diff -r 3164c82ac16e -r bdef1afd1170 draft/dream14apr03.txt --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/draft/dream14apr03.txt Wed Aug 30 21:32:44 2006 -0400 @@ -0,0 +1,465 @@ +RPGnet + + + + Reviews Forums +News & Press Columns & +Info RPG Wiki + RPG Shop + + + + The Impossible Dream + + + #5: Resolution Mechanics II + +*by Hunter Logan* +Apr 14,2003 + + +Last time, I wrote about the use of Chance, Ability, and Intent in +constructing resolution mechanics. I brought the article to a rather +abrupt close. I feel bad to have done that, but it works out better +because I want to peer more deeply into the resolution play flow. I +think a resolution mechanic is more than just a resolution mechanic. +It's really a mechanical process that includes at least one mechanical +device and one evaluation. That mechanical process is presented as a +resolution play flow. The undefined item here is the /evaluation/, so +that's a good place to begin. + +The Five Means of Evaluation + +A mechanic really isn't a mechanic without a means of evaluating what +happened. It occurs to me that any mechanic has five means of +evaluation. This is how I conceptualize the way that players evaluate +what happens after a mechanical device is used. The terms are +/Absolute/, /Unopposed/, /Opposed/, /Played/, and /Qualified/. Here are +the explanations. + +*/Absolute evaluation/* is usually based on Die Result vs. Fixed Scale. +The player generates a Die Result using a method such as Skill + +Attribute + Die Roll. The GM may apply a modifier for difficulty or +situation. For an easy job or situation where a character has the upper +hand, the GM might apply a large positive modifier. For a really tough +job or situations where the character is at a disadvantage, the GM might +apply a large negative modifier. The GM (or player) compares the die +result to the fixed scale and determines the outcome. This is a personal +preference, but I think modifiers are a bad idea for this sort of +mechanic. The purpose of an absolute evaluation is mostly to gauge the +quality of character effort. The evaluation may also provide an outcome; +but as a GM, when I asked for this sort of roll, I usually just wanted +the player to impress me with a great die result. Either way, a low +result here means the character was inept and failed, while a high +result indicates heroic performance and great success. Here is an example + + * Device (Chance and Ability): Player rolls Skill + Attribute + Die + Roll vs. Fixed Scale. + * Evaluation (Unopposed): In this example, the GM assessed the + Difficulty as a modifier. The GM compares the modified Die Result + to the Fixed Scale. If the Die Result is 3 or greater, the + character achieves some degree of success. Otherwise, the + character fails. More important, the character's effort is clumsy + or lackluster unless the player rolls 5 or better. + + +*Modifiers* Challenge Modifier +Easy +1 or more +Average 0 +Difficult -1 or more + + +*Results* Die Result Effort Outcome +0-2 Poor Fail +3-4 Fair Progress +5-7 Good Success +8+ Heroic Bonus + + + +*/Unopposed evaluation/* is usually based on a variable scale with a +device such as Die Result vs. Target Number where the die result is +Skill + Die Roll or something similar. The GM adjusts the Target Number +(TN) based on difficulty or challenge. An easy task often has a low TN. +A difficult task has a high TN. Here is a common example: + + * Device (Chance and Ability): Player rolls Skill + Die Roll vs. TN. + * Evaluation (Unopposed): In this example, the GM assessed the + Difficulty as a modifier The GM compares the Die Result to the + Target Number. If the Die Result is equal to or greater than the + TN, the character succeeds. Otherwise, the character fails. + + +*Target Number* Die Roll Result +2 Easy +4 Average +6 Difficult +9 Impossible + + + +*Results* Die Roll Result +< target Fail += or > target Success + + +*/Opposed evaluation/* is mostly based on a comparison of effort such as +PC's die result vs. opponent's die result. Here is an example: + + * Device (Chance and Ability): Player rolls Skill + Modifiers + Die + Roll vs. Opponent's die result. + * Evaluation (Opposed): The GM compares the player's die result to + the opponent's die result. Here is a set of possible outcomes: + +*Results* PC Die Result Result +< Opponent PC Loses += Opponent Draw +> Opponent PC Wins + + + +*/Played evaluation/* is mostly based on player intent. In this +situation, one player (usually the GM) gets to say what happens to +another player's declaration. This is often tied into ideas of diceless +play. Here is an example: + + * Device (Intent): The player declares that his character is using + the radio to call for artillery support. + * Evaluation (Played): The GM considers that the request is logical. + The character has a radio, expert military training, and artillery + support. He decides to play along and replies that the character + has successfully called for support. + + +*/Qualified evaluation/* is mostly a check to determine whether or not a +character is qualified to do a thing. Here is an example: + + * Device (Intent): The player declares that his character will + attempt to scale a sheer cliff face. + * Evaluation (Qualified): The GM asks the player about the + character's equipment and skills. The character has some climbing + skill, but no equipment. The GM determines that the character can + attempt the climb, but it will be both difficult and dangerous. + + +The Four Mechanical Structures + +To discuss mechanical structures more accurately, I have identified four +mechanical structures that you can employ to build a set of resolution +mechanics. Each is a process represented as a resolution play flow. You +may declare others as you need, but I'm starting with these four. They +are /Single/, /Series/, /Nested/, and /Countdown/ mechanics. + +*/Single mechanics/* include one device and one evaluation. Here is an +example of a single mechanic: + + * Device (Chance and Ability): The player rolls Character Skill + + Die Roll vs. Target Number. + * Evaluation (unopposed): If character's effort (Character Skill + + Die Roll) is equal to or greater than the challenge (Target + Number), the character is successful. If the character's effort is + less than the target number, the character fails. + + +*/Series mechanics/* consist of two or more single structures chained +together to produce a set of mechanics. This is a more complex play +flow, but the series mechanic is the most common structure for event +resolution for a single character. Here is an example of a series mechanic: + + * Device (Intent): The player declares the character's action. + * Evaluation (Qualified): The GM determines the required skill. If + the character lacks the skill, the character fails. If the + character has the skill, the GM sets the target number and the + player rolls the dice. + * Device (Chance and Ability): The player rolls Character Skill + + Die Roll vs. Target Number. + * Evaluation (unopposed): If the character's effort (Character + Attribute + Die Roll) is equal to or greater than the challenge + (Target Number), the character is successful. If the character's + effort is less than the target number, the character fails. + + +*/Nested mechanics/* usually consist of a single or series structure +nested inside another mechanical device or evaluation. Here is an example. + + * Device (Intent): The player declares the character's action. In + this case, the character threatens a prisoner with a + wicked-looking knife in hopes that the prisoner will talk. + * Evaluation (Qualified): The GM considers that the character can + easily make good on the threat. Anyone with common sense would + start talking, but the GM isn't sure this prisoner qualifies. + Also, the GM doesn't really want to play his own willpower against + that of the player. The GM decides to roll dice for the result. + o Device (Chance): The GM rolls a d6 for the prisoner. + o Evaluation (Unopposed): The GM decides that a result of 6 + makes the prisoner resist. The die result was 2. The + prisoner failed, meaning he will sing like a canary for the + PC in hopes of avoiding the pointy end of the knife. The GM + declares this. + +*/Countdown mechanics/* include a device, an evaluation, and a +countdown. The structure is basically a loop that serves as a shell for +nested mechanics. It's extremely helpful when resolving actions for +several characters. Its primary purpose is to aid in running combat. +Here is an example of a countdown: + + * Device (Chance and Ability): The GM asks the players to roll + initiative. The GM rolls initiative for NPCs or monsters. + * Evaluation (Qualified): The GM determines which participant has + the highest die roll. That participant is at the beginning of the + countdown and goes first. In the event of a tie, the GM may use + another method to break the tie. + o Device (Intent): The player declares the character's action. + o Evaluation (Qualified): The GM determines the required skill. + + If the character lacks the skill, the character fails. + + If the character has the skill, the GM sets the target + number and the player rolls the dice. + o Device (Chance and Ability): The player rolls Character + Skill + Die Roll vs. Target Number. + o Evaluation (unopposed): The GM determines the outcome. + + If the character's effort (Character Skill + Die Roll) + is equal to or greater than the challenge (Target + Number), the character is successful. + + If the character's effort is less than the target + number, the character fails. + o Continue Countdown. When the current character's action is + resolved, the GM continues the countdown. + + If the countdown has not reached 0 and the + participants still have actions to resolve, the GM + determines who goes next and returns to step A. + + If the countdown reaches 0 or all actions are + resolved, the countdown ends. Continue to step 4. + * Continue Play. The countdown is complete. + +An Approach to Chance and Ability + +Here is an example showing a common resolution flow that uses Chance, +Ability and Intent (but mostly features Chance and Ability): + + * Device (Intent). The player declares what he wants the character + to do. + * Evaluation (qualified). The character may be able to do it. The + player must roll dice. + * Device (Ability and Chance). The player rolls Skill + Die Roll for + his character. + * Evaluation (unopposed): If the die result is good enough, the + character will succeed. + +In the example, Intent helps the GM define the skill required for the +die roll and set the target number. I think Intent is most often used in +combination with qualified evaluation. At least, that's the sense I get +from many games. In this example, the actual resolution mechanism is a +second device, Skill + Die Roll. It's a combination of Chance and Ability. + +This is the part I find interesting: Any combination of Chance and +Ability can be skewed toward one or the other. + + * If Skill is small compared to the range of the die roll, then + Chance is dominant. + + */Example:/* Say the range for a skill is 0 to 8 where 0 is + untrained, 4 is fully trained, and 8 is the best on the planet. + Now say the die roll is 1d20. This gives an unmodified range of + results from 0 to 28, but a fully trained character only has skill + 4. For a fully trained character, the skill is really just a + modifier. The situation is a little better for characters with + more skill, but an untrained character has modifier 0. In that + case, the result is pure Chance. I can slant this even further by + saying, "A rolled 1 is an automatic failure and a rolled 20 is an + automatic success." The only other variable is the target number. + If the target numbers are small (and they probably would be for + really easy jobs), then Ability may still have some meaning. + Otherwise, Chance is still the dominant factor. + * If Skill is large compared to the die roll, then Ability is dominant. + + */Example:/* Say the range of attributes is 0 to 20 where 0 is + untrained, 8 is trained, and 20 is the best on the planet. This + time the die roll is 1d4. This gives a range of possible results + from 1 to 24, but now the die roll is just a modifier and the + range for a trained character is simply 9 to 12 without modifiers. + For a trained character, Ability now represents 67% of the total + range. The result is slanted far more heavily toward Ability. + Without modifiers, the character can't complete any job with a + target of 13 or more; and the player may not need to roll for + targets ranging from 0 to 9. + +Another Approach to Chance and Ability + +I want to look at one last way of balancing Chance and Ability. I didn't +think of it; Scott Lininger did. In his rpg, /The Window/ + he employs a single die, roll-under +mechanic that accounts for increasing ability by reducing the number of +sides on the die. His method uses every type of die from d4 to d30. I'm +not usually a fan of using so many different dice, but what Scott has +done is noteworthy. Basically, he set the default target number at 6. +Depending on the situation, the GM can increase or decrease it. When the +player needs to roll dice, he rolls the die that corresponds to the +character's competence. If the character is really horrible at +something, the player rolls a d30. If the character is truly outstanding +at something, the player rolls a d4. In this way, the effect of Chance +increases as Ability decreases. I think it's incredibly elegant. + +An Approach to Chance and Intent + +Historically, Intent has been the junior partner in resolving events. Of +course, the player has always been empowered to declare what he wants +his character to do or to say what he wants to happen; but wanting a +thing has rarely been enough to make it so. More recently, game +designers have provided more means to let the players have what they +want, even if that means letting the players do some of the things +traditionally left for the GM. Since players are accustomed to rolling +dice in order to get their way, it seems perfectly logical to continue +that trend. In the following example, Ability is still a factor in the +mechanic, but Chance is the deciding factor because the player is never +truly assured of victory. + + * Device (Intent): The player wants some weakling bad guys to show + up so that his character can safely test out a shiny, new weapon. + * Evaluation (Qualified): The GM sets the target at 3 or better. The + player needs at least one success. The GM asks the player to roll + the dice. + * Device (Chance and Ability): The player is Counting Victories + based on his character's Director attribute. That is, in this game + the character has an attribute called Director that the player can + use to directly affect the game world. The player rolls a d6 for + each point of Director. For each result 3 or greater, the player + gets a success. + * Evaluation (Unopposed): The player rolled 3 dice with results 2, 3 + and 5. This nets two successes. The player gets what he wants. If + the player had failed, the GM may still have had some bad guys + show up, but the GM might make them much stronger and more + dangerous than the player anticipated. + +An Approach to Ability and Intent + +The combination of Ability and Intent is really the foundation for +diceless roleplaying and usually the mechanism for giving players access +to the powers of the GM. In this case, it's very easy to completely +remove Chance from the equation. + + * Device (Ability and Intent): The player wants his character, a + military officer, to call for fire support against an enemy position. + * Evaluation (Qualified, Unopposed): The GM determines that the + character has everything needed to accomplish the goal. + Mechanically, there is nothing else to do, so the GM says, ãAfter + placing two spotting rounds, you have the range. + * Device (Ability and Intent): The player says, "I call, 'Fire for + effect!'" + * Evaluation (Qualified, Unopposed): The GM says, "A few seconds + later, the target area erupts in a cloud of smoke and flame as 36 + rounds of 120mm high explosive detonate on impact.ä + + +That wraps up my discussion of resolution mechanics. Next installment, I +will attempt to show how everything discussed thus far can help produce +the core of a game. Thanks for reading. + + + What do you think? + +Go to forum! + Go to Top | New Topic + | View Threads + | Search + + + Topics Author Date Latest Reply + cooldog cotangent + (1) new +cranial_index 01-31-2006 20:46 01-31-2006 20:46 new + CORONA (1) new +corn_chamomile 01-31-2006 20:25 01-31-2006 20:25 new + Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com + (1) new 514 +12-02-2005 10:55 12-02-2005 10:55 new + Designer Handbags Wholesale@WWW.WIZARDREPLICA.COM + (1) new 868 +11-14-2005 19:41 11-14-2005 19:41 new + REPLICA HANDBAGS LOUIS VUITTON REPLICA WHOLESALE@ + (1) new 794 +10-20-2005 21:37 10-20-2005 21:37 new + Death/playing style + (1) new Searcher +09-22-2003 11:35 09-22-2003 11:35 new + Death and actual immortality + (3) new Cpl Ferro +07-19-2003 08:53 01-13-2006 15:22 new + Non-death death + (5) new Sérgio +Mascarenhas 07-18-2003 03:07 07-23-2003 02:38 new + Thanks, Hunter + (4) new Allan +Sugarbaker 07-16-2003 00:18 07-17-2003 19:34 new + Realism (3) new +Robin 06-20-2003 01:23 06-25-2003 02:34 new + Something you might have mentioned. + (3) new Yamo +06-19-2003 16:13 06-19-2003 18:11 new + BTW, excellent column, Hunter! + (2) new flyingmice +06-19-2003 13:11 06-19-2003 18:13 new + Armor and Damage Thereto + (2) new The Student +06-19-2003 08:45 06-19-2003 11:44 new + Armor (9) new +flyingmice 06-19-2003 08:29 06-20-2003 06:12 new + Death spiral and unconsciousness + (7) new Torben +Mogensen 06-19-2003 07:31 06-20-2003 06:52 new + lucky or skilled + (2) new rhyme +05-12-2003 18:49 05-13-2003 09:25 new + Absolute, unopposed and opposed + (2) new Torben +Mogensen 04-16-2003 02:19 04-16-2003 09:26 new + 0-9 open ended = brilliant! + (8) new Vibropod +03-12-2003 10:41 07-18-2003 01:28 new + Smooth rerolls + (10) new Torben +Mogensen 03-12-2003 00:47 03-16-2003 23:57 new + Resolution Mechanics + (8) new Kyle +Schuant 03-11-2003 22:14 03-29-2003 21:28 new + + Go to Top | New Topic + | View Threads + | Search + + + Newer Messages + | Older Messages + + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + Previous columns + + * #8: True Death by Hunter + Logan, 17jul03 + * #7: Assessing Damage by + Hunter Logan, 19jun03 + * #6: Putting Theory to the Test + by Hunter Logan, 12may03 + * #5: Resolution Mechanics II + by Hunter Logan, 14apr03 + * Resolution Mechanics I + by Hunter Logan, 11mar03 + * Player Goals by Hunter + Logan, 10feb03 + * Balance of Power by + Hunter Logan, 20jan03 + * Play Flow First by + Hunter Logan, 01jan03 + + + Other columns at RPGnet + +[ Read FAQ | Subscribe to RSS + | Contact Us | +Advertise with Us ] + +Copyright © 1996-2006 RPGnet & individual authors, All Rights Reserved +RPGnet® is a registered trademark of Skotos Tech Inc., all rights reserved. +