Update to The Token System.
Ok so how do you go about making a Minor complication work to where it makes sense? lets use the example of 2 cowboys shooting at each other in the streets of a western town, one is a professional gunslinger and his pistols is a 4, the other guy is the player and he is more of a crime solver of the group so his character has a pistol score of just 2, and the player who is playing this lawman is either trying to metagame the system, or doestn see the need to try and bid more than one token. so every exchange is 1 from lawman and 2 from the gunslinger (because even tho the gunslinger can open up a bid of 4 tokens if the lawman only resists with 1 (or none) then the outcome is always going to be MINOR) so if we look up the definition of minor magnitude..0 = In this case, the stakes are very low. The result of this action is very shortterm, lasting for only a moment or so, or otherwise severely limited. 1 = The stakes are slightly higher, but still low-risk. Results might last for several minutes or even days but will not directly cause real harm to anyone.
the BEST the Gunslinger can do to the Lawman is "not directly causing real harm to anyone" or "short term lasting only a moment or so" so by this definition it can't be that the lawman gets shot, because a gunshot would be more of a magnitude of 2 for a flesh wound, 3 for a critical wound, and 4 for a lethal wound.
So you mentioned in an above comment that having the magnitude be determined by the difference of the bid instead of equal to the lowest would equate in characters bullying people with higher stats, but from the perspective i am seeing in the current set up the defender will (or CAN) be bullying by making a combat fight go on and on, there doesn't seem to be any insentive for someone who has a low score to bid up on a task. i see NO reason other than a ONE TIME last ditch effort by combining traits (which would cost ton of tokens) for a defender with a low combat score to ever bid more than 0.
One of the nice side effects of having the players instigate almost every action is that they will be leading with a bid, which means it is your decision what to do next. Any bid from you at all means a magnitude of at least one. If you don't want to see a bunch of zero magnitude complications accrued, all you have to do is bid against the players.
That said, the fights in this game (like all the action) are supposed to be cinematic. Participants are expected to maneuver for position, try to create advantages for themselves, and generally try to prevent themselves from being badly hurt or killed. That isn't "dragging the fight out" ; it is the fight!
Generally, a player has to choose to let their character die in this system. Your job is to put them in a position where they'll actually consider it.
Remember, also, that you don't have to require a token exchange, at all, if you think what the character is attempting should be automatically successful.
So walk me through a scenario with the above gunfight how it would play out in your game by using your words as you would say them to the player who was planning on only bidding 0. I read through your examples with the raven loft adventure (sounded really fun btw) but i didn't notice any play examples, other than just narrative of what happened. so show me in this example so hopefully i can get it. cuz these guys want me to continue this scenario after the holidays and i really want to understand this system more.
Okay, here goes:
lets use the example of 2 cowboys shooting at each other in the streets of a western town, one is a professional gunslinger and his pistols is a 4, the other guy is the player and he is more of a crime solver of the group so his character has a pistol score of just 2, and the player who is playing this lawman is either trying to metagame the system, or doestn see the need to try and bid more than one token.
First, I set the scene. Presumably the characters have already positioned themselves into this conflict somehow, so I'll start by telling the player that the gunslinger has caught sight of his character and is reaching for his gun. What I will NOT do yet is place a bid. I want the player to take the initiative.
Then I ask what the character is trying to do. This will require a bid of at least one. If the player thinks that doing nothing at all (with a bid of zero) is a good idea, I'll inform him that doing absolutely nothing to avoid getting shot won't require a token exchange; the character will simply be shot dead. Once again, the decision rests with the player.
Assuming the player has chosen to do something, I will then expect him to describe his intended action and bid appropriately. If I feel it's warranted, I'll ask for clarification.
Perhaps he says he is going to draw and fire upon the gunslinger with a bid of one. "What," I will ask, "are you trying to accomplish with the magnitude that you are representing?" Maybe he says that he is just trying to make the gunslinger flinch and hesitate long enough for the lawman to slip away. Sounds like a magnitude of one to me.
The gunslinger doesn't want the lawman to get away, so he'll rely on his years of experience to stare the other man down, even while being shot at, and make sure there's no opening for escape. Just to teach him a lesson, he'll also attempt to shoot the lawman's gun out of his hand. That's a bid of two.
If the player stops there, I figure the gunslinger didn't actually manage to shoot the other's gun (that would be a magnitude two result), but did prevent the escape.
Having nowhere else to go, the lawman chooses to hunker down behind a boulder and shoot at the gunslinger if he tries to flank him. This will only require a bid if his opponent actually does try to do so. I figure he will, so I then ask for clarification on what the shot is meant to accomplish. Turns out, the lawman wants to hold the gunslinger at bay and buy some time for reinforcements to come. Bid is one.
This time, I figure the gunslinger will retreat, but also fire a shot off just to let the other know he ain't yella. This is done with a bid of one, resulting in a tie, which generates another complication. I'm going to save that for later. Maybe the lawman's gun will jam at just the wrong moment.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7prrWqKmlnF6kv6h706GpnpmUqHy2vMOaq55lpKR6tbTEZquoo5WjerTF0q2cpmZjaIN5gZho