Skill Advancement

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Emerikol

While I agree with you that this approach works given cooperative players, I find it ascetically unpleasing. I desire a system that can handle a variety of different types of players.

Generally, if you're relying on a system to limit the chances a player who wants different things than you from their gaming has to ruin your fun, you've already failed.

Gamist systems, like chess or intricately balanced German board games, are indifferent to player motives or buy-in, because there aren't enough options to do anything other than what the game system assumes. So you can play chess or gamist board games with someone who has no shared interests with you, does not want to explore the same world or characters.

For roleplaying, I have not found the same to apply. A roleplaying system capable of preventing uncooperative players from doing things the GM doesn't want also prevents the GM and cooperative players from doing what they do want.

Like shackles and ball-gags, they enable a particular type of play, but restrain far too much to be sustainable through a relationship.