thread: 2005-07-05 : Setting and Source Material
On 2005-07-06, Matthijs Holter wrote:
(A slight side track to clarify statement authority for myself and, perhaps, others):There are several responses to a player's statement:
"No". It didn't happen.
"No, but". Something similar, or related, happens.
"Yes". It happens just as stated.
"Yes, but". It happens, but not in the way intended.
("No, and" and "Yes, and" are really just a "no" and a "yes", followed by a new statement).
In the traditional distribution of authority, this is who says what, in response to a player's statement:
"No". The GM ("You can't do that"). Resolution ("You don't notice anything").
"No, but". The GM. Resolution ("Your shot just misses his chest, and hit his arm instead").
"Yes". The GM. Character generation and other player-controlled processes ("Yes, whatever character class you pick is OK, because the rules say so.")
"Yes, but". The GM. Resolution ("Your shot hits his chest, but your gun is overheated and at -1 for the rest of the fight").
It strikes me that players usually have no statement response authority. They can't block eachothers' statements, except through the resolution system ("I hit you!" "No, you don't!" "Okay, we roll!").
Hm. Half-finished thoughts there.
