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

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

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?

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

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

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

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!

jenskot wrote:
- 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.

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.