Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8235649" data-attributes="member: 42582">In relation to prepare situations, not plots:When the players, via their PCs, confront a situation - (i) how is it decided what is at stake? (ii) how is it decided what will be the consequences of the players' declared actions for their PCs? (iii) how is it decided when the situation is "resolved"?Different games answer this differently. These different answers, pretty naturally, produce different play experiences.Here's an example, from Classic Traveller (Book 1, p 16 of the 1977 edition):The individual [with Vacc Suit skill] has been trained, and has experience, in the use of standard vacuum suits (space suits), including armoured battle dress and suits for use on various planetary surfaces in the presence of exotic, corrosive or insidious atmospheres. Non-breathable atmospheres or hostile environments can be easily overcome by use of protective equipment, but the danger of minor mishaps becoming fatal is great. A basic throw of 10+ to avoid dangerous situation applies whenever any non-ordinary maneuver is attempted by an individual while wearing a vacc suit (such as running, jumping, hiding, jumping untethered from one ship to another, etc). DM: +4 per level of expertise. When such an incident occurs, it may be remedied by any character with vacc suit expertise (including the character in danger himself) on a throw of 7+. DM: +2 per level of expertise. No expertise DM: −4.So if the situation includes that the PC is in some sort of vacuum or non-breathable atmosphere, and the player's response is to have his/her PC perform a non-ordinary manoeuvre, then we have a procedure to follow: first, check to see if a dangerous situation arises; if it does, then second, check to see if the incident is able to be remedied. The details of the dangerous situation (in my experience, at least) will typically be established by the GM and player reflecting on the details of the current fictional circumstances, and what the player is having his/her PC try and do, and then thinking up something that makes sense.This particular little sequence of play is somewhat comparable to a PbtA-type move.It can be contrasted with the same sort of fictional situation adjudicated using Space Master. Space Master (1988 edition) has no vacc suit (or similar) skill in its Player Book. There are skills that might be relevant for some of those non-ordinary manoeuvres (Climbing, Hiding, Acrobatics, etc) and there are rules for the affect of various suits on these skills (Manoeuvring in Armour skill is the relevant subystem) but there is no mechanical framework that says how to call for skill checks, how to determine if a failed check causes a possibly life-threatening situation in a vacuum or hostile atmosphere, how such an incident might be remedied, etc. In Space Master this all depends on GM decision-making. A very different play experience results.</blockquote>

Verification