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Apocalypse World / Combat issue during play.
« on: August 12, 2011, 10:19:37 AM »
So I hate to rehash a subject that seems to have been fairly well covered in the past, but I am still having a little bit of trouble with one issue during play. What I am talking about is "combat" and what moves should comprise the bulk of it. In the text, Vincent says of Go Aggro: Going aggro means using violence or the threat of violence to
control somebody else’s behavior, without (or before) fighting. Which seems to preclude it's use during a fight that is ongoing, or least it's use against someone in the fight who is actively engaged already.
However it has been noted often on these boards that Seize by Force needs to actively be taking something, and that "victory" or "he life" don't quite cut it. With that being the case let me present an example from play in our first session.
Bob the Gunlugger has spotted a fellow in the junkyard trying to hot-wire an old truck. This interloper has also seen bob, and has a hunting rifle trained on him. So Bob pulls his 9mm and is all "Drop the rifle son or I'll drop you" The interloper sucks it up, and they trade some shots. Bob wants to run to some cover, and the MC says your doing it under fire, Bob blows the roll and gets shot to shit. He decides screw it, this guy has the bigger gun and I want it. So he charges the guy, slides over the roof of the truck, kicks the fellow in the face and wrests the rifle away from him.
Now the guy pulls his own pistol and the play at the table breaks down. They are in a fight so Go Aggro seems out as pointed out in the text. There is nothing to Seize, so what is the move? We settled, as I think a lot of groups have done, for seize the guy's life.
Thinking about it after the game, and after much reading here, I have come up with a couple of thoughts.
1: Bob is simply acting under fire at this point, and the two trade harm.
2: No move is made, and the MC either chooses Trade harm as established, or deal harm, or something else entirely.
3: Go aggro is simply more versatile than we have given it credit for?
What do you guys think? The issue kinda hovered around in play for the whole night, and was the only thing that kept the session from really flowing seemlessly.
control somebody else’s behavior, without (or before) fighting. Which seems to preclude it's use during a fight that is ongoing, or least it's use against someone in the fight who is actively engaged already.
However it has been noted often on these boards that Seize by Force needs to actively be taking something, and that "victory" or "he life" don't quite cut it. With that being the case let me present an example from play in our first session.
Bob the Gunlugger has spotted a fellow in the junkyard trying to hot-wire an old truck. This interloper has also seen bob, and has a hunting rifle trained on him. So Bob pulls his 9mm and is all "Drop the rifle son or I'll drop you" The interloper sucks it up, and they trade some shots. Bob wants to run to some cover, and the MC says your doing it under fire, Bob blows the roll and gets shot to shit. He decides screw it, this guy has the bigger gun and I want it. So he charges the guy, slides over the roof of the truck, kicks the fellow in the face and wrests the rifle away from him.
Now the guy pulls his own pistol and the play at the table breaks down. They are in a fight so Go Aggro seems out as pointed out in the text. There is nothing to Seize, so what is the move? We settled, as I think a lot of groups have done, for seize the guy's life.
Thinking about it after the game, and after much reading here, I have come up with a couple of thoughts.
1: Bob is simply acting under fire at this point, and the two trade harm.
2: No move is made, and the MC either chooses Trade harm as established, or deal harm, or something else entirely.
3: Go aggro is simply more versatile than we have given it credit for?
What do you guys think? The issue kinda hovered around in play for the whole night, and was the only thing that kept the session from really flowing seemlessly.