Core loops

If you want to boil the system down to its basics, here it is. There are three things that I want from the story as a player:

• Uncertainty. Not everything I try will succeed.
• Control. The things that are really important to me, I want to up the odds that I can make them happen.
• Drama. I want the story to evolve in a way that is complex, coherent, and inspiring.

Every mechanic in this system contributes to these goals.

• Rolls generate uncertainty.
• Success and character advancement give you control over the story.
• Failure contributes to character advancement and dramatic complexity.
• Player choices in favor of drama (acting in character against interest, suggesting negative relationship tags) makes the game harder and also contributes to advancement.
• Roll mechanics offer control: you can ask for certain kinds of outcomes or increased likelihood of success - at a cost: usually stress. Stress takes time to blow off (advancing your adversaries' agendas) and unmanaged, can shape your character's personality... giving you opportunities to earn XP by playing those adverse traits.
• Clocks, logging, archiving, memories, relationships - all of these manage the drama that gets churned up by the other mechanics.