Failure

GnomeWorks · November 13, 2009, 04:44:43 AM

The problem with this kind of question is that success and failure are not black-and-white.

Failing to complete the goal doesn't mean that nothing was accomplished along the way. Perhaps the failure at least delayed the BBEG's plans, causing them to change, or if the Death Star is completed on time, the party has valuable intel regarding it that can be used to destroy it later.

The only way a party can utterly fail to have impact on what is going on is to do nothing about a given event. Even if they fail on a wider scope, they will almost always walk away with something potentially useful, if they put forth effort.

jadrax · November 13, 2009, 07:21:49 AM

You would have to ask them. The only thing I know for sure after discussing a few incidents with my players perceptions of their success and failure do not match my views as the all-knowing-GM.

David R · November 13, 2009, 08:55:25 AM

Quote from: Soylent Green;343311How do your players react when they see all their effort go into smoke?

Depends. They like to fail spectacularly instead of say, having bad luck with the dice. But they don't complain if the latter happens.

QuoteAnd do you, as GM, feel tempted to throw them a bone or give them a second chance?

If they want a second chance I give it to them. Normally though, they set the campaign goals and when they fail, they don't really feel it would do justice to the game if they had a redo.

Regards,
David R

RPGPundit · November 14, 2009, 10:29:03 AM

My players very rarely fail in the overall sense. They're just too pigheadedly determined. Some of them will certainly choose death, TPK, and the end of the campaign over failure.

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JongWK · November 14, 2009, 11:40:51 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;343521My players very rarely fail in the overall sense. They're just too pigheadedly determined. Some of them will certainly choose death, TPK, and the end of the campaign over failure.

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Evidence A.

RPGPundit · November 14, 2009, 03:59:41 PM

Yup, that's a good example, but I was actually thinking most recently of the last session of RIFTS, where the PCs, their mechas reduced to almost scrap metal, were still willing to charge into a town with 300 vampire-cultists and an evil archmage, just so as not to "lose".

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Failure

GnomeWorks

jadrax

David R

RPGPundit

JongWK

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