The Ritual of the Gravid Silence
When a player is offered the dice in a Rogues' or Discovery Phase and stares off into the unwritten distance, all else will prove their patience while anticipating the response or revelation, for the pauses and silences are part of the natural ebb and flow of the game.
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I was just thinking about how much I enjoy it when a group of players falls into silent, thoughtful contemplation clearing space for the player with the dice to let their imagination roam and hunt down exactly what they want to say. I've witnessed it so many times in #SundayAMSwords games. Folks get the dice and then look off screen as they think about their answer. And everyone else is so goddamn respectful of it, instead of breaking in with suggestions and whatnot.
I love it. And, of course, the best way to show your love for something is to immortalize it in rules text.
I think normalizing it is a great idea. I know I had to get over the feeling of "Oh man, everybody's getting bored waiting for me to say something!"
ReplyDeleteI love those pregnant pauses. I've seen you, once or twice, react to a really good "hit the tone" move by a player after a long pause, the same I react to a long-awaited drink of coffee during the workday: Like a drowning person suddenly feeling the sand of the ocean floor beneath their toes while their face is still above water.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason SwoM has rapidly become my favorite RPG
ReplyDeleteI have such a hard time respecting those pauses. I've been tempted to put my mic on mute and start shouting suggestions. I am a bad person.
ReplyDeleteCan confirm, Michael Miller is a bad person.
ReplyDeleteI can't even in jest!
The ability to control your own mute button is a powerful ability.
ReplyDelete