Read this
Posted by Hellfrog on 01/24/21
This one is important, so please read it. I don't want anyone being blindsided.
The changes to @checks and dice rolls are new, and I know that it's not a good initial feeling when something you are used to your character reliably succeeding at fails, or botches. I feel it, too! I don't want this to come across as punitive or scornful of people having totally valid and normal feelings when they don't get a success they want. Even when I turn the failure into something funny or dangerous, and that leads to more interesting RP than a success would have, I still feel that kneejerk flash of disappointment.
I also recognize that unexpected failure often DOES make for a more interesting scene than everything going smoothly would. A botch might up the stakes, or provoke a thrilling encounter, or give someone else a chance to be a hero, or give the ST a fun flash of inspiration. A not-inconsequential chance of failure does make for better story. It can lead to moments that are more memorable, in the long run.
HOWEVER. What is *not* fun is being made to feel bad about dice. Do not make people feel bad about dice. Here's where the meat is: we've got a lot of cool events going on, and want to move more to this style where we can tap GMs and spread the love and offer more people chances to take risks and jump into the plot. I'm hearing way, way too much about people complaining in OOC about dice, thereby making their ST feel bad (and generally bringing the vibe down). I'm also hearing way, way too much about people ICly or OOCly mocking or criticizing characters for failing rolls. Implying they are bad at their jobs, or getting rusty, or whatever. I hate it, and it needs to stop. We have always told people the main guidance for being a good collaborative RPer is to THINK about whether or not what you are doing/saying/setting up is fun for the people it is aimed at, or the people who have to interact with it. If you stop and think, after that moment of disappointment, you can brush it off and even turn it into something cool. That's what you need to do. And if you can't manage that, then you need to at least keep your feelings to yourself.
Because this system is so intrinsic to the goals staff has for Arx, it's really important that people aren't killing the vibe. So, this is the warning. Don't complain about your dice. Don't tease other people about their dice. Don't ICly criticiz other characters for failing rolls. Don't complain about rolls asked for, or the difficulty set for them. If you do these things on PRP/GM scenes, we will be handing out temp bans.
The changes to @checks and dice rolls are new, and I know that it's not a good initial feeling when something you are used to your character reliably succeeding at fails, or botches. I feel it, too! I don't want this to come across as punitive or scornful of people having totally valid and normal feelings when they don't get a success they want. Even when I turn the failure into something funny or dangerous, and that leads to more interesting RP than a success would have, I still feel that kneejerk flash of disappointment.
I also recognize that unexpected failure often DOES make for a more interesting scene than everything going smoothly would. A botch might up the stakes, or provoke a thrilling encounter, or give someone else a chance to be a hero, or give the ST a fun flash of inspiration. A not-inconsequential chance of failure does make for better story. It can lead to moments that are more memorable, in the long run.
HOWEVER. What is *not* fun is being made to feel bad about dice. Do not make people feel bad about dice. Here's where the meat is: we've got a lot of cool events going on, and want to move more to this style where we can tap GMs and spread the love and offer more people chances to take risks and jump into the plot. I'm hearing way, way too much about people complaining in OOC about dice, thereby making their ST feel bad (and generally bringing the vibe down). I'm also hearing way, way too much about people ICly or OOCly mocking or criticizing characters for failing rolls. Implying they are bad at their jobs, or getting rusty, or whatever. I hate it, and it needs to stop. We have always told people the main guidance for being a good collaborative RPer is to THINK about whether or not what you are doing/saying/setting up is fun for the people it is aimed at, or the people who have to interact with it. If you stop and think, after that moment of disappointment, you can brush it off and even turn it into something cool. That's what you need to do. And if you can't manage that, then you need to at least keep your feelings to yourself.
Because this system is so intrinsic to the goals staff has for Arx, it's really important that people aren't killing the vibe. So, this is the warning. Don't complain about your dice. Don't tease other people about their dice. Don't ICly criticiz other characters for failing rolls. Don't complain about rolls asked for, or the difficulty set for them. If you do these things on PRP/GM scenes, we will be handing out temp bans.