Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="kenada" data-source="post: 8678910" data-attributes="member: 70468">Not even social encounters. The examples you offered above included fudging for other reasons such as random encounters. I’m talking about more broadly: the game generated a result (encounter, task roll, whatever) that I did not like, so I felt compelled to throw it out. I’m saying that’s an indicator that there’s a problem, and my inclination is to treat it as such.Sorry, I was trying to avoid slinging around jargon needlessly. I’m suggesting that a group wanting to do neo-trad as described in that <a href="https://retiredadventurer.blogspot.com/2021/04/six-cultures-of-play.html" target="_blank">Six Cultures of Play</a> essay would have problems if they tried to do it in Moldvay Basic as written. I expect it would end in tears when people’s OCs get killed — because what that group wants is at odds with the experience the system is designed to provide.I’m looking at it from the perspective that system matters. Different games are designed around different themes and support different styles of play. It’s possible to do whatever in most games, but they’re going to fight you. I’m citing fudging as one indicator the game is fighting you.Some games do a better job onboarding new GMs than others. They provide principles and procedures that help guide their decision-making, or they provide tools that actually work. I admit my comment was aspirational, but I don’t think we should accept the status quo as the way things have to be.I was casting shade at the idea that “a lot of times (fudging is) an indication of poor system mastery by the GM”. It just reads too much like stating those who fudge are bad GMs. That may not be the intent, but I don’t find it very constructive. I also think there are options other than just improving what you do on the system’s terms. That’s where I was going with suggesting changing elements (or systems) or making the fudging intentional rather than reactionary.It may not be, but if one doesn’t care about the challenge of the conflict as much as you do the drama of the moment, it seems like a pretty reasonable one. In that case, the mechanics have a different relationship to play. The effect is more performative: do your cool thing while beating the bad guy.</blockquote>

Verification