I realized that I’ve never seen anyone take the Veteran’s +Real move “Don’t Disrespect Me”. In reviewing it, it’s not only rather lengthy, but overcomplicated, and it doesn’t really have a clear “use” – like, it’s hard to imagine a proactive situation that you would engineer for your character to be able to use it in, especially since the other Move options are (I think) crystal clear.
So, reflecting on what I want to see out of the Veteran in play, I think I can safely say that “putting people in their place” is a little meh. Here’s what I’m coming up with as a replacement:
Respect the Business When you act to preserve wrestling tradition, roll +Real. On a 10+, they back down, you gain +1 Heat with each other. On a 7-9, you gain +1 Heat with them and they choose one: do it behind your back anyway; jump you immediately; spread lies about you in the locker room. On a botch, traditions change. Lose -1 Heat with them, and all your Momentum.
I think this works better on a couple of levels – it aligns with some of the Veteran Heat questions; it implies a certain characterization just by taking it; it’s flexible to apply to lots of contexts but has a clearcut fictional trigger; it has fallout (in terms of the Heat adjustments) regardless of the fictional outcomes that push the Veteran and the target together.
So! This is the kind of thing I’m doing now, reviewing the Gimmick Moves and aiming to replace dud Moves with more interesting ones.
Wait, don’t you get Fired if your Momentum hits 0?
That’s Audience! Momentum is the bonus currency.
(So, Veteran steps up to preserve wrestling tradition and blows it, all the wind goes out of his sails, is the idea)
Finally solved a nagging concern I’ve had with the Hardcore, to sufficiently differentiate a +Look based build from a +Real based build.
Red Means Green When you’re covered in blood, substitute +Look for any other stat.
A move the Professor can be proud of! Of course, his Real is -1…
Do you feel there’s less GM control when the 6- are prescribed, instead of the *AW implied “Make a hard move?”
Most of the general Moves have no proscribed outcome, and Creative can make hard moves in addition to the proscribed outcomes, if appropriate.
The design logic there is that Hard Moves apply to real-world consequences, so having fictional botch results keeps things moving along on camera. Otherwise I do think the game could tend towards “you missed three rolls, you’re injured and everyone hates you and your husband left you and you’re fired”