In message <fbab4a570905051120h65b586d1t4978720ef02bcf2d_at_s1gvJOQq89v1SPFPbtbJTKqxUEfI5AxXCE9b5VGkH_SofHHtfsK93CIkrT5cwMaUITMdof7oa_BRqoYv70XkftHBnKzO_XiNU_Zer586V1SZWXZaW67Q-Is7bD8JNy7rAFcGItU.yahoo.invalid> Robin Laws Mail List Only writes:
>
>> It doesn't want to be as mechanistic as the RQ system
>> of qualifications but if it isn't part of character generation
>> there should be more than the player saying "I want".
>
>The question I'd ask is whether failure would yield an interesting
>or satisfying story branch. If the answer is "no", I'd reframe the
>contest using the Costly Success rules. This preserves a sense of
>suspense and effort, and possible negative repercussions, without the
>story negation that would tend to accompany a flat-out failure.
One thing I find puzzling about this discussion is the reference
to "the story" as if there was only one. I can see that approach
being applicable when writing a scenario but in more general RPG
terms there are going to be multiple stories - one for each character
at least. Initiation can easily be an interesting branch for one
story and an irrelevance to another.
Costly Success would appear to be the answer if initiation is
necessary for a story to progress but I'm not sure why that
would be the case.
--
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/