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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7432234" data-attributes="member: 6696971">So while VB is my favorite designer, IaWA is not something I've run.  The (probably erroneous) abstract that I've culled from various bits and pieces over the years is that, while by NO MEANS is it thematically neutral, it is not remotely in the same ballpark of thematic distillation/focus as his games Dogs in the Vineyard and Apocalypse World.  After a read-through and a game, what do you have to say about its thematic distillation/focus in each of:- Games premise- GMing advice- Character/Setting creation- Conflict Resolution mechanics- Reward Cycles/Advancement[HR][/HR]For folks who aren't familiar with precisely what I'm angling at here, let us take Dogs in the Vineyard:- The game is about gun-toting Paladins (God's Watchdogs) rooting out sin, guiding the Faithful, and meting out justice in "A Wild West That Never Was" which is shot through with sin.- The GM pushes and pulls each Dog in ways that challenge their character by resenting them with decision-points that will end up revealing their character in play; eg prioritize virtues, decide what they're wiling to risk, battle demons...some without, some within.  The makes up the opposition after learning about the Dogs and folding that opposition into the general milieu (as described above), each locale an individual Town with its own rotten core (some worse than others, some hidden, some in your face).- The PCs are made up of Stats (Heart, Body, Acuity, Will), thematic Relationships, thematic Traits,  thematic Belongings.  These have scores that will help and complicate a Dog in their duties.  - The conflict resolution mechanics have a Poker-like aesthetic.  In all, conflict generally takes the form of escalation from from words > fists/knives > guns depending on what sort of stakes each character is willing to risk.  Conflict becomes increasingly lethal as numbers advantage increases on a side.  Through this, we learn both about NPCs and about the Dogs themselves as each conflict-charged situation unfolds and escalates or one side folds.-  "Damage" in Dogs is "Fallout".  Its also "xp".  Rolling 1s on your post-conflict Fallout will flesh out your character some and/or improve them (such as add 1 to a Stat or create a new Relationship at 1d6).  This encourages players to be bold and risk wounds (while the danger of a big Fallout total mediates this impulse to fight only for what you believe and stand your ground as makes sense).  Reflection is the other form of xp.  In between Towns, all the participants reflect on just what happened in the last Town.  How did it reveal about your character?  Who do trust more/less after this?  Who do you know now (or better) that you didn't before?  What was the impact on your Faith/morale?  Was it worth it?  As Fallout above, pick some form advancement (maybe a new Trait at d6 or add a dice or remove one from an existing Trait).All this stuff works together to thematically focus the game and engender a table feel that is instantly recognizable from a game that is thematically focused in a different direction (say, My Life With Master) or thematically diluted (say any generic role playing game with generic task resolution).</blockquote>

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