How the Wrong Direction Can Lead You to the Right Path

Today we’re going to go to the well and bring back a quick tip for a Monday afternoon. This would’ve been longer, but a few technical issues cropped up out of nowhere (hey, it is Monday, right?)

This tip is what I call Wrong Can Be Right. It’s where you come up with an idea and discover it isn’t the right one. Is your time wasted? Absolutely not. By bouncing it off of other folks, you can reach something which may well prove itself to be better than what you first thought of, but you wouldn’t have gotten to that point if you didn’t discuss the first thing first. Savvy?

Let me break it down for you. (What you just witnessed above is very nearly my stream-of-consciousness or “burst” style writing where I (more or less) cleave to the technicalities of grammar, but don’t worry overmuch if I deviate.)

I was talking with Ron Blessing earlier today who came up with a way to handle Power Points in Fuse. I still felt strongly it could benefit from the Power System developed for Agents of Oblivion. He had a few concerns about how some particulars would be handled and needed a mechanic in place, hence the reintroduction of Power Points. While his idea is viable and strong, I expressed a concern of how it could bog down in actual play. However, his issue was something I had pondered in the past, and it gave rise to a new idea, a new way to handle things, where another die is introduced in certain circumstances. I can’t go any more particular than this at present. Suffice to say, what I consider the wrong direction (in terms of playability, not mechanics) gave rise to what I consider a more optimal solution. Of course, this is entirely theoretical at the moment as neither permutation has been tested at the table, which is an entirely different story. From experience, the solution I proposed is simpler, and simpler usually wins the day.

Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!