thread: 2009-04-08 : The Mechaton Campaign Rules
On 2009-04-08, David Artman wrote:
So, the basic "problem" is that desires for long-term victory are causing the game to be less of a beer & pretzels lark and something in which the player(s) become emotionally invested?
I'd say that's a non-problem (or, to get jargoney, a breakdown in creative agenda). If the campaign makes individual battles "matter" to the players, that's a GOOD thing. If its inherent competition is making players no have fun, that's only bad in as much as they don't have a "win" agenda (or don't like how they feel or behave when there is one).
A possible parallel: a poker game played for jelly beans is almost zero tension because there's almost zero stakes. A poker game played with unlimited buy-in and $10 ante and $20 minimum bets becomes very tense—folks get REAL serious about rules and proper play—because of the stakes. Unless it's millionaires playing at a country club, in which case that's the same as jelly beans, in terms of marginal utility.
Long story short: if you care about winning, that's a good thing. If you want a game in which no one loses, don't play competitive minis, with or without a campaign mechanic that can have boosting or hamstringing virtuous or vicious cycles. As far as "should" the rules be art of Mechaton Rebuilt? Of course. Just add a "designer's notes" disclaimer or advice about how it ramps up the tension and the consequences of loss.
