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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crimson Longinus" data-source="post: 9563028" data-attributes="member: 7025508">Because such core mechanic is usually way simpler than full combat rules of a game such as D&D or Exalted. Point was that complex social mechanics are unwieldy and cannot be reasonably used in midst of an IC conversations. Whether game has complex combat rules or not is besides the point.In very minimal sense like having a roll to avoid trap etc. But I don't think it is worth the drawbacks.Well, it is fraught because "I couldn't control myself" etc is what violent abusers say to avoid responsibility and its BS. They had a choice. So I don't want to have game rules that make that BS narrative true.But I think because this example indeed is so problematic, it highlights the issue with "you never know how you'd react" thing. You don't fully know, but it doesn't mean there aren't some things you know for sure. Like I know for sure that I will be never so angry that I would beat a child. And I think these are the sort of things most people know of themselves and thus the players should know of their PCs.Now perhaps the player believes the character indeed is monster and is capable of such a thing. And if they're willing to roll for it, I have no problem with that.* But at the same time if the player just said that seeing the how the child is afraid of him makes the rage instantly melt away, then we should go with that instead.* (Beyond having a problem with having on screen child abuse perpetrated by a PC in the first place...)It indeed was not a situation with a hard choice, at least as presented. Thus I think it was not a good situation for testing the nature of the character. Have you made all the choices in your life? Does the fact that you're fully realised actual person instead of a vague sketch of literary character mean that? That you play your character as real person instead of randomising their personality and reactions doesn't mean all choices are made; it means you actually do make those choices instead of outsourcing them to the dice.You got it backwards. Combat does not have more rules because it has more choices, it has complex rules to create those choices.But no one has said players get to decide outcome of every social situation, merely that they get to decide how their characters react and feel. That is not the same, is it? Like by definition a social situation involves other people, right? You don't get to decide how they feel or react. And if they're NPCs, player agency doesn't matter and we can actually use some dice when needed.Situations that are more nuanced and complex are harder to make conform to a rule structure, that is by necessity somewhat rigid. And like I said, you can still "win" or "lose" in a social situation without taking away the player's agency over their character's reactions and feelings.</blockquote>

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