[Bliss Stage Playtest] Read Through Questions

[Thunder_God]

Reading a PDF, reading a book, not so good for getting questions out of it, one must sit with a pen, so I did.

Some questions are answered later, I will still post them and the page they relate to, because they may note some things could be clearer, I'll note when my question was answered in the text though. Some things caused me to backtrack and note a question, some things will be noted several times.

First question was asked and answered via e-mail:
#1. First session, second page, exception point #3.
"Any relationship with another Pilot...."
Explanation? What if one Pilot has 4/2 to another, does the other have 4/1 to him, or they both have 4/1?
What if one Pilot has 4/2 for the other but the other decides he wants 5/3 to him? Who reciprocates, who gets it for "Free"?

Answer:
Remember -- all relationships are absolutely reciprocal.

Let's say that Adam spends one of his 4/2 relationships on Bob's
pilot.  Now the pilots have a relationship at 4/1.  Both of them can
access it.

If both people want to spend a relationship, they can work it out
amongst themselves.  If it can't be worked out, the older player
spends the relationship

Page 5,
#2. Hope=number of players minus 2, from what is said about "Last player alive" I take it this includes the GM, but I want to be sure.
#3. Some templates begin with Trauma, can Trauma Relief scenes lower these?
#4. If a beginning Trust is 1, it can't be with another non-nuclear family pilot due to the -1, correct?

Page 9,
#5. How about crossing between Interlude and Mission of same player, ala Episode 2 of NGE when we cross between Shinji's battle and what follows?
#6. What about when there's an Interlude in the middle? Like when Shinji lets the two kids in, in Bliss Stage maybe two fighters talking and laughing amongst selves and Anchor, or Anchor with someone outside(in a way that affects in-mission stats)?
#7. How about a "Memory" scene? When in the mission the pilot brings up a memory of an Interlude scene(which didn't really happen before, and now needs to be played?
#7.5. How about interlude scenes that don't affect stats, but show daily life, Humanization for Pilots? Gathering food by pilots, just exercising, whatever?

Page 10,
#8. GM, Others and Aliens. The GM calls it a Threat or introduces it, for example in the case of enviromental hazard? Who introduces a Volcano, GM or Anchor?

Page 12,
#9. Top, Current goal or the Mission? How many dice required for Mission?
#10. Nightmarishness. Next Conflict=Nightmare in most cases, so what gives? The Bridge "ends" when the next conflict(or nightmare) is introduces, so the Bridge is uninterrupted anyway, and then Conflict.
#11. Relationship, 0 dice> "to be reflected as stress and tension in the relationship" Merely colour or Stress?
#12. Leftover Dice, Switch between 5-6 and 1-2, if not, why this configuration?

Page 13,
#13. top. Relation can end, is the dream the cause to the damage or psyche? And later the interlude scene is the real reason in which case, no reason for reciprocal trust loss during Dream?
#14. Aftermath. How does an anchor see the inside of a dream?
#15. Bridge, 3rd paragraph. When is a GM not entitled to introduce Conflict? See prior questions regarding bridge, GM and Conflicts(#8, #10)

Page 14,
#16. Top. What if the player already drew on the would-be-Forced relationship? What if there are no Rated relationships uncalled?
#16.5. What can cause in-game, in-dream Forcing of a relationship? Priorities are easy, I can only see "Inside the Pilot's Head" as reasoning for wanting specific character, or hole in the armour which seems a bit flat.

Page 16,
#17. Can an Authority figure also call for these scenes? What of NPC Pilots?
#18. "Stress Scene", though applies to most. Whose scene does it eat up? Scene caller or both if both are PCs?
#19. Trust Building. And if I want there to be Trust building inside Missions or during briefing?
#20. Intimacy Raising Chart. How can Nuclear family members raise their Intimacy? And please don't say "Same way", I like NGE, but not that much.

Page 17,
#21. Trust Breaking. Why is a Relationship Snap from Mission count as "Betrayal"?
#22. In general, apparent in Trust Breaking. So when you call for a scene you only describe desired result and can get "pooped on" by other Characters? For example:
Shinji:Trauma Relief. Some RP.
Asuka: Grow up!
Question answered later in text, this does indeed seem to be the case.

Page 18,
#23. Whole page, regarding Betrayals. Whose scene allocation gets eaten up? The Caller or Betrayer?
#23.5. Note you can't be both Caller and Betrayer(unless due to Mission), so if you had all your Interludes you have to "intrude" on others and turn it into Betrayals? And then, does the Caller still use his scene up or not?
#24. Second paragraph, first "line". But aside from Briefing/Mission, what can add stress?
#25. Last paragraph. So, does this cost scene allotment?

Page 20,
#26. Second paragraph. What if no more hopes can be solved any longer? Sort of answered in the text later.
#27. Third paragraph, first line. Requiring an interlude. Or you meant Relationship damage alone?
#28. Third paragraph, second indention. Can a Pilot resist being awakened?

Page 21,
#29. Second indention. He chooses all of his first, or he chooses one, then everyone else chooses one, and then he chooses his second first, etc.?
#30. Pregnancy. So the mother gets 4/3 or 3/3?
#31. Last paragraph, second indent, second sentence. Temp or Permanent relationships? Because the (see above) actually refers to those destroyed in combat, thus temp.

Page 22,
#32. Top paragraph. What if a Pilot reaches 108 Bliss outside of a mission? What if a non-pilot reaches 108 Bliss?
#33. Top paragraph, last indention. What about introducing a new pilot, or introducing new pilots in general if we get new players?
#34. Second paragraph. What if a Mission's Goal is to resolve a Hope? Or that's a meta-consensus to not happen?

Pages 23-26, fiction/background.
#35. Page 23, what gives those in Bliss nourishment? Or they die?
#36. Page 24, Authority Figure. What if you have more than one Adult?
#37. Page 24, Authority Figure. Authority Figure as Pilot? How about kids with Insomnia who grow up? Ooooh, I think I just got the answer! They can't, Pilots must be unconscious, while Authority Figures must stay awake! Right?
#38. Page 25. So anchors, can they see? If not, how do they guide you?(note it's unclear you're moving from anchor to sister)
#39. Page 26. See how?(talking about anchors seeing into the dreams) Just thought of an answer! How about through the Robots' controls?
#40. Page 26. Not really a question. Introduce a mechanic to let anchors/others actively use their love to help Pilots?

Page 27,
#41. Nell and Maria, [If you placed multiple dice, reroll them all] seems leftover from Jenny, just now figured the answer is due to Trauma.


I know you didn't want style/grammar advice, but if something is an in-game mechanical term, please Capitalize it?
Also, I think I'll write a different POV for Israel, when I have the time.

[Ben Lehman]

Hi, Guy.  Thanks for asking these.

I'm going to try to answer your questions one at a time.

Reading a PDF, reading a book, not so good for getting questions out of it, one must sit with a pen, so I did.

Some questions are answered later, I will still post them and the page they relate to, because they may note some things could be clearer, I'll note when my question was answered in the text though. Some things caused me to backtrack and note a question, some things will be noted several times.

#1. First session, second page, exception point #3.
"Any relationship with another Pilot...."
Explanation? What if one Pilot has 4/2 to another, does the other have 4/1 to him, or they both have 4/1?
What if one Pilot has 4/2 for the other but the other decides he wants 5/3 to him? Who reciprocates, who gets it for "Free"?

Remember -- all relationships are absolutely reciprocal.

Let's say that Adam spends one of his 4/2 relationships on Bob's
pilot.  Now the pilots have a relationship at 4/1.  Both of them can
access it.

If both people want to spend a relationship, they can work it out
amongst themselves.  If it can't be worked out, the older player
spends the relationship.

Page 5,
#2. Hope=number of players minus 2, from what is said about "Last player alive" I take it this includes the GM, but I want to be sure.

Yes, this includes the GM.  The Authority isn't counted for "last player alive," though, it's just the pilots.  Basically, you have enough Hopes that once they all get resolved you have one pilot left.

#3. Some templates begin with Trauma, can Trauma Relief scenes lower these?

Yes.  The templates are simply initial conditions, and can be changed in any way through play.  Once you start play your template matters not at all.

#4. If a beginning Trust is 1, it can't be with another non-nuclear family pilot due to the -1, correct?

You could do that, but it would mean that your relationship was initially destroyed (zero intimacy and trust).  That would be an interesting, if not tactical choice.


Page 9,
#5. How about crossing between Interlude and Mission of same player, ala Episode 2 of NGE when we cross between Shinji's battle and what follows?
#6. What about when there's an Interlude in the middle? Like when Shinji lets the two kids in, in Bliss Stage maybe two fighters talking and laughing amongst selves and Anchor, or Anchor with someone outside(in a way that affects in-mission stats)?
#7. How about a "Memory" scene? When in the mission the pilot brings up a memory of an Interlude scene(which didn't really happen before, and now needs to be played?


It may shock you to know that I am not a big enough EVA fan to know the plot of everyone episode simply by number.  To answer your questions as I perceive them, here's the rules:
1) In terms of playtest, keep interludes and missions totally segregated.  End of story.
2) In terms of long-term play, I think people will use the flashback framing device to do interludes during a mission.  In which case the interlude must come between mission scenes (after a conflict resolves and before another conflict starts) and counts against the scene totals for the next mission.
3) In terms of in-game chronology, there can never be an interlude or any sort of positive relationship development during a mission.  Ever.

It may help you to realize that this isn't EVA, the mechs don't exist in the real world, the pilot is asleep, and it's impossible for a pilot to communicate with anyone but an anchor during a mission.

#7.5. How about interlude scenes that don't affect stats, but show daily life, Humanization for Pilots? Gathering food by pilots, just exercising, whatever?

All interlude scenes are strongly focused on relationships and mechanically important (this includes Humanization scenes -- if you haven't figured out why they're important yet, that's probably because either the text is unclear or you haven't thought about it enough.)  There are no scenes which do not develop a relationship.  May I suggest that the sorts of scenes you're talking about could easily be trust-building, stress-relief, or low-level intimacy building between pilots.  Heck, if they're sharing an understanding of their pain, I could see some trauma relief, too.

In short -- all interludes are mechanically important, but that doesn't mean that they can't be low-key.


Page 10,
#8. GM, Others and Aliens. The GM calls it a Threat or introduces it, for example in the case of enviromental hazard? Who introduces a Volcano, GM or Anchor?


This is totally covered by the existing narration text.  The GM as the Authority of the Pilot as a Hotshot sets the mission objectives.  If the Anchor has complete control (Nightmare + in the last scene), the GM may only narrate Trauma-induced threats, and those usually after conflict is established, but the Anchor *must* narrate towards the next mission objective.  If the Anchor has partial control (an = result in Nightmare), the Anchor narrates the main bulk of the bridge towards the next mission object, but others can introduce Nightmarish elements.  If the Anchor has no control (a - result in Nightmare), the Pilot and the GM work together to narrate the bridge to the next objective, making it as nightmarish as possible.

Does this not make sense?

Page 12,
#9. Top, Current goal or the Mission? How many dice required for Mission?


Unless it is threatened, one one die is required for Mission, like all categories.  One + accomplishes one mission objective.


#10. Nightmarishness. Next Conflict=Nightmare in most cases, so what gives? The Bridge "ends" when the next conflict(or nightmare) is introduces, so the Bridge is uninterrupted anyway, and then Conflict.


Huh?   None of your words make sense to me here.

The hard mechanical effect of Nightmare is to cause Terror and Trauma.  It also distributes narration rights, and allows the Anchor to abort the mission or not.

The next conflict is *always* a mission objective, whether set by the Authority or a Hotshot pilot.  Nightmare never causes additional conflicts.


#11. Relationship, 0 dice> "to be reflected as stress and tension in the relationship" Merely colour or Stress?


Oh, fuck.  Typo.  The relationship gains 1 Stress.  This is analogous to Nightmare.


#12. Leftover Dice, Switch between 5-6 and 1-2, if not, why this configuration?


Not a typo, and the reasons for it are myriad and I'm not going to explain them to you.  Keep it as it is.  It's one of the long-term pacing mechanics of the game.


Page 13,
#13. top. Relation can end, is the dream the cause to the damage or psyche? And later the interlude scene is the real reason in which case, no reason for reciprocal trust loss during Dream?


The parts of your robot are, as explained in "The Pilot and the Robot," literally parts of your friends and relatives psyches.  If it takes enough stress to destroy it, that part of your friend's mind has just been *destroyed*

Fictionally, is it that you are actually destroying their love for you concretely, or that they can't take the damage to themselves and so they can't trust you anymore?  That's totally up to the players of the game, and I imagine it will be different for each relationship.


#14. Aftermath. How does an anchor see the inside of a dream?


Up to the local group's definition of the technology.


#15. Bridge, 3rd paragraph. When is a GM not entitled to introduce Conflict? See prior questions regarding bridge, GM and Conflicts(#8, #10)


Every conflict is always a mission objective.  When there are no more mission objectives, because they have been accomplished or because they have been failed outright, then the mission is over.  The GM cannot introduce a new mission objective during the mission ever.  The pilot can, via the hotshot rule.


Page 14,
#16. Top. What if the player already drew on the would-be-Forced relationship? What if there are no Rated relationships uncalled?
#16.5. What can cause in-game, in-dream Forcing of a relationship? Priorities are easy, I can only see "Inside the Pilot's Head" as reasoning for wanting specific character, or hole in the armour which seems a bit flat.


You cannot force a relationship already being used.  If there are no uncalled relationships (remember that every relationship is rated via the "everyone else" rating), then the GM sits back and laughs, his position secure, and uses Trauma to Threaten or Endanger only.

In game, that's up for the GM to come up with.  Remember that it's a dream.  One of my favorite forcing techniques is "you see his face staring down at you from the sky.  'I'm very disappointed in you,' he says."  Basically if the relationship "comes up" in the dream, that's forcing.


Page 16,
#17. Can an Authority figure also call for these scenes? What of NPC Pilots?


No, and there are no NPC pilots.


#18. "Stress Scene", though applies to most. Whose scene does it eat up? Scene caller or both if both are PCs?


Scenes are only ever used by the scene caller.


#19. Trust Building. And if I want there to be Trust building inside Missions or during briefing?


You should play some other game.


#20. Intimacy Raising Chart. How can Nuclear family members raise their Intimacy? And please don't say "Same way", I like NGE, but not that much.


The +1 is enduring.  In other words, take the chart, add one to all the numbers, remove the last line, and change "have sex" into "no further increase possible."  No relationship can ever have an intimacy above 5.  You can raise intimacy with family members by having sex with them, but you never *have* to.

While we're talking about the chart, here's an unrelated errata.  Add "fighting" at "increase to three" and "fighting for real" at "increase to four."


Page 17,
#21. Trust Breaking. Why is a Relationship Snap from Mission count as "Betrayal"?


Complicated mathematical reasons.  Actually, now that I'm looking at it, there are artifacts I don't like.  Errata that to "does not count against either scene total."  Thanks.


#22. In general, apparent in Trust Breaking. So when you call for a scene you only describe desired result and can get "pooped on" by other Characters? For example:
Shinji:Trauma Relief. Some RP.
Asuka: Grow up!
Question answered later in text, this does indeed seem to be the case.


Any character present in the scene can take actions that break trust, whether of people in the scene or people outside the scene.


Page 18,
#23. Whole page, regarding Betrayals. Whose scene allocation gets eaten up? The Caller or Betrayer?


Always the caller.  Always.


#23.5. Note you can't be both Caller and Betrayer(unless due to Mission), so if you had all your Interludes you have to "intrude" on others and turn it into Betrayals? And then, does the Caller still use his scene up or not?


This is wrong.  You cannot, as the caller, propose trust breaking.  Someone else can certainly say to you "you just broke my character's trust" or even, "I think my character just broke your trust.  What do you think?"


#24. Second paragraph, first "line". But aside from Briefing/Mission, what can add stress?


Answered earlier -- 0 results in Relationship add one stress to that relationship.


#25. Last paragraph. So, does this cost scene allotment?


No.  But the interlude scene *must* focus on the pilot who called it, or on his relationships.  Other characters can enter, but they can't "steal the scene" as it were.  If someone is intending to do this, they should wait (not long) until the end of the scene, and then start their own immediately afterwards.

Also: Everyone is clear that the time length of interludes is a rule, not a suggestions, right?


Page 20,
#26. Second paragraph. What if no more hopes can be solved any longer? Sort of answered in the text later.


This situation is impossible.  Each Hope removes a player from the game when resolved or un-resolved.  When there are no hopes left, the game ends.

You do *not* ever get a new pilot character.  You break it, you bought it.


#27. Third paragraph, first line. Requiring an interlude. Or you meant Relationship damage alone?


Either way.  And, seriously, dude, it wouldn't hurt you to quote a little text.


#28. Third paragraph, second indention. Can a Pilot resist being awakened?


Not at present, no.


Page 21,
#29. Second indention. He chooses all of his first, or he chooses one, then everyone else chooses one, and then he chooses his second first, etc.?


Whenever someone invokes a relationship, someone with higher Bliss can pre-empt to invoke it themselves.


#30. Pregnancy. So the mother gets 4/3 or 3/3?


3/3.  The father gets 2/2.  The +1 is already counted in.


#31. Last paragraph, second indent, second sentence. Temp or Permanent relationships? Because the (see above) actually refers to those destroyed in combat, thus temp.


Huh?  What?  There's no such thing as a "temporary" relationship destruction.  Scoring a (-) in a relationship prevents you from using it for the rest of the mission, but that doesn't actually destroy it.


Page 22,
#32. Top paragraph. What if a Pilot reaches 108 Bliss outside of a mission? What if a non-pilot reaches 108 Bliss?


Non-pilots have no Bliss.  Pilots get one last mission if they want it.


#33. Top paragraph, last indention. What about introducing a new pilot, or introducing new pilots in general if we get new players?


No.


#34. Second paragraph. What if a Mission's Goal is to resolve a Hope? Or that's a meta-consensus to not happen?


Not possible unless the pilot is in Endgame.


Pages 23-26, fiction/background.
#35. Page 23, what gives those in Bliss nourishment? Or they die?


They are in suspended animation.  They don't age, either.


#36. Page 24, Authority Figure. What if you have more than one Adult?


You only have one adult, who is the authority figure.


#37. Page 24, Authority Figure. Authority Figure as Pilot? How about kids with Insomnia who grow up? Ooooh, I think I just got the answer! They can't, Pilots must be unconscious, while Authority Figures must stay awake! Right?


It's actually simpler: Authority Figures can't be pilots because they're too old.  An ex-pilot can replace an Authority as part of his Endgame.  In this case, I would shift GMing duties, and give control of that player's Anchor to the old GM.


#38. Page 25. So anchors, can they see? If not, how do they guide you?(note it's unclear you're moving from anchor to sister)


Local definition of tech.


#39. Page 26. See how?(talking about anchors seeing into the dreams) Just thought of an answer! How about through the Robots' controls?


Local definition of tech.


#40. Page 26. Not really a question. Introduce a mechanic to let anchors/others actively use their love to help Pilots?


No.


Page 27,
#41. Nell and Maria, [If you placed multiple dice, reroll them all] seems leftover from Jenny, just now figured the answer is due to Trauma.


The only reason that you place multiple dice into something is if there is more than one pilot on the mission or if the category is threatened or endangered.  Mission and Trauma are part of this.

Okay, does that clear things up more or less?

yrs--
--Ben

P.S.  Bonus question from me to me:

Hey, dumbass: All these things happen "in order of Bliss."  What happens if there's a tie?

If Bliss matters and there is a tie, add one to the Bliss score of the older player.

[Thunder_God]

Page 10,
#8. GM, Others and Aliens. The GM calls it a Threat or introduces it, for example in the case of enviromental hazard? Who introduces a Volcano, GM or Anchor?


This is totally covered by the existing narration text.  The GM as the Authority of the Pilot as a Hotshot sets the mission objectives.  If the Anchor has complete control (Nightmare + in the last scene), the GM may only narrate Trauma-induced threats, and those usually after conflict is established, but the Anchor *must* narrate towards the next mission objective.  If the Anchor has partial control (an = result in Nightmare), the Anchor narrates the main bulk of the bridge towards the next mission object, but others can introduce Nightmarish elements.  If the Anchor has no control (a - result in Nightmare), the Pilot and the GM work together to narrate the bridge to the next objective, making it as nightmarish as possible.

Does this not make sense?

So bridge is between Objectives, not conflicts. It's the whole of the road, and conflicts occur on it. Totally unclear in the text, see question #10.
What about Threat in the first scene? Who sets it up?
Anchor sets and GM calls, or GM sets?

Page 12,
#9. Top, Current goal or the Mission? How many dice required for Mission?


Unless it is threatened, one one die is required for Mission, like all categories.  One + accomplishes one mission objective.

Mission or Objective? Actually answered later, need to clarify difference in text, because you call it Mission Dice and don't note the difference.

#10. Nightmarishness. Next Conflict=Nightmare in most cases, so what gives? The Bridge "ends" when the next conflict(or nightmare) is introduces, so the Bridge is uninterrupted anyway, and then Conflict.


Huh?   None of your words make sense to me here.

The hard mechanical effect of Nightmare is to cause Terror and Trauma.  It also distributes narration rights, and allows the Anchor to abort the mission or not.

The next conflict is *always* a mission objective, whether set by the Authority or a Hotshot pilot.  Nightmare never causes additional conflicts.

See above.

Page 13,
#15. Bridge, 3rd paragraph. When is a GM not entitled to introduce Conflict? See prior questions regarding bridge, GM and Conflicts(#8, #10)


Every conflict is always a mission objective.  When there are no more mission objectives, because they have been accomplished or because they have been failed outright, then the mission is over.  The GM cannot introduce a new mission objective during the mission ever.  The pilot can, via the hotshot rule.

What about objectives which don't entail conflicts?
What about missions where what is required of you is Stealth and not combative abilities?
I guess real-world challenges don't really exist, how can one put up a Robot attack in real world?

Page 14,
#16. Top. What if the player already drew on the would-be-Forced relationship? What if there are no Rated relationships uncalled?


(remember that every relationship is rated via the "everyone else" rating),

Ok, forgot the "And everyone else" rating.

Page 16,
#18. "Stress Scene", though applies to most. Whose scene does it eat up? Scene caller or both if both are PCs?


Scenes are only ever used by the scene caller.

But more than only the scene starter can benefit, for example in Trauma Relief?

#20. Intimacy Raising Chart. How can Nuclear family members raise their Intimacy? And please don't say "Same way", I like NGE, but not that much.


The +1 is enduring.  In other words, take the chart, add one to all the numbers, remove the last line, and change "have sex" into "no further increase possible."  No relationship can ever have an intimacy above 5.  You can raise intimacy with family members by having sex with them, but you never *have* to.

While we're talking about the chart, here's an unrelated errata.  Add "fighting" at "increase to three" and "fighting for real" at "increase to four."

I'm still wondering about the Intimate Touching to get to 5 as Nuclear Family....
What about identical twins, I may add a house-rule where they get +2.

Page 17,
#22. In general, apparent in Trust Breaking. So when you call for a scene you only describe desired result and can get "pooped on" by other Characters? For example:
Shinji:Trauma Relief. Some RP.
Asuka: Grow up!
Question answered later in text, this does indeed seem to be the case.


Any character present in the scene can take actions that break trust, whether of people in the scene or people outside the scene.

Trust Breaking was an example. So someone can try Stress relief, only to have the other PC blow him off and thus doesn't relief any stress?

Page 18,
#23.5. Note you can't be both Caller and Betrayer(unless due to Mission), so if you had all your Interludes you have to "intrude" on others and turn it into Betrayals? And then, does the Caller still use his scene up or not?


This is wrong.  You cannot, as the caller, propose trust breaking.  Someone else can certainly say to you "you just broke my character's trust" or even, "I think my character just broke your trust.  What do you think?"

This was a sub-question of #23, no longer relevant. As an aside, your answer didn't answer my would-be question.

#24. Second paragraph, first "line". But aside from Briefing/Mission, what can add stress?


Answered earlier -- 0 results in Relationship add one stress to that relationship.

Still doesn't answer my question, what can add multiple Stress in one go? "If there is enough stress on the relationship this may cause a double drop", considering you do a count of Stress/Terror between every Conflict? Only possibility I see is being "Stalled".

Also: Everyone is clear that the time length of interludes is a rule, not a suggestions, right?

Yup!

Page 20,
#27. Third paragraph, first line. Requiring an interlude. Or you meant Relationship damage alone?


Either way.  And, seriously, dude, it wouldn't hurt you to quote a little text.

To be clear, this can only happen by Interlude by someone ELSE, betraying the Pilot, while the Pilot is in his Mission Scenes, or between them.

Okay, does that clear things up more or less?

Clears things considerabely :)

[Ben Lehman]

Hi.

I think we cleared up half of this in Chat, but I'm going to go over both halves for the benefit of anyone who might be reading.  You clearly have some deep-seated misunderstandings about how the game works, both in respect to missions and interludes.  This is almost certainly the fault of my text, so you'll have to forgive me for my "hardline" tone of voice here.

1) Missions.  The mission category is not about "stakes" in any standard Forge way.  Every time the pilot rolls, it is possible that he can complete a mission objective with this roll.  It is up the narration afterwards to figure out how this happens.

The mission objectives are set down by the Authority during the briefing.  The GM cannot change, add, or subtract objectives.  The Pilot may add objectives in two ways -- first via the hotshot rule and second by placing a (-) in Mission and having the GM decide that that is a complication.  The GM and other players decide the description of the complication, the pilot dedices the description of any hotshotting.

Once you have this in hand, you see that "a tidal wave comes out of nowhere" has nothing to do with conflicts.  It can be set down as a mission objective by the Authority, it can be narrated by the Anchor as color, it can be narrated by the GM as a threat (probably to mission), it can be a result of a complication, it can be the pilot hotshotting, it can be nightmare color introduce by the other players, or it can be a part of the aftermath, where the GM, Pilot, and Anchor describe the results of the roll.

"Controls the environment" is totally meaningless in Bliss Stage, *especially* in terms of conflicts.

2) You have a strong misunderstanding about Interludes, probably due to never having played My Life With Master.

a) The basic interlude scenes benefit either the pilot who called for them (trauma relief) or his extent relationships (all others.)  In no way and in no manner can someone else's relationships benefit.  The only possible benefit is if two pilots share a relationship in which case, yes, either one can use scenes to improve it, and every scene improves it for both of them.

b) The exceptions to this are trust-breaking scenes, which are mandatory and don't count against anything anymore anyway, and humanization scenes, which are only between non-pilot characters, but still cost the pilot character as normal.

c) Whether or not a betrayal takes place is not at all related to other benefits of the scene.  A scene will always have some benefit to the pilot or his relationships (though not necessarily the one he wanted.)  In addition and seperate from that, it may cause some relationship to lose a point of trust, in which case it is considered a betrayal scene.

d) The intention of the Intimacy Ladder is to squick you a little bit.  If you find "intimate touching" bad for family, try "embracing" or "kissing."  Or leave your family relationships at 3+1.

Okay, those are the two biggies.  Now two little things.

Yes, you check for Trauma increase and Trust decrease after every die roll.  Is this somehow not clear?

You are still talking absolute moon-language about the Anima Dice.  Fortunately, they matter very, very little for the game in practice.

yrs--
--Ben

[Thunder_God]

2) You have a strong misunderstanding about Interludes, probably due to never having played My Life With Master.

a) The basic interlude scenes benefit either the pilot who called for them (trauma relief) or his extent relationships (all others.)  In no way and in no manner can someone else's relationships benefit.  The only possible benefit is if two pilots share a relationship in which case, yes, either one can use scenes to improve it, and every scene improves it for both of them.

c) Whether or not a betrayal takes place is not at all related to other benefits of the scene.  A scene will always have some benefit to the pilot or his relationships (though not necessarily the one he wanted.).

Ok, my question was this: Can someone "Call" for a Scene, and due to what happens in it not change mechanically? I wanted to do Stress Relief, the other side didn't care but it wasn't Betrayal, so any change?
Your note regarding MLWM leads me to believe every scene leads to some change mechanically, correct?

Yes, you check for Trauma increase and Trust decrease after every die roll.  Is this somehow not clear?

This leads me to believe that you can't gain a double-drop in Trust due to Stress, as I don't see what can cause more than one Stress in a scene?

You are still talking absolute moon-language about the Anima Dice.  Fortunately, they matter very, very little for the game in practice.

I'd drop it if I were indeed speaking of Anima Dice, which are a small part, unfortunately, I'm talking of something else altogether:
You said in the book, page 20, "If all invoked relationships have been negated by betrayals, and the pilot will not or cannot invoke new ones". When I asked you if the "Betrayals" refer to "Snap" due to (-) on Relationships Damage or due to Interludes, you said both.
Now, for both to happen, it means that we have Pilot #1 in Mission, he finishes scene A, then player of Pilot #2 does an Interlude scene, outside of Mission, where he Betrays Pilot #1, which can lead to Pilot #1 being left with no invoked relationships in Scene B. The other option is you only referred to Relationship damage?

[Ben Lehman]

All interlude scenes are one of the types listed -- all of them cause an increase of trust or intimacy, or a decrease of stress or trauma.

A double drop happens in any case where a (-) is placed in relationship damage, and there is fair amount of stress on that relationship already.  Consider that if my relationship to you has 3 trust and 2 stress, and I place a (-) in our relationship, then it gains one stress and loses one trust.  Now it's at 2 trust and 3 stress.  Since stress is higher than trust, stress drops to zero and trust drops by one.  Now it's at 1 trust and no stress.  Ouch!

Ah, yes!  I sometimes use "betrayal" to mean (-) in relationship damage.  This is a terminology error and I apologize for it.  Relationships during missions can be destroyed by any of:
stress from 0 results.
snapping from - results
betrayal by other pilots in interludes.

yrs--
--Ben