[IAWA] Prerequisites Shared Understanding
Jonathan Walton:
Cool, that definitely helps. There are definitely folks in SGBoston who aren't used to thinking of non-dice-based choices as tactical, because they primarily engage with a system through the dice odds of resolution, but you're probably right that modeling a few conflicts might help.
We definitely learned, through playing the game, that injury and exhaustion (and shame) were not very interesting outcomes, so I think people may not be motivated to negotiate for something better. People didn't really negotiate at all, in either of our games, because I think they seemed to view negotiating as stepping outside the system instead of engaging with the system. I almost feel like constructing a set of fixed negotiation guidelines would help, so that negotiation was a bit more structured and Polaris-y. Like 1) make an offer, 2) make a counter offer, 3) accept the counter offer or offer a compromise, 4) if neither offer is accepted, move on.
I'm also realistic that the game still might not work for the current SGBoston regulars, but I'd like to at least have it work enough that I can sense how it's supposed to work, especially since I've got the Water Margin hack on the backburner because I don't understand the original game enough. The Water Margin hack will work better for SGBoston, I think, but I want to properly understand IAWA before I break it apart and reassemble it.
John Harper:
Here's a thing:
When you go in with bigger dice, you are more likely to be the challenger, and to win the stick at the end.
When you go in with smaller dice, you are more likely to be the answerer, and you get to say what happens.
If everyone is always reaching for their biggest dice, they are missing this very important distinction. The person rolling the high numbers is not the person with the most say over what happens during the action sequence. It's reversed.
Your big dice are for winning the stick, and then leaning on the other player to give you something you want. Your small dice are for going into danger (the other player will get the stick!) but getting the answerer position so you have more say over the events of the action sequence.
Picking dice which are only slightly smaller will get you on the list, but they're not likely to make you the answerer. That's why you sometimes need your d6 d4. Sure, you get put in a bad position for the negotiation (or you get hosed in the first round even), but you're in control of the fiction, which is huge.
Also, the Owe List kicks so much ass in a one shot. I'm pretty surprised that didn't come out in your games. Get your name on three times (while everyone else is rolling their big fat dice), and then watch how much of a terror you become. When you can suddenly threaten death to anyone else (you can almost certainly win three fights in a row and take their character to zero), you are the 800 lb. gorilla.
Valamir:
I would suggest that this:
Quote
Bad habit 4: limiting consequences to the mechanical
- From now on, whenever anybody gets exhausted or injured, have the winner describe how. It must fully account for genuine exhaustion or a serious injury, so keep prodding until it does; otherwise, no input from anybody, especially the loser.
Me: Nah, I'd rather be exhausted or injured.
Mitch: Okay, exhausted. You sail away but I'm behind you. We chase through the archipelago for four days, and finally I corner you on some rocky barren island. You're starving and bone-weary from the chase.
Me: Crap, dude.
is mandatory for one shot play, to the extent that I'd make it the official rule.
The reason is because the We Owe List isn't the only aspect that relies on multi session play for part of its juice. The other oft forgetten rule is that when you do come back...you come back "as is". Any damage you take you're stuck with. So if you do want to come back, taking damage is a HUGE deal...and provides ample motivation to negotiate.
If there is no coming back (as in a one shot) taking damage isn't as huge a deal and thus provides less motivation for negotiation. The above rule replaces that motivation factor pretty solidly, although I'd argue its probably the first training wheel you can throw away in a campaign setting.
Brand_Robins:
Shit, I hadn't noticed that the rule for coming back is "chose one" not "chose all"
That's a rather large oversight on my part.
Valvorik:
I made the same mistake first time I read/played, we were bring back using "resort dice" to heal up and also adding to PS's.
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