this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
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I've played fate core, which is pretty similar.
My main takeaway from the experience is you need more player buy-in than DND. DND lets most players phone it in with "I attack does a 17 hit?". Fate wants players that are actively engaged. They should be looking for compels, paying attention to aspects, and actively contributing to the story.
It's been described to me as a more "writer's room" approach. As a player you have more say in what's going on than just your character's in-character actions. I like this. Some people can't think like that and some people hate it.
All of that said it's my current game crush that I would like to spend more time with. Unfortunately it's hard to find good fun reliable players who are willing (and able) to learn a new system.
I think most people I play with would be able to adapt, or at least enough so that paired with players who tend to act with more autonomy can make up for it if that makes sense. Most issues I have seen in groups I play with is folks confused about what to do but in a way where they're unsure what spell or action to do (or how the spell or action works). Not so much them being unsure of what the objective is and how to pursue it. I believe the more free form approach of being able to say something like "I want to use my magic to conjure a spear to throw at the enemy" as opposed to things like "I cast Spiritual Weapon, can I cast a bonus action spell too? Wait, do I have to cast Spiritual Weapon every turn? I'm actually already concentrating, can I even cast this?" would work nicely in a lot of the groups I play with.
Most folks I play with are more on the drama side of the drama-math spectrum of roleplaying games. There are a couple of folks who love to really delve into options and make super well rounded min maxed characters but most just want to have a fun story. Even the ones who really enjoy the min maxing still do it in a way that fits their character.
I completely understand and agree with the points you've raised. It's true that in some groups, players can feel uncertain about specific spells or actions, but overall, they seem to grasp the objective and how to pursue it.
In my personal experience, the most challenging aspect of running a Fate game is getting a firm grasp on the system itself. However, I'm glad to hear that despite my own learning curve, all of my players have a fantastic time and genuinely enjoy the game. Some have even expressed a preference for Fate over D&D due to its streamlined mechanics, which eliminate the overwhelming complexity of action order and simulation.
I'm a new GM for a Fate Core game and, as someone unfamiliar with Fate until now, I've realized the importance of player buy-in. Most of my players are inexperienced with TTRPGs in general, so they struggle at times to come up with creative ideas beyond the obvious. My confidence in running Fate occasionally wavers because I feel like I'm not fostering enough ideas and creativity. However, I understand that I may be expecting too much from players who have just finished a D&D LMoP campaign.
While Fate is rules-light for players, I sometimes find it challenging to grasp certain concepts. For example, I made mistakes with Contests, Challenges, and Conflicts during my first attempt, struggling to remember their specific workings in the heat of the moment. I've had to refresh myself multiple times on teamwork rules and how to handle NPCs. Even after reading the Book of Hanz, you don't truly know how things will feel until you actually play.
Nonetheless, I adore Fate and consider it my RPG of choice. The ease of character creation is a major advantage. I can simply ask players what kind of badass hero they want to be in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer game, and when they say "a detective who can see ghosts," we have a character with a stat and a built-in trouble, ready to go.
Ironically, I find GMing Fate to be a greater challenge than playing it, at least for me. However, I recognize that I still have room for improvement as a GM due to my limited experience and skills.
but I'm not that great a gm probably.