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<blockquote data-quote="Ratskinner" data-source="post: 6344067" data-attributes="member: 6688937">I think this is a side effect of the way conventional RPGs are designed. Where, say WYA and WCYD are linked through things like classes, clans, etc. Additionally, piles of little fiddly-bit mechanics end up emphasizing WYCD, simply because there's a limited amount of mental energy a player can devote to a game and fiddly bits can soak that up fairly quickly.IME, this is more a matter of &quot;deprogramming&quot; us from D&amp;D like games. Fate, in particular, doesn't have to land on the &quot;combat comes first&quot; field, and I've run several games where the combat machine would be woefully out of place. Additionally, the way aspects function makes WYA and WYCD kinda the same thing. (I'm not very familiar with Burning Wheel, but I tend to not see it as all that splendiferous, mechanically. So you may be right about that one.) Additionally, if you're playing one of the looser games likes Fate, world-building is part of play. Which, I think muddies the issue as players help determine the field from which to draw character concepts.Hmm...that's tough to answer because it can depend a lot on circumstances at the table, as well as system. In general, though, simpler free-descriptor systems with few fiddly bits allow WYA-first thinking, whereas tons of fiddly bits force you to focus on WYCD. This applies, IMO, even to systems like 4e, where the WYA choice is tied tightly with the slate of powers you will have to choose from.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ratskinner, post: 6344067, member: 6688937"] I think this is a side effect of the way conventional RPGs are designed. Where, say WYA and WCYD are linked through things like classes, clans, etc. Additionally, piles of little fiddly-bit mechanics end up emphasizing WYCD, simply because there's a limited amount of mental energy a player can devote to a game and fiddly bits can soak that up fairly quickly. IME, this is more a matter of "deprogramming" us from D&D like games. Fate, in particular, doesn't have to land on the "combat comes first" field, and I've run several games where the combat machine would be woefully out of place. Additionally, the way aspects function makes WYA and WYCD kinda the same thing. (I'm not very familiar with Burning Wheel, but I tend to not see it as all that splendiferous, mechanically. So you may be right about that one.) Additionally, if you're playing one of the looser games likes Fate, world-building is part of play. Which, I think muddies the issue as players help determine the field from which to draw character concepts. Hmm...that's tough to answer because it can depend a lot on circumstances at the table, as well as system. In general, though, simpler free-descriptor systems with few fiddly bits allow WYA-first thinking, whereas tons of fiddly bits force you to focus on WYCD. This applies, IMO, even to systems like 4e, where the WYA choice is tied tightly with the slate of powers you will have to choose from. [/QUOTE]

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