Serenity is what Firefly in the 'Verse should be

[rafial]

I agree there is a difference between moral and formal authority, what I am speaking to is my perception as a player of our characters "place in the 'verse" within our FitV game.  And that is as survivors hanging on by the skin of our teeth. This was especially driven home last session, when my character died (I was the pilot, natch).  I was very satisfied (if surprised) by the outcome (20 on 3d10), but it still drove home for me our precarious place in the verse.

Dogs can die, but don't see their position as so precarious.  For them, the non-faithful town is the exception, not the rule.  For us, it's every day.

I'm curious, has there been an actual play posted anywhere featuring a non-faithful town?  I haven't seen one.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

I agree there is a difference between moral and formal authority,

Sorry, I was unclear: authority is what the characters are recognized as having because they have power over someone. That power can be, "I've got your cows in the belly of my ship" or "I'll shoot you if you don't recant." They're actually the same. The only difference with formal authority is that there will be more Dogs if you kill these... and in Firefly, shooting your courriers is a good way to never be able to hire courriers again.

Really, they're the same thing.

what I am speaking to is my perception as a player of our characters "place in the 'verse" within our FitV game.  And that is as survivors hanging on by the skin of our teeth. This was especially driven home last session, when my character died (I was the pilot, natch).  I was very satisfied (if surprised) by the outcome (20 on 3d10), but it still drove home for me our precarious place in the verse. Dogs can die, but don't see their position as so precarious.  For them, the non-faithful town is the exception, not the rule.  For us, it's every day.

Again, that's a difference in the interpretation of color. You'll wind up just as dead as a Dog because someone didn't recognize the authority you claimed. The King only said "Go out and do" not "... and no one will hastle you for it."