NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9138573" data-attributes="member: 87792"><p>The thing is that what's being called "narrative mechanics" aren't where the differences I notice lie. Apocalypse World is an ultra-strong narrative game that has approximately as much in the way of what this thread defines as narrative mechanics as GURPS or Savage Worlds, and I don't see anyone calling those narrative games. However it does have some distinctive features that make for a strong narrative such as:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Play to find out what happens" - even the GM doesn't do a whole lot of planning and the PCs are the stars of the show.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Every roll matters. There's never a "roll to see whether you have to roll again". The outcomes are strong success, partial success, and failure-with-consequences (GM's choice).<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Because every roll is consequential the story spirals out of control fast and no one truly knows where it is going. Strong plans and pre-written campaigns aren't pointful</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Characters are tied to the setting and the setting is created at least partially round the characters. You aren't a band of wandering nomads - instead you have your turf and thus things that are inherently valuable. And the player character sheet includes NPCs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are permanent negative consequences other than death and equipment loss and playing into them makes things more fun. (In AW there's the "when life becomes untenable" consequences; in Blades it's Trauma - and your Blades character won't really be rolling until they've picked up their first trauma)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An XP system that encourages doing what makes the story more interesting and tangled</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An expectation of short campaigns with conclusions rather than pretty much open ended campaigns that can last almost indefinitely. This encourages stronger consequences and with it stronger stories.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A restriction on the power of the GM such as the GM never touching the dice during play and having more limited power than in traditional RPGs.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A focus on getting the right outcomes over step by step processes to get the character to work. (Most "narrative mechanics" as defined in this thread come from doing something here to fill gaps).</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>

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