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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 5985072" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Understood. Many take this same position. However, again, the premise being discussed was not "what works best for my style?" The premise being discusssed was regarding mechanics, RAW, and their affect on intertable culture and gaming style (to quote myself in the post that you quoted):  Their point is related to mechanics specifically. Forced narrative or a player imposing his agenda by way of bludgeoning the other players into submission is mechanics-neutral, and thus irrelevant to the discussion of what specific mechanics engender.  And Use of each of these mechanical incentives attempts to prod the players (and their PCs by proxy) toward a specific end which, in turn, * tends to express itself within the fiction as a specific style (Heroic Adventure, Fantasy Vietnam, Mercenaries for the Highest Bidder, Amoral Raiders, etc).  Again, * can be undermined by an alpha player imposing their style agenda on the other players or a railroading DM imposing his story upon the players. However, this says nothing about what the mechanics themselves incentivize and thus attempt to engender.  Your solution (one taken by many a DM) falls under the auspices of "mechanical-neutrality." It is (i) not within the mechanical construct of the ruleset and (ii) does not incentivize (therefore attempt to operatively condition the PCs toward) a specific, mode of play. Mode of play then evolves by way of: - social construct (implicit or explicit accord) - hard or soft fiat (subtle manipulation of the PCs toward a playstyle or dictatorial imperative) - organic evolution by way of a healthy mix of the above two - alpha players imposing their style agenda or being annointed as "party leader", explicitly or implicity, while the DM massages the game toward this end or is at tension with it; the former option works beautifully if there is chemistry and compromise within the gaming group while this latter composition often manifests as a gaming culture whereby the two parties, alpha player and DM, attempt to passive-aggressively wrest control of the game agenda/style for the duration of the campaign)</blockquote>

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