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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7083024" data-attributes="member: 6696971">This goes all the way back to the Shrodinger's Gorge conversations of yesteryear.  I think what is happening here:1)  You possess a mental framework and attendant play preferences that prioritizes (a) Actor Stance, (b) classic Gygaxian "skilled play", and (c) task resolution that is discretized/granular enough (to meet your threshold), rather than abstract, and is underwritten by process simulation.  I'm certain that the overwhelming majority of other posters in this thread (and that post on EnWorld these days) follow suit.  2)  You enjoy story, but it needs to be an emergent outgrowth of the above.  Play agenda, GMing principles, GMing techniques, system agency, and PC build tools/resources that are at tension with/compete with any of (a), (b), or (c) above must be muted or outright gutted.  Genre coherency, dramatic trajectory, dynamic play moments/results are great, but if they are systemitized and they conflict with (1) above, there is a problem.So you're wary of things like:* Principled, abstract conflict resolution mechanics that are predicated upon metagame concepts like "genre logic", "snowballing danger", "action always", "play to find out".* Following directly from the above, the GMing technique of Fail Forward whereby the fictional fallout of action resolution is governed by "intent" (along with the other principles directly above).  For example:Intent - I want to get us out of this hot, horseback pursuit through the badlands and into the safety of the forest's embrace.  Fictional positioning/danger - Gaining large force of enemies.  Treacherous badlands topography.  Ranged weapons and spells whizzing by our heads.  Tiring horses.Task - "I'm going to try to locate the hidden trail that got us into the badlands and will lead us out to the forest."Failure result - "You crest a rise and nothing looks familiar.  The sound of running water greets your ears and then the sight of a great gorge greets your eyes.  Dead-end.  An 80 foot plummet leads to a rushing river.  The forest lies on the other side with the landing some 10 feet below your height and a 25 - 30 foot span of empty air between you and it."</blockquote>

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