thread: 2009-05-13 : Now where WAS I...
On 2009-05-14, Valamir wrote:
It seems like this discussion has taken a pretty hard turn that I don't understand.
The issue being discussed in the last several posts seems to be that:
"Its better if my current fictional contribution builds on your previous fictional contribution than if it just springs out of thin air and doesn't build on any previous fictional contribution."
To which my only response is...duh...
That's a pretty fundamental concept. I don't think there was ever any question of that, I've certainly never contended against it.
I mean...Universalis (again)...already does that. Already acknowledges that contributions that build on previous contributions are better than those that are spontaneously invented...and that contributions built on someone else's contributions are better yet. That's how the Coins and Traits work...
Sure you can create "fast engines" at the moment of the Complication...and yes that's alot of fun. But you essentially paid 1 Coin for 1 die. The real payoff will be down the road when you reincorporate those fast engines over and over again for another die each time...at no further cost...much more cost effective than paying 1 Coin each time to come up with something new. And better yet is when someone ELSE paid the Coin for the fast engines that you're now using...cuz then you get the die...for free. So in Universalis...you are always rewarded for building on and using other people's fictional contributions more than your own...and you are always rewarded for reusing fictional contributions made previously more than inventing new stuff on the spot.
I'm not only not denying that...I designed an entire game based primarily on that principal.
What I don't accept is that there's something magical about relying on the the judgement of a GM given absolute policing authority over the fiction that is going to reliably generate / protect / enable this effect better than other vetting mechanisms. I'm not saying a GM can't serve that function, but its a solution with a ton of pitfalls...pitfalls made worse if there are no backstop rules allowing the players to hold the GM accountable.
