Sadly, I can only ask about Dogs stuff from the outside, since I haven't got the chance to play it yet. Did I mention how sad that is?

But this is a sort of half-theory, half-play kind of question/topic.

What does the addition of new traits and increased stats do? How does it affect play of the game?

Can anyone who's played several sessions comment on that? V, what was your intention as designer guy? Is it similar to being able to swap out traits and change your issue in PTA? Is the impact on conflict bigger than that?

I want to hear what Clinton has to say about this. Clinton, if you're willing?

-Vincent

Well, I'm not Clinton, but our group has played about half a dozen sessions so far, so we've got perhaps a little insight.

The increase in power of the Dogs has been slight but constant. I'm looking forward to logging enough sessions to report how the increase in power has an effect on conflicts, but that's a little ways off yet.
Perhaps after a full dozen sessions. Perhaps more.

Unfortunately I can't compare anything with PTA, as I simply haven't gotten around to ordering my copy yet.

I can see the characters all changing shape as a direct result of fallout traits, but I'm not sure what effect that will have on the rest of game play. I think it's just to early.

So, after formulating these thougts and getting them down here, I suppose the final result is that I believe six sessions of Dogs is insufficinet to formulate where the new traits and increased stats will bring us.

But I promise to update you when we hit a dozen sessions and beyond.

-Eric

Eric, cool. That doesn't surprise me. I think of the trait and stat changes in Dogs as like breathing - little expansions and little contractions that keep the character alive and growing.

So Matt - in fact I'd say it's smaller than that.

-Vincent

The character advancement in Dogs is totally related to the storyline. In my experience, the Dogs start small and do what they can. Their first town or two, they have to make compromises as to how they can affect things.

By town three, they make a plan and execute - and it still might have repercussions they didn't see, but by gum, they did it.

As the players grow in their opinions about what their Dogs are about, so do the Dogs' ability to make that happen. It all just works.

As a side note, it did give me the opportunity as GM to throw more out there. By town four, I had mobs coming at the Dogs.

Cool! This is very similar to improvement in Nine Worlds. There, characters become more effective as they earn rewards. Yadda yadda, right? Same as so many other games with "advancement."

But it's not quite the same. That advancement is similar to other games, but it escalates conflicts over time. The grand effect, at least in Nine Worlds and possibly in Dogs, is that protagonists find themselves in messier conflicts with graver consequences. Advancement and longer-term escalation -- a rich combo.

*cough* Trollbabe too.

Best,
Ron

Clinton R. Nixon wrote: As a side note, it did give me the opportunity as GM to throw more out there. By town four, I had mobs coming at the Dogs.

Matt Wilson wrote:
Here's a follow-up Q for GMs: How have you handled characters who are really good at just-talkin' conflicts? It might be something that really interests me personally, but I see the situation in play where the player has to decide - "crap, this talking isn't working, now what do I do?" - is the coolest goddamn thing ever. Matt, I see you're checking in - it reminds me of the "do I fold" dilemma in DD.

So if the character is really good at talking, what angle do you take instead? How do you create a similar dilemma? Good golly, look at me ramble on. Maybe this is two posts, or maybe its own entire forum.

Matt Wilson wrote: Here's a follow-up Q for GMs: How have you handled characters who are really good at just-talkin' conflicts? It might be something that really interests me personally, but I see the situation in play where the player has to decide - "crap, this talking isn't working, now what do I do?" - is the coolest goddamn thing ever. Matt, I see you're checking in - it reminds me of the "do I fold" dilemma in DD.

So if the character is really good at talking, what angle do you take instead? How do you create a similar dilemma?

neelk wrote: Even if the PC never needs to escalate even once, it's obvious that the PC is flaying the NPC's soul open with his or her words, and most players won't willingly shatter a person's spirit unless they are damn sure it's worth it.

Don't forget, sometimes broken souls will put the barrel to their own heads...

Chris