Anatomy of Go Aggro

Vincent,

Why is go aggro designed the way it is?

The 10+ totally makes sense to me. You have the advantage and they can either do what you want or suck it up.

However, the 7-9 is where things get murky.

It seems like you still get to control their behavior somewhat, but they can possibly negate your threat.

At other times, it's like they're caving anyways.

Also, in some instances, it seems like even if they took an action in the 7-9, if I'm pointing a shotgun at someone the action might not necessarily make sense that I wouldn't go through with violence anyways.

For example:

I point a shotgun at Dremmer and say, "Get the fuck out of the house."
Dice are 7-9. He chooses, "give you something they think you want."
"Here man, take this cupcake you wanted earlier instead."
Uh....  

Can you explain how you arrived at the 7-9 options? When they choose the 7-9, must it be satisfactory to the threatening player? Why are some options "caving" anyways?

Thanks!

Here it is:

I DO think that 7-9 results in Go Aggro are not a 'hit', per se, if you're looking at it like 'A hit is me getting at least part of what I want'. But I think that they aren't meant to be. I think that 7-9 hits on Go Aggro are non-resolution outcomes leading to untenable situations, which players will then use Moves to try to resolve. In other words, Moves Snowball.

The NPC can offer something he thinks you want, like a cupcake, sure. But it's still your decision and you say, 'Fuck your cupcake and you' and you shoot him, with the MC deciding that that means Seizing By Force, so we roll for that and play to find out what happens.

It's a partial-resolution, which to me, is the heart of Moves Snowball.

My gang is Going Aggro on Jackson's gang. I 7-9 and they barricade themselves in. It's not a cave, or a suck it up and it's not a miss. I don't get what I want, they barricade themselves in and now we have this fucked up situation where my gang and I are trying to get in. And we'll probably use moves to try to do so.

An interesting point towards Go Aggro 7-9s being a hit or a miss:

In play, in the back and forth, a 7-9 Go Aggro hit means the rolling player says something, then the character being acted on says something still in the same move, from a list. Like 'yeah, I barricade me and my gang in. We're putting boards up in the windows, taking potshots out of the windows, putting shit in front of the doors, all that'. He says all this IN THE SAME MOVE THAT THE OTHER GUY ROLLED. Some one else's Go Aggro.

So then there's this natural thing where in the back and forth, it goes back to the other player, the orginal one who went Aggro, because it feels like the guy being Go Aggro'ed on just went, because he talked.

So a 7-9 Go Aggro may not be a hit, in that you get what you want. But it means that you do something and then they do something off a list in the same move (meaning that they can't act against you in a mechanical way because they can only do the stuff off the list) and then you get the next chance to make a move, like Seizing the house By Force or whatever.

It's an elegent way of making sure a 7-9 Go Aggro doesn't get what you want, but it's not a miss. It's a complication, but not a chance for them to fuck you.

Right on.

-Vincent

An interesting point towards Go Aggro 7-9s being a hit or a miss:

In play, in the back and forth, a 7-9 Go Aggro hit means the rolling player says something, then the character being acted on says something still in the same move, from a list. Like 'yeah, I barricade me and my gang in. We're putting boards up in the windows, taking potshots out of the windows, putting shit in front of the doors, all that'. He says all this IN THE SAME MOVE THAT THE OTHER GUY ROLLED. Some one else's Go Aggro.

So then there's this natural thing where in the back and forth, it goes back to the other player, the orginal one who went Aggro, because it feels like the guy being Go Aggro'ed on just went, because he talked.

So a 7-9 Go Aggro may not be a hit, in that you get what you want. But it means that you do something and then they do something off a list in the same move (meaning that they can't act against you in a mechanical way because they can only do the stuff off the list) and then you get the next chance to make a move, like Seizing the house By Force or whatever.

This is what I was looking for. Good stuff. That "initiative" thing is exactly what I was looking for and the fact that if they choose something from the 7-9 and I don't like it, I get to go again and respond to their choice.

Also worth noting: The fictional circumstances define what you can do. It's hard to Go Aggro on someone when they're in their hideout, because they can just barricade themselves in. If they're out in the open, they probably can't (or they barricade themselves securely in someone else's house, which has its own problems). You can't offer someone a cupcake if you haven't got a cupcake with you.

Right. Which means, if I tie you up and go aggro to interrogate you, I'm sort of negating some of the wiggle-room (after-all, how can you barricade yourself, or get out of my way if you're tied up) you have on a 7-9.

Right. Which means, if I tie you up and go aggro to interrogate you, I'm sort of negating some of the wiggle-room (after-all, how can you barricade yourself, or get out of my way if you're tied up) you have on a 7-9.

Millions gets this hard look in her eyes like steel doors are snapping shut and nothing's going to come out, seems she's resisted torture before... what do you do?  (Barricade)

Kettle's eyes roll into the back of his head and he slumps down, down and out... seems he's suffered torture before... what do you do? (Out of the way)

Speak not its name...

Nicely done.