Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
X & O For More Fun
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Pauper" data-source="post: 7757426" data-attributes="member: 17607"><p>I think you're missing the point of how this is meant to work.</p><p></p><p>Based on the original essay (and most of the other discussion I've read of the concept), the X card is meant to allow players to non-verbally express their distaste for the content of a given scene. The idea is that the tapping of the card is equivalent to saying, "This discussion makes me uncomfortable; let's please move on."</p><p></p><p>What you seem to be describing is a situation in which the X card is used as a game mechanic -- where the player touching the card is doing so to get a specific benefit or avoid a specific penalty in-game. That seems odd and likely to cause confusion.</p><p></p><p>As an example, let's use a scene where the party is speaking with the local ruler. The discussion is getting heated and the ruler threatens the party with imprisonment and torture, which provokes a player into touching the X card. That seems straightforward -- the card is being invoked because of the conversation, and thus the topic is problematic. Time to take a moment and direct the conversation down a different path. But let's say a character instead attempts to steal an ornate set of tableware and is caught, at which point the ruler calls for the guards to apprehend the character, and that character's player hits the X card. Is the player signalling a distaste for arrest or topics involving unequal use of power? Or is he just trying to avoid being punished for being caught stealing from the ruler?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Again, it seems like you're using a different function to the card than is intended. In the intended use, there is no 'screeching halt'; the DM simply takes the scene/conversation/what-have-you in a different direction, away from whatever topic appeared to be problematic. In the mechanical example, however, then yes, you would see the game grinding to a halt, because it's not clear why the player invoked the card and thus what the player is trying to say by doing so.</p><p></p><p>This illustrates that it's just as important to explain what the card doesn't do -- it doesn't undo PC or NPC actions -- it simply allows a player to register discomfort with a topic or point of subject matter within the game so that the table can get past that topic without causing undue discomfort to the player.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And here I think we're kind of getting to your real problem with the system -- your presumption is that, if nobody at the table explicitly complains about a thing, then everyone tacitly agrees to that thing, even if later someone decides that, in fact, the thing is a problem. This leads to the only way that player can express a distaste for a given thing being walking away from the table.</p><p></p><p>Best example I can think of -- the game store table populated entirely by middle-aged dudes. A woman sits down at that table, since the table is advertised as 'open gaming'; the first night, one of the dudes refers to a female barmaid as a 'strumpet'. The woman isn't pleased about this, but nothing else bad happens that night, so she's inclined to think of it as a one-off. Then at the next session, a few more comments are made -- she didn't complain about 'strumpet', so clearly she's OK with it, and it's 'accepted at this table', right? Eventually, she leaves and doesn't come back, and the dudes are left to wonder why women don't seem to have the courage and desire to play TTRPGs.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If that's the way you'd be planning to use an X card, then I'd suggest you stick to your guns and not use them. The idea is that they're a way for a player to express non-verbal displeasure at a topic in a non-judgmental manner. The thought that a player will touch the X card and be suddenly subjected to something along the lines of "what's wrong with this thing we just did? Are you a weak player? What's your problem?" Well, that's not what the player was buying in for.</p><p></p><p>The X card is not a panacea; it's a tool, and its only as good a tool as the people who use it. With that said, I'd be as leery of a DM who expressed disdain for the tool as I would be a potential dating partner who expressed disdain over the use of protection in intimate situations; it's clearly a sign that that person prioritizes their interests and desires far above mine.</p><p></p><p>--</p><p>Pauper</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pauper, post: 7757426, member: 17607"] I think you're missing the point of how this is meant to work. Based on the original essay (and most of the other discussion I've read of the concept), the X card is meant to allow players to non-verbally express their distaste for the content of a given scene. The idea is that the tapping of the card is equivalent to saying, "This discussion makes me uncomfortable; let's please move on." What you seem to be describing is a situation in which the X card is used as a game mechanic -- where the player touching the card is doing so to get a specific benefit or avoid a specific penalty in-game. That seems odd and likely to cause confusion. As an example, let's use a scene where the party is speaking with the local ruler. The discussion is getting heated and the ruler threatens the party with imprisonment and torture, which provokes a player into touching the X card. That seems straightforward -- the card is being invoked because of the conversation, and thus the topic is problematic. Time to take a moment and direct the conversation down a different path. But let's say a character instead attempts to steal an ornate set of tableware and is caught, at which point the ruler calls for the guards to apprehend the character, and that character's player hits the X card. Is the player signalling a distaste for arrest or topics involving unequal use of power? Or is he just trying to avoid being punished for being caught stealing from the ruler? Again, it seems like you're using a different function to the card than is intended. In the intended use, there is no 'screeching halt'; the DM simply takes the scene/conversation/what-have-you in a different direction, away from whatever topic appeared to be problematic. In the mechanical example, however, then yes, you would see the game grinding to a halt, because it's not clear why the player invoked the card and thus what the player is trying to say by doing so. This illustrates that it's just as important to explain what the card doesn't do -- it doesn't undo PC or NPC actions -- it simply allows a player to register discomfort with a topic or point of subject matter within the game so that the table can get past that topic without causing undue discomfort to the player. And here I think we're kind of getting to your real problem with the system -- your presumption is that, if nobody at the table explicitly complains about a thing, then everyone tacitly agrees to that thing, even if later someone decides that, in fact, the thing is a problem. This leads to the only way that player can express a distaste for a given thing being walking away from the table. Best example I can think of -- the game store table populated entirely by middle-aged dudes. A woman sits down at that table, since the table is advertised as 'open gaming'; the first night, one of the dudes refers to a female barmaid as a 'strumpet'. The woman isn't pleased about this, but nothing else bad happens that night, so she's inclined to think of it as a one-off. Then at the next session, a few more comments are made -- she didn't complain about 'strumpet', so clearly she's OK with it, and it's 'accepted at this table', right? Eventually, she leaves and doesn't come back, and the dudes are left to wonder why women don't seem to have the courage and desire to play TTRPGs. If that's the way you'd be planning to use an X card, then I'd suggest you stick to your guns and not use them. The idea is that they're a way for a player to express non-verbal displeasure at a topic in a non-judgmental manner. The thought that a player will touch the X card and be suddenly subjected to something along the lines of "what's wrong with this thing we just did? Are you a weak player? What's your problem?" Well, that's not what the player was buying in for. The X card is not a panacea; it's a tool, and its only as good a tool as the people who use it. With that said, I'd be as leery of a DM who expressed disdain for the tool as I would be a potential dating partner who expressed disdain over the use of protection in intimate situations; it's clearly a sign that that person prioritizes their interests and desires far above mine. -- Pauper [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
X & O For More Fun
Top