[Mispent Youth] Five predictions about Rebekah, Molly and Larry

[lumpley]

Rebekah, 14, played by Julia: "new kid." Molly, 16, played by Meg: "hardened cynic." Larry, 16, played by Vincent: "den mother." Mispent Youth, GMed by Rob.

Before the predictions, some notes about play:

When Rob started listing the ways our characters might've been let down, I had this feeling in my stomach. It said, "oh, I see. I'm going to play this character as he really is, not as he thinks he is or as I wish he were." It was in my stomach because I knew it'd be an emotional challenge; I was sad about who my character really was. This was also the moment that I switched from "sure, I'll play" to really meaning it.

Maybe I've never played a game I found more immediately character-immersive compelling. Rob didn't realize we'd started playing, but Molly had already bloodied Larry's nose.

Anybody who feels reluctant about this game because of the scene structure rules, without first trying them, well, I think you're wrong. They're a seamless way to organize play without intruding on what's actually fun.

The cyberpunk parts of the game are good. I have a half-baked theory about using non-real fiction details to foster ownership: if we'd been playing in (for instance) Reagan-era NYC, I'd've been inhibited in my play. I think that this sense of inhibition is responsible for some small sliver of people's reactions to Spione, Carry, Gray Ranks and Steal Away Jordan. Of course in practice each of those games has its own techniques and features to get you over your inhibition, so I'm talking again about reluctance without trying.

Oh, Rob. Telling people "these are like the shocks in Shock:" works, but really they're like the minutiae in Shock:. I mention it only because I don't know how much Shock: you've played and I want to make sure YOU know - telling people "these are like the minutiae in Shock:" will NOT work.

I'm still in love with Molly and Rebekah, and I can still think like Larry. I find myself sometimes sitting and wondering what happened to them after.

Accordingly, I give you my five predictions:

PREDICTION ONE
likelihood: 1 in 2

Rebekah and Larry sleep together. Molly explodes.

PREDICTION TWO
likelihood: 2 in 3

Larry gets hooked on stix. Additionally, likelihood 2 in 3 that he gets hooked on stix because he gets hurt and has to go to the ER (1 in 3 that he gets hooked recreationally). Likelihood 1 in 2 that if he gets hurt it's by Rebekah's gun; I don't care to speculate the circumstances. (Although I don't think that Molly would really shoot him on purpose and thinking straight.)

PREDICTION THREE
likelihood: 3 in 4

Larry admits that he's in love with Molly and has been since they showered together.

PREDICTION FOUR
likelihood: 4 in 5

Molly winds up in juvie after all. She comes out all grown up.

Fuck.

PREDICTION FIVE
likelihood: 99 in 100

Molly never, ever, ever until the day she dies admits that she's in love with Larry and has been since they showered together, no matter what.

...But that 1 in 100 sure stays with me.

-Vincent

[Meguey]

PREDICTION ONE
likelihood: 1 in 2

Rebekah and Larry sleep together. Molly explodes.

Damn Right I do, you lousy bastard. She's just soft little kid from the farm. Jerk. And you, miss thing...you back-stabber. Why don't you go track down your stixxed-up friend, or go on home to mama, huh? Instead of busting up my happy home.

PREDICTION TWO
likelihood: 2 in 3

Larry gets hooked on stix. Additionally, likelihood 2 in 3 that he gets hooked on stix because he gets hurt and has to go to the ER (1 in 3 that he gets hooked recreationally). Likelihood 1 in 2 that if he gets hurt it's by Rebekah's gun; I don't care to speculate the circumstances. (Although I don't think that Molly would really shoot him on purpose and thinking straight.)

Awww, you know I wouldn't shoot you, Other Brother Larry. Unless you get hooked on stix and make me. Which would suck. And it probably would be with her gun.

PREDICTION THREE
likelihood: 3 in 4

Larry admits that he's in love with Molly and has been since they showered together.

See, I knew that one. It's just not safe to do something as soft as 'love' out here, dude.

PREDICTION FOUR
likelihood: 4 in 5

Molly winds up in juvie after all. She comes out all grown up.

Fuck.

Or dead. Which also fuck.

PREDICTION FIVE
likelihood: 99 in 100

Molly never, ever, ever until the day she dies admits that she's in love with Larry and has been since they showered together, no matter what.

...But that 1 in 100 sure stays with me.

-Vincent

See my answer to #3? Yeah, that.


Ok, so the game. Yeah, it rocked on toast. We played squatter kids in a weird future where Big Business and Government colluded to keep the populous addicted to pain-killers - keep 'em numb and you can control 'em. I liked how the setting details we came up with made a frame and a back-drop for our very up-close and personal game. I also found it super easy to just slip into character, and the 'intrusion' of Rob's design in how the scenes unfold was pretty seemles and non-disruptive for me. I'd like to see how it plays over several sessions, and I'm pretty sure it's still at a point where only Rob can run it, but I'm sad we can't play more.

[Robert Bohl]

You can play more. Some day. Get me a job!

First, wow holy crap. Thanks for posting, Vincent. I suck and should have done it myself.

Second, I had to convince myself of your honesty that you liked the game so much. Once I did that I realized that the scene structure rules REALLY work. I mean this thing made a story, no if ands or buts.

Third, yes, I laughed at myself when I couldn't figure out if you guys were actually playing yet. Is it the level of intimacy you have with one another, or is it that your relationship is so like oppressed teenage kids?

[Judd]

Is there anything that you saw Rob do at the table that you immediately thought should be in the book?

[Meguey]

Is it the level of intimacy you have with one another, or is it that your relationship is so like oppressed teenage kids?

Well, there's a bit of an in-joke there. Molly the squatter girl in Misspent Youth is the same Molly who later becomes the paranoid homeless woman Mad Molly from our incredible cyberpunk game from way back in 1990. The setting just matched up and I dropped into character hard and fast. Vincent didn't play to the joke, but he got it. And part of it is the degree of intimacy we have. And heck, we were teenage kids when we met, so it's not too hard to remember.

About the job. I'd pay money to play again, even if it's just gas money for you to come visit.

Is there anything that you saw Rob do at the table that you immediately thought should be in the book?

Great question, unfortunately I haven't read the book. I know we gave some (hopefully useful) feedback at the table.

[jenskot]

I really enjoyed Mispent Youth when I played 2 Jiffy Cons ago with Eppy and Emily.

My favorite parts were:

- the impulsiveness: how it encourages grabbing the dice and saying no... I don't want that to happen! Before you have any sense if you are about to get your ass kicked.

- group dynamic: how previous actions in resolution from 1 player can stack on top of the future actions of another player.

I haven't tried the scene structure or cool chip techniques yet. I loved scene structure in Burning Empires.

I can't wait to play again!

[lumpley]

- the impulsiveness: how it encourages grabbing the dice and saying no... I don't want that to happen! Before you have any sense if you are about to get your ass kicked.

Yes!

-Vincent

[Robert Bohl]

I love telling people, "No, you can't say what you're doing yet. Roll!" It shocks them.

The one thing that I love that you guys didn't see is winning through someone else's trait.