>Simple contests should be used for the most
>dramatic situations as well... The "level of
>drama" is not the sole criterion.
Wrong wrong wrong. A simple contest is used in situations "when the hero must overcome some sort of resistance or opposition... but no great
suspense rests on the outcome" (HERO WARS, p. 126) and, thus, drama *is* the rule. ^^^^^^^^
>To use an extended contest the situation must
>be conceivable as an ongoing process.
Stop thinking in antiquated terms like "rounds" or "actions", and re-evaluate situations from their perspective *within the story*. The biggest obstacle for people to overcome, where HERO WARS/HEROQUEST is concerned, is the shift from traditional methods of scene resolution to an actual narrative focus. A narrator must analyze his or her story to determine where the real dramatic tensions lay before deciding upon the means (ability test, simple contest, extended contest) he or she will use to resolve them. Narrative is always a process.
-- Michael Richard Schwartz | Language is my playground, mschwartz_at_... | and words, its slides and Ann Arbor, Michigan USA | swingsets. -- yours truly
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