Let's Talk About "Intended Playstyle"

[pemerton]

If you play BW a different way, you are literally doing it wrong according to what the rulebook lays out as the procedures you are supposed to use when playing BW. I think the rulebook even states that not following the procedures in the rulebook means you are playing it wrong. It has a "positive reinforcement" approach to help incentivize the players as there is a very specific form of XP that can be earned, but only by overcoming challenges tied to a PCs goals. Said XP is integral to how certain aspects of PC advancement works so missing out on gaining said XP is a big deal.

There's also the "negative reinforcement", which I think has at least two aspects to it:

(1) For the player, if you don't earn artha - which requires play that engages your Beliefs, Instincts and Traits in the relevant ways - then you can't really have any hope of success;

(2) For the GM, if the players don't have goals that inform (i) scene-framing, and (ii) intent-and-task resolution, then you can't really do your job.

 

[Reynard]

Again, opinionated means more than just having an opinion. And I'm just going to leave it at that.

Terms have meaning in their context. That you refuse to acknowledge that meaning in order to argue with the term instead of discuss the subject is on you.