The Forge Forums Read-only Archives
The live Forge Forums
|
Articles
|
Reviews
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
August 15, 2022, 05:06:09 PM
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
Forum changes:
Editing of posts has been turned off until further notice.
Search:
Advanced search
275647
Posts in
27717
Topics by
4285
Members Latest Member:
-
Jason DAngelo
Most online today:
87
- most online ever:
565
(October 17, 2020, 02:08:06 PM)
The Forge Archives
Independent Game Forums
Muse of Fire Games
(Moderator:
TonyLB
)
Capes tactics - Precision restraint
Pages: [
1
]
« previous
next »
Author
Topic: Capes tactics - Precision restraint (Read 2298 times)
TonyLB
Moderator
Member
Posts: 3702
Capes tactics - Precision restraint
«
on:
May 20, 2005, 05:07:16 PM »
Okay, you want some
really
whacked out, bizarre, intensely
human
scenes? Don't think about single conflicts, and how they work out. Think about how the Not-Yet restraints of one Conflict influence how you can address another.
This is dead easy to show through examples... and pretty easy to make up on your own, once you see the pattern.
Example #1a: A very boring set of Conflicts.
Goal
: Zak wants to convince himself that he is heroic
Goal
: Zak wants to vent his anger with his team-mates
Goal
: Fistfire wants to make a human connection
Goal
: Fistfire wants to learn more about Zak's sister, Zartanna
Why are these very boring? Because there is absolutely no reason for anyone to actually contest those desires. If Zak just comes right out and say "Hey, you think I'm heroic, don't you?" then what's Fistfire really going to say? I mean, yeah, he could temporize... "Well, 'heroic' is such a weighted term," and like that. But it's a little strained.
Example #1b: A slightly modified, much more subtle, set of Conflicts
Goal
: Zak wants to convince himself that he is heroic
Goal
: Zak wants to vent his anger with his team-mates
Goal
: Fistfire wants to make a human connection
Goal
: Fistfire wants to learn more about Zak's sister, Zartanna
Goal
: Both want to avoid actually speaking anything about their feelings out loud.
See that last goal? That flavors
everything
you can do to address the previous four. As long as it's out there you can't
say
things like "You think I'm heroic, don't you?" The "Not Yet" rule would immediately be called into play.
Now how do I imagine that conflict? Workout room. Better yet... the boxing ring. "Calm? Of course I'm calm. I'm always calm." <SMACK!> "Sure, naturally. You're zen, that's what you are." <POW!>
Plus, the mechanics get hilarious and true: "I'm using Titanic Punch to increase my side of 'Make a human connection.' I slam him through the wall. He gets back up and we exchange competitive smiles."
Now this is about as classically a "macho grunt guy-bonding" thing as you can get. But the technique applies
everywhere
. I'm not a woman, so any take on "girl-talk" is going to be flavored by my overwhelming fear of the ineffable power of feminine mystique... but what the hey....
Example #2a: A boring conversation between lovers
Goal
: Johnny wants to convince Dierdre that he loves her
Goal
: Johnny wants to convince Dierdre that he understands her
Goal
: Dierdre wants to get Johnny to take less risks
Goal
: Dierdre wants to get Johnny to propose marriage
Example #2b: A subtly different conversation
Goal
: Johnny wants to convince Dierdre that he loves her
Goal
: Johnny wants to convince Dierdre that he understands her
Goal
: Dierdre wants to get Johnny to take less risks
Goal
: Dierdre wants to get Johnny to propose marriage
Goal
: Johnny wants to understand what the heck they're actually talking about, because it's clearly not really about his forgetting to pick up the frozen pineapple on his way home from the super-battle
Logged
Just published:
Capes
New Project: Misery Bubblegum
Pages: [
1
]
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
Welcome to the Archives
-----------------------------
=> Welcome to the Archives
-----------------------------
General Forge Forums
-----------------------------
=> First Thoughts
=> Playtesting
=> Endeavor
=> Actual Play
=> Publishing
=> Connections
=> Conventions
=> Site Discussion
-----------------------------
Archive
-----------------------------
=> RPG Theory
=> GNS Model Discussion
=> Indie Game Design
-----------------------------
Independent Game Forums
-----------------------------
=> Adept Press
=> Arkenstone Publishing
=> Beyond the Wire Productions
=> Black and Green Games
=> Bully Pulpit Games
=> Dark Omen Games
=> Dog Eared Designs
=> Eric J. Boyd Designs
=> Errant Knight Games
=> Galileo Games
=> glyphpress
=> Green Fairy Games
=> Half Meme Press
=> Incarnadine Press
=> lumpley games
=> Muse of Fire Games
=> ndp design
=> Night Sky Games
=> one.seven design
=> Robert Bohl Games
=> Stone Baby Games
=> These Are Our Games
=> Twisted Confessions
=> Universalis
=> Wild Hunt Studios
-----------------------------
Inactive Forums
-----------------------------
=> My Life With Master Playtest
=> Adamant Entertainment
=> Bob Goat Press
=> Burning Wheel
=> Cartoon Action Hour
=> Chimera Creative
=> CRN Games
=> Destroy All Games
=> Evilhat Productions
=> HeroQuest
=> Key 20 Publishing
=> Memento-Mori Theatricks
=> Mystic Ages Online
=> Orbit
=> Scattershot
=> Seraphim Guard
=> Wicked Press
=> Review Discussion
=> XIG Games
=> SimplePhrase Press
=> The Riddle of Steel
=> Random Order Creations
=> Forge Birthday Forum