Howdy! I just bought The Sprawl last night and have been skimming through. I noticed that some Moves have a “7+” as the best result, then a “7-9” as the next best. Are these typos? “Hit the Streets” is one where the results confuse me, as is “Mix it Up”. Any help?
Howdy!
Howdy!
No typo. Both apply. Wheras if you rolled a 10+, only the 7+ result would apply, unless there was also a 10+ stipulation
Like, on “Conduct an operation” On a 7+, you complete the mission.
But on a 7-9, you complete the mission with complications. On a 10+ You complete it without complications.
Isn’t a 7, 8 or 9 a 7+? I’m confused, but that’s probably because I only skimmed through and it caught me eye. Killer-looking game, though. I’m on my 4th play through of DE:MD, so a cyberpunk thriller is what I’m craving. 🙂
Thank you, BTW.
7+ includes 7,8,9,10,11,12, 13, and 14
The key is that multiple categories can apply.
You know, listing 7+ and 7-9 was an elegant solution that definitely saved repetition, but it turns out to have some usability issues!
I am going to dig in and see if it jumps out at me. Thanks, everyone.
It’s pretty simple. Some moves have separate options for 7-9 and for 10+, and you pick whichever one applies. And some moves have options for 7+ and for 10+, and if both are true, you apply both.
As Daniel Lugo said, the latter usually take a form like:
7+ : you succeed at your objective…
10+ : … and get some extra benefit.
So as long as you rolled 7+, you get the bare minimum success. But if you rolled 10+, you not only get the success, but thing went especially well.
Oooooooh! You know those moments when something obvious clicks? Yeah, that…
Thanks as well as embarrassed apologies. It makes perfect sense now. Very cool!
Other games often have the same structure, but presented differently:
7-9 : you succeed at your objective
10+ : as 7-9, and you also gain some extra benefit
or:
7-9 : you succeed at your objective
10+ : you succeed, and also gain some extra benefit
As Hamish noted above, the form he’s used is a little more concise, but apparently also a little less clear. You’re not the first person to question it…
Oh, and re-reading your original post, that’s actually the other way around from what I thought. So it’s actually:
7+ : you succeed at your objective…
7-9 : …but there’s some complication.
I definitely feel like the 7+ and 7-9 in the same book lead to some confusion, especially to someone new to the PbtA world. I think DW is the most consistent in that regard, but even then, they’ll use the “on a 6-” or “on a miss” variation. Personally, I feel that consistency is lacking across the board of PbtA games. AW2e seems to be more consistent than the first one, and it’s definitely more clear on some things.
From what I know of PBtA games, confusion can be the price paid for elegance, which is fine by me. It’s obviously done something very right and there are a bunch of fine communities to help, so no harm done. 🙂