advantages gained (definitely to maybe)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Claim Map dynamics (maybe)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A client or specific negotiated Payoff (maybe)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bonus DTAs or Coin spent as flashbacks for an extra DTA to Acquire an Asset or whatever (maybe)</li> </ul>Those asterisks with a "definitely" above?  That is where the conversation of Info Gathering/Free Play should be focused pretty damn near exclusively.  The players need to be focused on and responsible for that.  The GM needs to be focused on and responsible for that.  No wanking around.  If you want to just wank around in Free Play, then Blades in the Dark is not the game for you.  It is structured the way it is for a reason.* On "Ok guys, you have this many Info Gathering/Free Play moves/scenes available to you...use them wisely."  This is a table conceit that I use to do my job.  This is me deploying the entirety of the game's agenda and principles and Playing Goal-Forward, Cut to the Action-Forward, Leading an Interesting Conversation, Telling Them the Consequences and Asking, Asking Questions/Using Answers, Telegraphing Trouble, and Bringing Duskvol to Life."Lets build out the Score folks.""Duskvol is a dangerous place and your profile is already too high (existing at all in that danger-stricken, predatory world...but especially with your Wanted Level and Heat!).  If you snoop around, stick your neck out, and do too much stuff (beyond that x # of Info Gathering/Free Play moves/scenes I've conveyed), its going to generate Duskvolian danger/trouble.  That means Action Rolls, Position: Effect, possibly Consequences (and follow-on).  You've been informed.  Choose your moves accordingly."[HR][/HR]Alright, I'm on vacay so that is my last post on these subjects <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="☮️" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/262e.png" title="Peace symbol    :peace:" data-shortname=":peace:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" /></blockquote>

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