tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post4699632557305265488..comments2024-03-29T08:12:28.476-04:00Comments on Age of Ravens: Question about FATE: Assessments, Declarations, and ManeuversLowell Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-48172237176281894172012-09-14T17:24:05.198-04:002012-09-14T17:24:05.198-04:00I've always been confused with maneuvers. Usin...I've always been confused with maneuvers. Using one takes your action, but you're supposed to use the Free Tag right after that. And, I've also read that the character who makes the aspect gets first use. But, in order to do that I have to wait for an entire round to use it. Isn't it too late by then since a free tag is supposed to get used right away?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-71762626989939488652012-04-24T11:13:12.794-04:002012-04-24T11:13:12.794-04:00I'm glad to see there's some game logic th...I'm glad to see there's some game logic the the split. I can see the argument for handling it that way. I'm going to have to consider that when I bring FATE to the table next.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-84072278431157446312012-04-23T17:10:58.080-04:002012-04-23T17:10:58.080-04:00From DFRPG YW116: Why Do Declarations
Seem Easier ...From DFRPG YW116: <i><b>Why Do Declarations<br />Seem Easier than<br />Assessments?</b><br />A close reading of the rules here may<br />suggest that declarations are easier than<br />assessments. Declarations take less time<br />and may have lower difficulties than assessments.<br />This perception is mostly correct.<br />The thing is, declarations done by the<br />players take some of the “work” off of the<br />GM. Assessments are largely a case of the<br />players asking a GM to provide them with<br />detail. By contrast, a player driving a declaration<br />is supplying some of his own content<br />for the game, which makes the GM’s job<br />much easier and, better still, increases the<br />player’s buy-in.</i><br /><br />There is, however, an advantage of Assessments over Declarations discussed on YW115:<br /><i>So, if you’ve discovered an aspect this<br />way, you don’t have to worry about the usual<br />time limit (page 106) for tagging until the first scene<br />where you encounter the target of your assessment.</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-35670718792762605832012-04-19T22:05:23.256-04:002012-04-19T22:05:23.256-04:00OK- that actually reassures me significantly. I...OK- that actually reassures me significantly. I'm glad that there's such variation and interpretation. I was a little worried that I was just missing some essential facet differentiating between them- beyond what I was reading from the rules.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-89369005504671492572012-04-19T17:19:43.203-04:002012-04-19T17:19:43.203-04:00There is a lot of overlap. The way I understand it...There is a lot of overlap. The way I understand it from my reading of Spirit of the Century and Dresden, and the dozen or so sessions of Dresden, comes out like this:<br /><br />Assessments & Declarations: The main difference is if the GM has the aspect already in the scene. So Assessments are to reveal the little secrets the GM placed there. While Declarations are if a Player thought of something the GM didn't put in, but could easily be there. The similarity is that both of them are pre-existing conditions on the scene to be taken advantage of.<br /><br />Maneuvers are things that the PC creates through clever skill use. They are more transient in concept as well as mechanics.<br /><br />At least that is my read on the various differences. A lot of it is just perception differences in how you approach each type, instead of mechanical execution of the rules.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-84019868164408726602012-04-19T12:05:22.778-04:002012-04-19T12:05:22.778-04:00Legends of Anglerre follows the definition I state...<i>Legends of Anglerre</i> follows the definition I stated above. Assessments gain a free aspect and are suggested to take significant time (outside of conflict I assume- they just take an action within a conflict). Declarations also offer free aspects, but take no time. Both require a skill check, although the rules aren't clear on the difficulty. Manoeuvers require a contested check, creating a temporary aspect which may be tagged free for the first effect. Targets may spend a Fate point to negate the manoeuver. With spin players can make these sticky instead of fragile aspects.<br /><br /><i>Spirit of the Century</i> follows the pattern above. Maneuvers which spend a Fate point have "an unusual potency."<br /><br /><i>The Kerberos Club (FATE Edition)</i> has more specific guidelines for setting the difficulty of declarations, based on logic and dramatic effect. Declarations can also be used to remove aspects (that's new). The first use of the aspect is free- and declarations can be based on a skill roll or just spending a fate point. While there's mention made of Assessments being more time-consuming, it isn't immediately clear if one, none or both of these approaches require an action. Maneuvers are contested, can be used to add or remove an aspect, and last based on shifts from the roll. Oddly it isn't clear if maneuver aspects are free aspects for the creator.<br /><br /><i>Agents of S.W.I.N.G.</i> drops Assessments and Declarations. Everything is a maneuver, contested or standard difficult. Aspects gained in this way give the player a Fate point which they can use or pass on. It requires an action.<br /><br /><i>Diaspora</i> focuses on maneuvers as well. They can be used to "Place an Aspect...with a Skill check (static or opposed...). If successful, the target now has the Aspect for the duration of the scene. This Aspect can be tagged once for free and thereafter for a fate point." I also noticed the <i>Diaspora</i> limits on tags from different scopes in a round, very different from other flavors of FATE- but off topic. Declarations are not used as systems for adding tags, but instead only refer to the use of a Fate point to declare a true fact about the world.<br /><br /><i>Strands of Fate</i> has Assessment requiring an action to discover an existing aspect. Spin may allow discovery of more than one aspect. All assessment actions take several turns (instead of a single action). The GM reveals and decides the aspects, rather than the player. Declarations allows the player to decide on aspects and require no time to apply. Aspects created in this way are sticky and free for first use. Difficulties are based on logic and drama. The player can spend a Fate point instead of making a check for this. Maneuvers require an action and create a free and temporary aspect. Whether the aspect goes away after use depends on the action.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-76792614601054870502012-04-19T00:34:52.597-04:002012-04-19T00:34:52.597-04:00Interesting. I should go and check what the other ...Interesting. I should go and check what the other systems do.Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764158821384594980.post-69543712523593471082012-04-18T21:21:39.041-04:002012-04-18T21:21:39.041-04:00Diaspora (one of the most mechanically stripped do...Diaspora (one of the most mechanically stripped down forms of FATE 3.0 and the only one I really like) got rid of assessments, which leads me to believe they're not very distinct.John Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17318244888477546773noreply@blogger.com