Hello there. I’ve started my MG 2e RPG read. I’ve fallen in love with the setting, but I really didn’t like the GM’s “The Mission” part of the game.
It reads like a rushed sequence of railroads: Mice run through a pre-determined and pre-calculated sequence of encounters with a very specific number of checks, then find a place to rest where they’re allowed only a short respite before hitting the road again.
I’ve first thought that it was going to be an easy thing to just rip that part off, before I realised that the entire game seems balanced on the fact mice have arbitrarily few checks. Screw this, and I’ll also screw with the “checks” economy and overflow opportunities to call Bonds/Instincts/Goals as well.
So: Can I and it actually won’t break the game? Should I just find another game?
I’m somewhat afraid that keeping the checks but removing the limited number of rolls would backfire, though – “I have already gotten my hero point, I don’t need to make trouble with my flaws anymore”
I’m not sure what you meant by that. You as the GM are still in control because you are the one that calls for tests. So you can limit them if you feel they are trying to keep rolling for everything. In my opinion the presentationis different but the game is not that different from other more traditional games.
If you think about it the GM turn is just the regular fantasy adventuring phase with the Player turn being the part where the GM let’s the players relax and recuperate, like when they are in a town or making a camp. The only difference is that the game thinks that the adventuring phase should be mostly narration with 4-8 rolls to solve it all and maybe one conflict and that the players phase should be dependent on them roleplaying their characters as they made them in the adventuring phase.
But it might also just not be a good fit for you and your group.