I have read and tried out the new extended contest system in HQ but it just doesn't seem to do anything for me. The mechanics seem to promote multiple rolls for the sake of it, with any corresponding narration just tacked on. There is little opportunity for feedback back from the fiction to the roll, and the individual rolls feel like a waiting game, withholding the result as if waiting adds to the tension in some way.
Now the obvious thing to do is not bother to use them if they don't inspire me, but I was wondering if anyone has had a better experience with them, and exactly what they are doing to maximise their potential.
Has anyone yet had a satisfying Extended Contest with the new rules, what made it work, how did the system aid this, and what if anything did you bring to the mechanics to help it work? Are there types of contest that consistently work better than others?
My style is not usually confined to Simple Contests only, so for me half of the game is lacking. I like to explore in more detail conflicts that demand it,that the players have investment in, but the system is not rewarding that investment for me.
Jamie
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