Another Dread game

May 27, 2009 09:18

Graham ran a Dread game last night at John's place. There were five players, including me! Yah, I got to play ( Read more... )

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ext_135352 June 3 2009, 04:52:03 UTC
"Forceful personality"...that's a nice way of putting it man. I've had a lot worse! :D
I tend to make a lot of assumptions about shared stereotypes and I should probably remember to spend some time talking things over at the start with people so we are all on the same page. I think I can skip over this if I am a player, but tend to prod people into doing it when I am the main facilitator.

I admit I did flake out at the end, I got a real sense that most of my decisions re: the questionaire were meaningless except as navel-gazing colour (so not even as useful as colour in other games where at the absolute least it is grand-standing for the entertainment of other participants) and that the results of pulls were really kind of wishy-washy. I know it is supposed to be a pacing mechanic, but I really dislike systems which amount to: "Oh you succeeded - try again UNTIL YOU FAIL." which is *definitely* what I was getting from it.

I also thought we were robbed with the ending colour! We didn't catastrophise the situation (kept the tower upright) and we still all got screwed - I thought we should at least have had the illusion of victory (ala Alien, etc).

It *was* nice to play a loudmouthed dipshit instead of an overly-crafty character. So I am glad I made an (ideally positive?) impression with it. :)

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watergoesred June 3 2009, 06:53:50 UTC
I've been mulling over the Dread mechanic and your comments are right on the mark for me. I think the mechanic can be used to just resolve tasks, leaving the GM to still screw with the stakes. I'm not sure if it has to be used this way though. I know Graham was getting the shits with some of my GMing the game before this one.

Dread just ain't Dogs in the Vineyard.

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ext_135352 June 4 2009, 06:00:17 UTC
I am pretty sceptical about games that require the facilitator to be a jerk in order to get the Fun out of the game.

I think BE is better when people play hard, in the same way that a game like chess or soccer is better if people play hard; but you don't have to be a jerk to make the game work.

I think I am going to have to read over Dread some more, I am not sure I am getting it.

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watergoesred June 4 2009, 07:06:05 UTC
Totally agree. A good mechanic will allow and reward everyone at the table playing hard and not pulling their punches.

Whether Dread can play like that, I'm not sure. I *think* it can but I'm not sure if it's formally encoded in the rules or whether it'd rely more on informal rules of play. I have feeling it has something to do with grouping pulls to resolve the stakes.

But, it could be broken. I wouldn't be surprised. It's pretty old school once you get past the jenga. The narrative authority is centralised with GM, players don't scene frames, set stakes or narrate success or failure.

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