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11 |
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12 The Impossible Dream |
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13 |
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14 |
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15 Play Flow First |
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16 |
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17 *by Hunter Logan* |
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18 Jan 01,2003 |
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19 |
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20 |
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21 Play Flow First |
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22 |
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23 Before I begin, I want to thank Aeon and the other good folks at RPG.net |
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24 for giving me the forum for this column. I think rpg.net is an |
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25 outstanding site and I'm happy to be here. Thank you. |
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26 |
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27 I've returned with a new message. The key to successfully designing |
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28 games is sitting right in front of everyone who wants to do it. Most of |
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29 us don't see it. We don't even know it's there. I think those who do |
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30 know are busy designing games that actually work the way they're |
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31 supposed to work. Play flow is the answer. |
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32 |
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33 Play Flow |
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34 |
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35 Play flow is the way the game is actually played. See, when we talk |
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36 about game design, we often talk about what the players want or what the |
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37 game is about. We craft clever mechanics and interesting mechanical |
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38 devices. What's more, the best of these really are both clever and |
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39 interesting. We sweat over character design and other design elements. |
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40 Anyone who designs a game should do all of this, but all of this should |
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41 really come later. |
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42 |
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43 I have this idea that you can design the core of a game in about 30 |
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44 minutes if the first thing you think about is play flow. Think about |
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45 this. If you're anything like me, you want to design games that play |
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46 differently than other games already on the market. That's why I want to |
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47 do it, and I've observed that play flow is the /unspoken/ reason many |
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48 other people also want to design games. So many people want to design |
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49 games, yet only a few people come up with anything worthwhile. I've made |
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50 many stillborn attempts myself. I've also designed a game or two that |
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51 sort of worked, but I wouldn't call them especially successful. |
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52 Recently, I broke through the barrier, but it's only because I kept |
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53 asking the same questions: Why? What's wrong here? |
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54 |
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55 I think conventional thought about game design sets the wrong |
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56 priorities. I think most people consider mechanics or character design |
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57 first, not play flow. People come up with a really neat mechanic and |
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58 then try to make play flow support it. People come up with excellent |
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59 character design concepts and try to wrap mechanics then play flow |
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60 around that. For most of us, it doesn't work. If it does work, it's |
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61 probably a fluke. More likely, you'll find the game is broken in some |
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62 significant way. It doesn't do what you want it to do because it can't |
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63 do what you want it to do. The play flow is probably wrong because it |
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64 was considered last. I have made the mistake and I have seen ample |
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65 evidence all over the web that others make the same mistake. I think |
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66 this is also true of some commercial game designs. This is no crime, but |
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67 it's unfortunate. There must be a better way, and I think this is it: |
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68 Instead of considering play flow last, consider *Play Flow First*. That |
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69 is, let everything in the game support the play flow, not the other way |
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70 around. |
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71 |
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72 Let's talk about formal definitions. |
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73 |
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74 A */Play Flow/* is a set of actions that produce events that lead to |
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75 either a /decision point/ or a /resolution point/. (As much as I would |
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76 like to take credit for this bit of thinking, others got here first. Ron |
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77 Edwards and John Kim are equally responsible for planting the idea in my |
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78 head for Play Flow First design. Ron planted his part in conversation |
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79 and in many web discussions. John Kim planted his part in his |
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80 descriptions of various roleplaying sessions on his Roleplaying Styles |
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81 website <http://www.darkshire.org/~jhkim/rpg/styles/index.html>. Brian |
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82 Gleichman first defined the resolution point in his Alternate View of |
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83 Gamism article.) |
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84 |
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85 A */player/* is anyone who is actively involved in playing the game. |
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86 Unless otherwise noted, I make no distinction between the designated GM |
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87 and other participants. |
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88 |
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89 An */event/* is any encounter or situation that occurs during the course |
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90 of play. These usually involve the PCs and often result in a decision |
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91 point, a resolution point, or both. |
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92 |
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93 An */action/* is anything a player does that has an effect on a |
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94 character or causes a change in the game world. |
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95 |
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96 A */decision point/* is any point where a player chooses a course of |
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97 action (makes a decision). The choice affects what happens in the game |
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98 world. |
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99 |
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100 For example, a group of characters take a prisoner. They may select from |
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101 several choices. Whatever the players decide will have repercussions for |
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102 both the characters and the prisoner. Here are some possibilities. |
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103 |
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104 * Kill the prisoner. |
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105 * Torture the prisoner. |
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106 * Talk to the prisoner. |
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107 * Take the prisoner with them. |
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108 * Release the prisoner. |
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109 * Treat the prisoner as a long-lost friend. |
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110 * Do something completely different. |
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111 |
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112 |
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113 A */resolution point/*, according to Brian Gleichman, is "that part of |
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114 the game where conflicts are decided. A very common Resolution Point is |
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115 a single battle. However any test of skill or the solving of a puzzle |
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116 can also viewed in this way." I agree with Brian's definition, but I |
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117 personalized his meaning. To me, a /resolution point/ is any point that |
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118 requires the use of one or more mechanics to determine the outcome of an |
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119 event. A battle is a notable /resolution point/. |
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120 |
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121 */Mechanics/* are the processes written into the rules to determine what |
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122 happens at a resolution point. |
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123 |
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124 A */mechanic/* is a self-contained play flow composed of at least two |
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125 steps. The first step is usually a /mechanical device/. That's a |
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126 function written into the rules to help resolve an /event/. Rolling |
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127 dice, betting coins, and drawing stones are all examples of mechanical |
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128 devices. Once the device is used, the second step is usually an |
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129 /evaluation/ to determine what happens as a result of using the device. |
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130 A /mechanic/ may also include functions such as a /countdown/. |
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131 |
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132 Play Flow Overview |
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133 |
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134 This is an overview of one possible play flow. It's historically common |
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135 and very manageable. |
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136 |
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137 * Description. The GM describes the locale and situation for the |
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138 players. |
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139 * Clarification. The players ask questions about specific details of |
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140 the description. The GM answers as appropriate. |
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141 * Decision Point. The players discuss what they want to do and |
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142 decide on a course of action for their characters. This decision |
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143 may spawn an event. If the players have difficulty making a |
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144 decision, the GM may add an event to the game. |
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145 * Event. Finally, something happens. The GM describes the event and |
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146 the players ask questions to clarify the situation. |
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147 * Decision Point. The players decide what their characters will do |
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148 about the event. In this case, indecision is a decision as the GM |
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149 may push things along as he sees fit. |
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150 * Resolution Point. The players' decision leads to a resolution |
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151 point. Using the appropriate mechanics, the GM and players resolve |
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152 the event. |
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153 * Repeat. This flow of play is repeated. When the players resolve an |
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154 event, their characters make progress in the game world. |
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155 |
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156 |
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157 Mechanic Overview |
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158 |
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159 This is an overview of a simple mechanic. |
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160 |
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161 * Call Mechanic. A player, often the GM, calls for the use of a |
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162 mechanic as stated in the rules. |
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163 * Use Mechanic. Players roll dice, bet coins, make declarations, or |
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164 do whatever else is needed to make the mechanic work. |
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165 * Evaluate Results. The players use this to determine what actually |
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166 happened in the game. |
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167 * Continue Play. Once the outcome is determined, the play flow |
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168 continues. |
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169 |
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170 |
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171 A Play Flow with Mechanics |
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172 |
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173 Event resolution is part of a play flow. In many ways, it's a play flow |
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174 nested within another play flow. This can also be done with a flowchart. |
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175 This example demonstrates the idea of play flow and outlines what might |
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176 happen when some PCs gets in a fight. I left the exact resolution |
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177 methods undefined because they're not important to this part of the |
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178 discussion. |
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179 |
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180 * Description. Two characters are walking through a run-down |
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181 neighborhood. It has empty storefronts all over. Broken-down and |
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182 burned out cars litter the street. The alleys show signs of people |
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183 living in cardboard boxes. |
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184 * Clarification: The players want to know who else is around. The GM |
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185 notes that a group of motley-looking young men is milling around |
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186 at the next intersection. They're harassing people passing by. |
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187 They're probably a gang of thugs. |
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188 * Decision Point: The characters could go around this obvious |
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189 trouble spot, but the players want to see what will happen. They |
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190 decide to have their characters walk right up to the thugs. |
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191 * Event: The characters encounter the thugs. As the characters |
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192 approach, the GM informs the players that the thugs are making |
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193 insulting comments and saying something about paying an |
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194 "intersection tax." |
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195 * Decision point: The players could decide to have the characters |
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196 pay the tax or parley to prevent combat, but the players prefer to |
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197 fight the thugs. |
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198 * Resolution Point: The players play their characters and the GM |
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199 plays the thugs. |
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200 o Roll Initiative. The players roll dice for their characters. |
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201 The GM does the same for the thugs. The combatant with the |
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202 highest roll wins initiative and may resolve his actions |
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203 first. In the result of a tie, the rules may specify some |
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204 sort of tiebreaker. Some combatants may have more than one |
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205 attack. These are resolved at appropriate intervals during |
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206 the countdown. |
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207 + Initiative Countdown. The GM counts down initiative |
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208 starting at the highest result. At each count, all |
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209 attacks are resolved as appropriate. |
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210 # Resolve an attack. The player controlling the |
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211 current combatant declares a target. He then |
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212 rolls dice for the attack. The GM uses the die |
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213 roll to determine the result of the attack. |
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214 # Resolve next attack. If other combatants are |
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215 allowed to attack, their attacks are resolved as |
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216 described. When no more attacks remain, the |
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217 countdown continues. |
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218 + Continue Countdown. While Initiative is still above 0, |
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219 return to step a) Initiative Countdown. When |
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220 initiative reaches 0, go to step 2) Continue Play. |
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221 o Continue Play. If combatants remain willing and able to |
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222 fight, return to step 1) Roll Initiative and repeat the |
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223 process for the remaining combatants. |
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224 * Play Continues: When the battle is over, play continues. The GM |
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225 updates the situation for the players and the players decide what |
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226 they want to do next. |
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227 |
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228 Prioritizing Play Flow |
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229 |
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230 It's time to step back and put this in perspective. Some people are more |
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231 methodical than others in their approach to game design. Your effort |
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232 will not fail because your first thought about your new game design was |
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233 something like, "I want a game about being the living dead on an |
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234 alternate earth. And I want to use a mechanic where people draw stones |
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235 from a bag." As far as I'm concerned, that's as good a start as any, but |
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236 I'd bet money you want to write it in such a way that it will work right |
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237 off. I think you can do that if the next question you ask yourself is, |
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238 "What's it like to play this game?" The answer is to figure out the play |
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239 flow. This doesn't guarantee design free of struggle, but I think it |
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240 increases the chance that you'll be able to bash together a game design |
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241 that really works in very little time. Inspiration is unpredictable. The |
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242 creative spark has a mind of its own, but formal thinking is very reliable. |
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243 |
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244 Next installment, I will look at something I call Balance of Power and |
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245 discuss how that relates to play flow. |
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246 |
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247 |
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248 What do you think? <http://trio.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> |
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249 |
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250 Go to forum! <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> |
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251 Go to Top <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> | New Topic |
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252 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/post.php?f=110> | View Threads |
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254 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/search.php?f=110> |
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255 |
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256 Topics Author Date Latest Reply |
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257 cooldog cotangent |
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258 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=98&t=98> (1) new |
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259 cranial_index 01-31-2006 20:46 01-31-2006 20:46 new |
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260 CORONA <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=97&t=97> (1) new |
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261 corn_chamomile 01-31-2006 20:25 01-31-2006 20:25 new |
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262 Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com |
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263 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=95&t=95> (1) new 514 |
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264 12-02-2005 10:55 12-02-2005 10:55 new |
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265 Designer Handbags Wholesale@WWW.WIZARDREPLICA.COM |
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266 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=94&t=94> (1) new 868 |
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267 11-14-2005 19:41 11-14-2005 19:41 new |
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268 REPLICA HANDBAGS LOUIS VUITTON REPLICA WHOLESALE@ |
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269 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=93&t=93> (1) new 794 |
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270 10-20-2005 21:37 10-20-2005 21:37 new |
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271 Death/playing style |
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272 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=92&t=92> (1) new Searcher |
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273 09-22-2003 11:35 09-22-2003 11:35 new |
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274 Death and actual immortality |
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275 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=89&t=89> (3) new Cpl Ferro |
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276 07-19-2003 08:53 01-13-2006 15:22 new |
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277 Non-death death |
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278 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=85&t=85> (5) new Sérgio |
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279 Mascarenhas 07-18-2003 03:07 07-23-2003 02:38 new |
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280 Thanks, Hunter |
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281 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=80&t=80> (4) new Allan |
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282 Sugarbaker 07-16-2003 00:18 07-17-2003 19:34 new |
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283 Realism <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=74&t=74> (3) new |
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284 Robin 06-20-2003 01:23 06-25-2003 02:34 new |
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285 Something you might have mentioned. |
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286 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=65&t=65> (3) new Yamo |
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287 06-19-2003 16:13 06-19-2003 18:11 new |
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288 BTW, excellent column, Hunter! |
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289 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=63&t=63> (2) new flyingmice |
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290 06-19-2003 13:11 06-19-2003 18:13 new |
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291 Armor and Damage Thereto |
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292 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=56&t=56> (2) new The Student |
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293 06-19-2003 08:45 06-19-2003 11:44 new |
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294 Armor <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=54&t=54> (9) new |
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295 flyingmice 06-19-2003 08:29 06-20-2003 06:12 new |
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296 Death spiral and unconsciousness |
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297 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=53&t=53> (7) new Torben |
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298 Mogensen 06-19-2003 07:31 06-20-2003 06:52 new |
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299 lucky or skilled |
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300 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=51&t=51> (2) new rhyme |
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301 05-12-2003 18:49 05-13-2003 09:25 new |
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302 Absolute, unopposed and opposed |
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303 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=48&t=48> (2) new Torben |
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304 Mogensen 04-16-2003 02:19 04-16-2003 09:26 new |
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305 0-9 open ended = brilliant! |
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306 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=31&t=31> (8) new Vibropod |
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307 03-12-2003 10:41 07-18-2003 01:28 new |
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308 Smooth rerolls |
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309 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=27&t=27> (10) new Torben |
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310 Mogensen 03-12-2003 00:47 03-16-2003 23:57 new |
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311 Resolution Mechanics |
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312 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=25&t=25> (8) new Kyle |
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313 Schuant 03-11-2003 22:14 03-29-2003 21:28 new |
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314 |
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315 Go to Top <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> | New Topic |
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316 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/post.php?f=110> | View Threads |
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317 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&collapse=0> | Search |
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318 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/search.php?f=110> |
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319 |
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320 Newer Messages |
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321 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=98&a=1&> | Older Messages |
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322 <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=25&a=2&> |
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323 |
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324 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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325 |
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326 |
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327 Previous columns |
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328 |
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329 * #8: True Death </news+reviews/columns/dream17jul03.html> by Hunter |
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330 Logan, 17jul03 |
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331 * #7: Assessing Damage </news+reviews/columns/dream19jun03.html> by |
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332 Hunter Logan, 19jun03 |
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333 * #6: Putting Theory to the Test |
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334 </news+reviews/columns/dream12may03.html> by Hunter Logan, 12may03 |
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335 * #5: Resolution Mechanics II |
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336 </news+reviews/columns/dream14apr03.html> by Hunter Logan, 14apr03 |
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337 * Resolution Mechanics I </news+reviews/columns/dream11mar03.html> |
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338 by Hunter Logan, 11mar03 |
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339 * Player Goals </news+reviews/columns/dream10feb03.html> by Hunter |
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340 Logan, 10feb03 |
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341 * Balance of Power </news+reviews/columns/dream20jan03.html> by |
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342 Hunter Logan, 20jan03 |
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343 * Play Flow First </news+reviews/columns/dream01jan03.html> by |
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344 Hunter Logan, 01jan03 |
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345 |
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346 |
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347 Other columns </news+reviews/columns.html> at RPGnet |
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