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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9677593" data-attributes="member: 6790260">Er...no?I am responding to an argument which paints things like "fail forward" as deeply, inherently problematic and wrong--often with the entirely false accusation that it destroys all possible conflict because it (somehow?) makes success guaranteed--by showing what it is for, and how it is a useful tool to have in the toolbox, generically. I have not said that EVERYONE should use it in all cases.I do, however, think that it is of sufficiently broad and deep utility, and applies so significantly to a common problem that, in my experience, nearly every newbie GM goes through, that it is worth teaching to pretty much every newbie GM. Even if they never use it, even if they believe their campaign process is immune to the underlying problem, simply communicating the knowledge of it draws attention to the underlying problem in an extremely useful way. Even if that newbie GM goes on to have a long and storied GMing career during which they never once use such a tool, simply calling out such a thing engages the brain. It highlights the problem, why it is a problem, and one possible means to address it.I feel similarly about Let It Ride and a couple other generalized maxims that I've picked up through playing and running Dungeon World. As a good example, the GM Principle, "Think Offscreen Too". I think that's a fantastically important piece of advice for any newbie GM. Most old hands don't need to be taught that lesson, they've learned it themselves through many repetitions of trial and error. Teaching the newbie GM that it's important to consider effects (be they good or bad--dangers or rewards, enemies or allies, consequences of all sorts) that aren't immediately present but which still matter. I imagine most "traditional" GMs here would very much appreciate the "Think Dangerous" Principle, even if they would likely dispute (or want pretty strong limits upon) at least some parts of its description:Everything in the world is a target. You’re thinking like an evil overlord: no single life is worth anything and there is nothing sacrosanct. Everything can be put in danger, everything can be destroyed. Nothing you create is ever protected. Whenever your eye falls on something you’ve created, think how it can be put in danger, fall apart or crumble. The world changes. Without the characters’ intervention, it changes for the worse.But the core of this Principle--don't be precious about the things you create, put the PCs in dangerous situations where it's up to them to get out, the world is full of ways things can go terribly wrong and rather limited on ways things can go well--is something I think most "traditional" GMs would rather that all newbie GMs learn very very early.</blockquote>

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