{"id":174,"date":"2017-05-24T21:31:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T21:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2017\/05\/24\/just-say-no\/"},"modified":"2021-11-16T00:39:47","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T05:39:47","slug":"just-say-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2017\/05\/just-say-no\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Say No"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i>Content note: brief mentions of rape and sexual assault, violations of consent.<\/i><br \/><i><br \/><\/i><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"><i>French translation:&nbsp;<\/i><span style=\"color: #1da1f2;\">http:\/\/ptgptb.fr\/apprenez-a-dire-non<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<table align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-VRxD5IrehZk\/WSX451LvTEI\/AAAAAAABNNc\/3l_gZdHvBwQp48FdF0PVYDHhTydBDrgqgCLcB\/s1600\/Archipelago%2BNo.JPG?ssl=1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"555\" data-original-width=\"775\" height=\"229\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-VRxD5IrehZk\/WSX451LvTEI\/AAAAAAABNNc\/3l_gZdHvBwQp48FdF0PVYDHhTydBDrgqgCLcB\/s320\/Archipelago%2BNo.JPG?resize=320%2C229&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"320\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 320px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 320\/229;\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">Cards from A<a href=\"http:\/\/www.drivethrurpg.com\/product\/147623\/Archipelago\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rchipelago<\/a>, a game written by Mattijs Holter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>\u201cYes, and&#8230;\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<div><b><o:p><\/o:p><\/b><\/div>\n<div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>This is the statement I see encouraged endlessly in game introduction texts, at game events, at game tables. This is what is supposed to be the key of play \u2013 the center of improv, the best way to have good dialogue and storytelling in games.<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>But like\u2026 no?<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Don\u2019t get me wrong, I did improv for years (surprise!), and <i>Yes, and<\/i> is a huge part of it, but even when I did improv, it wasn\u2019t always the best tool. Sometimes, it leads to consent issues, others, it waters down the story. I want to talk a little about important things that go against the passionate promotion of \u201cyes, and.\u201d <o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>There are alternatives to <i>Yes, and<\/i>: <i>Yes, but&#8230;;<\/i>&nbsp;<i>No, but&#8230;<\/i>; and <i>No, and&#8230;<\/i>&nbsp;Here\u2019s the thing: most story gamers are familiar with these already. They\u2019re <a href=\"http:\/\/apocalypse-world.com\/pbta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Powered by the Apocalypse<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/apocalypse-world.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apocalypse World<\/a> move result structures.<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>10+ &#8211; <i>Yes, and<\/i>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>7-9 &#8211; <i>Yes, but<\/i>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>6- &#8211; <i>No, but<\/i> (or) <i>No, and<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div>Some of this comes up in many stratified result systems in games (&#8220;success at cost&#8221;), but we don\u2019t really talk about that, I think, and it might not be brought into player-to-player interactions. &nbsp;They\u2019re pretty simple and can be easily understood and taught. Most are familiar with \u201cyes, and\u201d (I accept your fiction and build on it), so here\u2019s the rest:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Yes, but<\/i> \u2013 I accept your fiction, except this piece is more difficult. Basically <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drivethrurpg.com\/product\/147623\/Archipelago\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archipelago<\/a>\u2019s \u201cThat Might Not Be Quite So Easy!\u201d<\/li>\n<li><i>No, but<\/i> \u2013 That doesn\u2019t work, but you still get something out of it.<\/li>\n<li><i>No, and<\/i> \u2013 That doesn\u2019t work, and this is why\/here\u2019s how it\u2019s different.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><i>No, but<\/i> and <i>No, and<\/i> function similarly to \u201cTry a Different Way!\u201d in Archipelago. To be honest, Archipelago is one of my favorite RPGs because it is so beautifully developed for building rich stories and really flavorful and intense social interactions because the ritual phrases are gorgeous and work really well.<\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The option to say no (and add to it, or give good reasons why) can make some cool things happen. It can keep things in tone, or allow players who are being left out of controlling the plot to take charge. I also have some problems in general with <i>Yes, and<\/i> that impact play in a very important way. <o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><i>Yes, and<\/i> can impact consent. Oh, no one is being <i>forced<\/i> to accept something in a story, but if you start playing with the assumption that an idea can be pitched and has to be accepted or else it will negatively impact the story, it can make people feel like they have to give in or they\u2019ll ruin the game. It feels to me like a bad writer\u2019s room gig. Like, why did Tasha Yar come from a rape gang planet?<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>Writer: Here\u2019s this cool lady character I made for the show, she\u2019s a security officer.&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Random Creepy Executive: Yeah and she totally has sexual trauma that made her so cool.&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>W: Um\u2026 I\u2026 I guess so?&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>RCE: And what if there were rape gangs! That she had to run from!&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>W: If that\u2019s what you think would be cool?&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>RCE: We\u2019ll have an episode where she\u2019ll have to relive it! It\u2019ll be awesome! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div>And so on.<\/div>\n<div><o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>How many women in games can say that someone didn\u2019t try to introduce shit into their backstory like this? How many just felt pressured to let it happen even without a <i>Yes, and<\/i> culture? Now imagine with all of your cool friends saying that you should accept people\u2019s ideas because otherwise stories get boring.<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>That, and it can lead to the most enthusiastic, outgoing people to controlling the story. Who suggests the most ideas in your group? How much of the time do they dominate it? Now bring in a shy player and say \u201chey, in this game we play like improv, and when someone suggests something in game, you\u2019re supposed to be like \u2018<i>yes, and<\/i>\u2019 and play on it.\u201d What if they have an idea? If the dominant player pitches them an idea, do you think they\u2019ll feel comfortable being like \u201chey, that actually doesn\u2019t fit my character, let\u2019s try it a different way.\u201d What if that person has good ideas, but they feel pressured to accept whatever someone throws at them?<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Improv is great, by the way. But, improv itself can be harmed by exclusive yes, and culture. Especially in regards to consent! When I was taught improv originally, <i>Yes, and<\/i> was highly emphasized. I was 15 (I did improv at events until I was 18), and over our practice I struggled with it, but hey, my trainers knew best. So when a 35 year old guy grabbed my arm and started licking my hand and talking about how he was my lover, I was afraid to say no \u2013 almost as afraid of the situation. I eventually pulled my hand away and denied it, but that guy \u2013 also an improv actor \u2013 knew that we were in a culture where I was supposed to say yes. I have felt this way in RPGs, too. Abusers gonna abuse, but they sure as hell can do it better when peer pressure helps it along.<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>But it\u2019s also important to remember that not all games require improv. We aren\u2019t on a set stage without freedom to ask questions, or step back. One of the reason my safety measures in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.briecs.com\/p\/script-change-rpg-tool.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Script Change <\/a>suggest talking before you continue is because prioritizing immersion and story over the comfort, safety, and enjoyment of everyone at the table is not only uncool, but also pretty boring. In games where there\u2019s combat and strategy, being able to step back and be like, \u201chey, is this okay?\u201d is useful. In games without\u2026 it\u2019s also useful. <o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>I\u2019ve heard people condemn out-of-character discussion as metagaming and saying that rejecting other people\u2019s ideas stifles play. I don\u2019t agree with that. There are degrees of metagaming that aren\u2019t unreasonable, like pausing to check in with people before moving the story forward, or someone saying \u201chey, that is a way gorier way for my character to die than I\u2019m okay with, can we rewind and try again?\u201d<o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;I think controlling the narrative is part of the beauty of RPGs, and part of that is being able to say \u201cno.\u201d <o:p><\/o:p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This post was supported by the community on <a href=\"http:\/\/patreon.com\/briecs\">patreon.com\/briecs<\/a>. Tell your friends! <\/p>\n<p>To leave some cash in the tip jar, go to <a href=\"http:\/\/paypal.me\/thoughty\">http:\/\/paypal.me\/thoughty<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to be interviewed for Thoughty, or have a project featured, email <a href=\"mailto:contactbriecs@gmail.com?Subject=Thoughty%20Blog\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"noopener\">contactbriecs@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Content note: brief mentions of rape and sexual assault, violations of consent.French translation:&nbsp;http:\/\/ptgptb.fr\/apprenez-a-dire-non Cards from Archipelago, a game written by Mattijs Holter \u201cYes, and&#8230;\u201d This is the statement I see encouraged endlessly in game introduction texts, at game events, at game tables. This is what is supposed to be the key of play \u2013 the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2017\/05\/just-say-no\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Just Say No&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[390],"tags":[28,29,40,47,48,8,15,12,34,33,26,42,18,119],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","tag-briecs-on-design","tag-content-warnings","tag-etiquette","tag-larp","tag-live-action-roleplaying-games","tag-roleplaying-games","tag-rpg","tag-rpgs","tag-script-change","tag-social-justice","tag-story-games","tag-tabletop","tag-tabletop-rpgs","tag-trigger-warnings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paHOcG-2O","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1957,"url":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2020\/06\/script-change-is-now-available-in-korean\/","url_meta":{"origin":174,"position":0},"title":"Script Change is Now Available in Korean!","author":"Beau J\u00e1gr Sheldon","date":"June 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"You can now find the Script Change RPG Toolbox translated into Korean at this link, which is so exciting! 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To\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archive&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archive","link":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1435,"url":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2019\/07\/friday-hi-day-youtube-post-live\/","url_meta":{"origin":174,"position":4},"title":"Friday Hi-Day YouTube Post Live!","author":"Beau J\u00e1gr Sheldon","date":"July 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Tfn7OHqQ_HQ","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archive&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archive","link":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Tfn7OHqQ_HQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1694,"url":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/2019\/12\/thoughtys-a-new-year-for-aven-bundle\/","url_meta":{"origin":174,"position":5},"title":"Thoughty&#8217;s A New Year for Aven Bundle","author":"Beau J\u00e1gr Sheldon","date":"December 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I'm starting a bundle to support the awesome Aven, a great game designer and one of the people who makes Big Bad Con a great space for people like me, in this coming new year - check out work from Aven, me, Meguey Baker, Paul Czege, and many other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archive&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archive","link":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/category\/archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briebeau.com\/thoughty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}