On keeping approaches fresh, and why reusing the top ones isn't a problem

Conversation started Apr 4, 2016 at 5:32.

doppelgreener

Apr 4, 2016 05:32

I wonder what the difference would be in Fate Accelerated gameplay if you got +1 when using an approach other than the last one (or last two) you used.

Not that using the +3 approach all the time is inherently a problem.

BESW

@doppelgreener There's a rule in K&T like that.

Except it's K&T, and K&T is a loving parody of OSR/oWoD/grognardery for the modern era.

> The Keep-It-Fresh Rule. If you use the same combo of Trait and Skill twice in a row, lose one success after rolling. Yes, you can have –1 successes.

doppelgreener

Apr 4, 2016 05:49

Neato. :D

For my own part I think the "solution" is to rate difficulties appropriately and not consider it a problem.

Teal'c does the forceful stuff, not Samantha. It's not a problem that Samantha usually tries to solve problems with smarts over brawn. So, if she prefers her +3's and +2's, that's fine.

BESW

One of the FAE devs said something along the lines of "it's only a problem if your narration gets stale and repetitive because you're using the same approach, never because you're spamming a high number."

doppelgreener

Yeah. :)

Meanwhile if both of them are standing there and there's a forceful thing to be done, of course Teal'c's probably going to do it. So it's fine if across the party, only +3 and +2 approaches tend to get used.

BESW

That's a good point.

doppelgreener

Thanks.

I think you're right - keep the narrative fresh. Also, take care of difficulties. If you've got a big metal goa'uld door, Teal'c may have an easier time Carefully breaking it than Forcefully smashing it, so a +1 Careful action might be even more favourable than a +3 Forceful action - and that's good. Except if Carter's around, she'll handle it, which, see above, is fine. (Unless she doesn't know how. It still might be more preferable for Teal'c to do it than her, because he's a Jaffa.)

BESW

@doppelgreener This is enforced in the Masters of Umdaar "cliffhanger" mechanic.

doppelgreener

Apr 4, 2016 05:59

@BESW It is! That's actually what got me thinking along those lines.

Collating thoughts on this:
- Keep the narrative fresh. Don't let it get stale and repetitive.
- It's okay if someone prefers using their top approaches; preferring to handle issues in ways we're good at doing things is natural.
- It's okay if the party, between themselves, only tends to use their +3 and +2 approaches. Naturally whoever's good at a task would be the one to attempt it.
- Scale difficulties according to the narrative. Some approaches make a problem harder, not easier, to solve, even if you're better at approaching problems that way. (Sometimes it's impossible.)

BESW

Thor's Hammer is a good example: they can get out of the problem Forcefully, without even rolling, it's so easy. But they don't want to and spend the whole second half of the episode looking for a different solution.

doppelgreener

@BESW Oh man. Compelled to be unable to solve a problem the easy & obvious way.

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