Episode 427 – difficulty




Fear the Boot, RPG Podcast show

Summary: * (0:47) I lied about part 2, but part 1 of my interview with Jim McClure <a href="http://oneshotpodcast.com/podcasts/57-dan-of-fear-the-boot-part-1/">is out</a>!<br> * (2:50) XCOM 2 gets us thinking about setting the level of challenge in a tabletop roleplaying game.<br> * (9:59) Games that get easier versus games that get harder.<br> * (13:18) The kinds of challenge. Combat encounters, roleplaying, puzzles, mystery, etc.<br> * (20:07) Identifying the type of narrative experience the players and GM are trying to get out of the game.<br> * (23: 06) Why start the challenge low for veteran players? Ebbs and flows. Difficulty as a path instead of a moment.<br> * (33:16) Always having a way forward. Richard Pryor <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyWFL9guZOs">scared for no reason</a>.<br> * (39:34) The importance of downbeats in the story. The right type of failure. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisman_Trophy#/media/File:Rashaan_Salaam-Heisman.JPG">Heisman Trophy</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghetto_Heisman#/media/File:Ghetto_Heisman.jpg">Ghetto Heisman</a>.<br> * (52:33) Knowing the reason for the specific challenge. Avoiding banal struggles. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-wUdetAAlY">Bambi vs Godzilla</a>.<br> Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan<br>