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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6731520" data-attributes="member: 6696971">While my time running sim-oriented games isn't insignificant (more than a little high concept with Cthulu and Dread - which is something of a tweener to be honest - and a chunk of PfS with Classic Traveler), I don't remotely have your experience GMing them.&nbsp; Nonetheless, that is my takeaway from the essays as well.&nbsp; However, as I noted, my relative disinterest in the subject leads me to gladly defer to someone with a more informed and impassioned perspective than my own.Great post and this is amusing.&nbsp; Every time this topic comes up for debate, this point you've written above manifest in my head in one iteration or another.&nbsp; I've done a moment or two of mulling.&nbsp; I think replacing should be wary ofwith cannot is the way to go here.&nbsp; Again, this goes back to competing priorities (agenda and aesthetics), conflict of interest, and agency.&nbsp; The abridged version:Game Designer:&nbsp; The part where the GM has to bridge a minor gap in, or open-ended portion of, the resolution mechanics or make an exception-based call (hopefully informed by robust guidance - specific beats general or a principle like &quot;drive play toward conflict&quot; - or templates).&nbsp; The top priority here is likely to ensure expeditious table handling time, the minimization of cognitive workload for the GM (now and for the future as the precedence has been established), the preservation of pacing, and seamlessness and intuitiveness with the rest of the ruleset (machinery, aesthetics, and agenda).Referee:&nbsp; Faithfully observe the fictional positioning, be aware of tendencies toward confirmation bias and work to mitigate them, aim for neutrality, and (whenever possible) endeavor to expand options for action declarations rather than contract them.Player:&nbsp; Push hard/advocate for your guy/gal/monster/thing.&nbsp; Promote the having of a good time by all participants while experiencing maximal agency in the achievement of a sought objective.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 6731520, member: 6696971"] While my time running sim-oriented games isn't insignificant (more than a little high concept with Cthulu and Dread - which is something of a tweener to be honest - and a chunk of PfS with Classic Traveler), I don't remotely have your experience GMing them. Nonetheless, that is my takeaway from the essays as well. However, as I noted, my relative disinterest in the subject leads me to gladly defer to someone with a more informed and impassioned perspective than my own. Great post and this is amusing. Every time this topic comes up for debate, this point you've written above manifest in my head in one iteration or another. I've done a moment or two of mulling. I think replacing [I]should be wary of[/I]with [I]cannot [/I]is the way to go here. Again, this goes back to competing priorities (agenda and aesthetics), conflict of interest, and agency. The abridged version: Game Designer: The part where the GM has to bridge a minor gap in, or open-ended portion of, the resolution mechanics or make an exception-based call (hopefully informed by robust guidance - specific beats general or a principle like "drive play toward conflict" - or templates). The top priority here is likely to ensure expeditious table handling time, the minimization of cognitive workload for the GM (now and for the future as the precedence has been established), the preservation of pacing, and seamlessness and intuitiveness with the rest of the ruleset (machinery, aesthetics, and agenda). Referee: Faithfully observe the fictional positioning, be aware of tendencies toward confirmation bias and work to mitigate them, aim for neutrality, and (whenever possible) endeavor to expand options for action declarations rather than contract them. Player: Push hard/advocate for your guy/gal/monster/thing. Promote the having of a good time by all participants while experiencing maximal agency in the achievement of a sought objective. [/QUOTE]

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