I’m working on the player section of my James Bond hack. What do you think of this wording for one of the player/agent responsibilities:
Piece together the villain’s evil plan. You’ll start off with very little information, but you’re brilliant operatives with years of experience and millions of dollars worth of training and conditioning, so most of your speculation will be accurate. Be sure to share that speculation with the team (and the GM).
Are you really willing to promise that most of it will be accurate, or is it more like “most of your speculation will have a high degree (or high likelihood) of accuracy”?
The intent is that it dovetails with the “ask provocative questions and build on the the answers” and “sometimes, disclaim decision making” MC moves (or their equivalents for this specific hack).
I thought that including “most” was enough of a qualifier. You think I should hedge a little bit further?
In case it helps to have the other side of the equation, here is the GM move:
Ask questions and use the answers. It’s not reasonable or practical for you to have to come up with all the details of a maniacal plot any more than it’s reasonable to expect the players to be able to figure out exactly what you’ve planned. Instead, allow the players to help you come up with that maniacal plot at the same rate the agents figure it out. Feel free to twist their suggestions, but follow the “yes, and…” convention from improv theatre – take their ideas and go in new directions, but avoid overruling or negating them.
I like it — it helps avoid the Sigourney Weaver in Galaxy Quest Problem, where you have to show your expertise by saying “I’m an expert – what do I know?” and then repeating what the GM says.
Perhaps restrict the PCs’ speculation slightly to “within your field of expertise”? That is, if you have defined types for the technology guy, the fighty guy, etc.
The wording also doesn’t preclude there being a Big Reveal later, which is good. Yes, Doctor Nyet is planning to steal the world’s largest block of quartz – but it’s just a ruse so that the army will be distracted when he steals All the Nukes!
Oh noes, not All the Nukes! Damn you Dr. Nyet!
Yeah, Tom McGrenery you’re describing exactly what I was trying to do. 🙂
How about “MUCH of your speculation..”?