SURVEY QUESTION: MOVES!

[Sarah Kerrigan]

@Sarah: I'd argue the problem lies less along the lines of how the moves system is. But, rather, how it's perceived. A lot of comments in this thread, for example, have made claims about needing X, Y, and Z in moves, when only X is something we actually ask for. The checklist thing might look big to some, but most of the points are going to be irrelevant to any given move.

Some people presumably see moves as an interrogation or a hit and miss black box that they put stuff in and sometimes it gets approved and sometimes it doesn't. Rather than a rough specification or guideline to prevent later confusion. A lot of "complicated" moves can be written up by just describing what the character does in their canon in detail. A while back, Yu was having trouble with a move and asked me for help. I literally just wrote down a description of the gif he provided.

I'm sure the actual move rules can be oiled, and the process can be smoothed out and made easier, but I reckon a large problem is probably the presentation of the moves page itself. Since things have been added and added over the years every time a new question comes up making it look much more complicated than it actually is. Most of the time, we're just asking people to write down roughly what they had visualised in a way that doesn't leave it ambiguous. And if the answer for "how long does it take to charge your fireball spell" is "it depends" then they should probably be paying 300 more OM.

As for making it easier for new joiners, definitely. Like a quick and easy guide to moves or something, because a lot of the move rules are irrelevant except in very specific circumstances.

My issue on that subject, is that most of my personal checklist for what I add to moves to avoid a second or third trip through a line of questioning (which happens very rarely unless I'm just trying to get a sword or something approved) is specifically based on details I've been asked for in the past while I've sat in move approval.

That being said? I can't argue for if it's "my perception" Or "the Move system itself". From a logical perspective, when I'm sitting here lacking the tools and the checklist, it's a gaseous entity that, much like a badly designed move, is so vague there's a lot of things I simply can't fact-check without going through the move approval threads for a few dozen pages to pull things out.

What I can state, independent of solutions (none of which I've proposed), and regardless of perception vs. Reality (which, again, was never something I discussed), was the fact that the Move System, be it by 'perception' or by inherent flaws, is a road-block at the moment that a lot of people interested in playing this RPG hit, and then retreat from. That several veterans on this site now don't have fun writing new moves in the current system.

I can't speak for how much of this is my perception, like I said: I have experience with the current system. but I've written over 30 moves between my characters. I get stuff wrong a lot still. I have to go in and add extra things. In the end, whether it's my perception or the system itself:
I don't have fun.
I don't understand the rules well enough to consistently get stuff through on the first try even after being here three years or so, or even confidently explain the ins-and-outs of them to other people who need that clarification.
The rules as written, and as clarified by other people, have consistently confused, intimidated, and driven off several players who've looked at joining this site.