On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 22:34:23 -0400, Robert Donoghue <rdonoghue@...>
wrote:

> Fair enough. I think I'm revealing a bias here that I think a lot of
> strategic players would be perfectly happy with narrative play if the
> narration sounds like The Punisher's internal monologue. :)

Easy fix, Rob. My groups have found that the lack of player-required
tactics in Fate, in terms of the rules, has allowed a much greater focus
on in-game situational tactics than we've usually gotten from playing
other games. When the mood's been right, we've even broken out the combat
mat and the minis and gone to work - the difference is, what the tactical
freaks in the group are aiming for is to stack up those superiority
bonuses through awesome play ideas rather than trying to take advantage of
whatever systemic combo will yield them the highest bonus. Keeping the
majority of that stuff in the imagined space of the game allows them to
indulge a tactical side without breaking the immersion as much.

So we're trading this:

"I can move six squares in a round, and this creature has a facing of 2
squares and is looking that way... if I cut this diagonal, I should be
able to get into flanking position this round. Will take an attack of
opportunity, but averaging out the creature's attacks so far, I think it's
a worthy calculated risk, being as that I still have 52 HPs anyway. Its
attack bonus can't be higher than +8."

For this:

Player 1: "You break left and I break right, and I'll use those fallen
pillars for cover as I'm making my way around. Try and distract him, and
see if you can get to a higher vantage point - it'll be easier to stick
steel in his face that way. Once I'm in position and we're flanking him,
this'll be a bit easier, too."

Player 2: "Okay... can I spend a Fate Point to get a fallen pillar or some
rubble on that side too, so I can get to the upper tier of the plaza?"

GM: "Okay."

Player 1: "That'll be +1 for numbers, +1 to you for position, +1 to me for
cover in the defensive exchange while I'm moving, and then +1 for flanking
later."

Player 2: "We fraggle rock."

Player 1 and GM: "... What?"

***

I don't know about you, but I'd prefer play like the latter example over
the former any day of the week. And Fate already, you know, does this
exactly the way it is. :)

This, I think, pretty much sums up my response to the last few posts on
this thread.

On another note, and another of Rob's posts, I think deceptive GM tactics
to change the experience of play are, of course, functional if all the
players are both aware of the fact that it happens and are agreeable to
being deceived. Like Mike Holmes, I don't really think Fate needs that
stuff to be fun, though, for reasons hinted at in the above.

Fate isn't a tractor, but the old axiom still bears repeating: if it ain't
broke...


-Landon Darkwood <darkwood@...>