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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aldarc" data-source="post: 7768868" data-attributes="member: 5142">"Oh yeah? Well, my anecdotal evidence could beat up your anecdotal evidence..." <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> (1) Simply reducing the nature of the Fate Point (and Trouble Compels) economy to a metagame bargain seems overly reductionistic, almost done for the sake of being able to dismiss the system on the sole basis of the taboo "metagame" word. It seems orthogonal to any actual debate of substance regarding the merits of the system. As a roleplaying game, which Fate most definitely is, Fate wants to push the characters (and players) during play to make choices and lean into the drama of the fiction. The game is not only interested in what in-game complications you accept, but also the complications during play that you pay to reject. It's interested in what moments you find important enough to spend Fate points on in-game to push your character to succeed. When do you reroll? When do you push yourself a bit more (+2)? As such, Fate points are meant to highlight moments of heightened dramatic play. (2) Fate's Troubles are not strictly speaking "flaws," though they can be written as such. A Trouble like "Manners of a Goat" will likely behave more like a behavioral flaw of a character that the GM may compel during a moment of tense negotiations. But if this players is indicating that they have "Manners of a Goat," then they are telling the GM that they want this character aspect to arise in play and complicate their character's story. They also have the option of leaning into that flaw of their own volition without the GM. However, the Trouble "Gotta Look Out for My Little Brother" would likely not operate as one would expect a character flaw. Or a Trouble may even link to a NPC: "Foiled Again by Doktor von Greed!", which would likewise not be a character flaw. Furthermore, part of the problem with pre-bought "flaws" in other systems is that players often pick maginally significant flaws or drawbacks without guarantee in play to rack up points for better benefits. Your character's arachnophobia may never show up in-game, but you were after the Super Strength perk you bought with that flaw anyway. The nature of Fate is that Troubles are dramatic complications that players are indicating that they want to see play in-game. And players want them to see play because they are a good way of generating Fate points, which players will spend to push their characters further. Characters can have other character flaws that are not writtens as Troubles or aspects. Nothing is stopping them. Troubles are simply the ones the player has indicated they want the GM (or others players) to engage as a dramatically character-defining one. And it can change as the story progresses. You want to solve your brother's murder. Then you find out who did it, but now your Trouble changes to reflect that you want vengeance against them. (3) It's easy to play Fate points in ways that don't force the player to drop out of character, even for behavioral situations. The GM looks at the player with the Trouble, "Manners of a Goat," and asks them, "Bronan the Barbarian. How are you feeling right now? These negotations have dragged on, and the priest clearly is being dismissive of you, refusing to talk to you in favor of your companions. Are you getting irritated at this point in the negotiations with this priest of the tribe?" Bronan the Barbarian: "You know what? Yes, I am." And then Bronan the Barbarian insults the head priest during negotiations. The GM slips Bronan's player a Fate point. OR Bronan the Barbarian: "No. I know the negotiation is too important for the region. I remain silent but bredugingly grit my teeth and curse under my breath." And Bronan's PC slips the GM a Fate point. It is much as I believe [MENTION=177]Umbran[/MENTION] once said in another conversation on the subject. The more experience you have with the system, the more that this becomes second nature and you seemlessly remain in the headspace of your character while engaging the Fate point mechanic. Familiarity breeds ease of use. What breakes RP immersion for one person will not necessarily break immersion for another.</blockquote>

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