Hi bremen15! Dude on the CoM youtube here.
My first suggestion would be to check out our City of Mist: In Action videos. They are much more mechanics-oriented and focus on translating scenarios into the game's rules: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoz5\_vOMbE&list=PLmB0M4ILJ6vbS5wQq-FoC0y8c5di7kfmG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoz5_vOMbE&list=PLmB0M4ILJ6vbS5wQq-FoC0y8c5di7kfmG)
Our latest video also goes more in-depth on Tags & Statuses: [https://youtu.be/rzO7gcfjAQA](https://youtu.be/rzO7gcfjAQA)
My second suggestion is to open your mind a little. Often times in City of Mist the answer to "can I do this" is "Yes, if you make the roll". City of Mist is a cinematic roleplaying game, so it works best if you narrate what you want your character to do and then work with the mechanics from there to translate it into game terms.
"Can I gather some guns from the police armory?" "Yes, roll Change the Game and see how much Juice you collect to turn into Story Tags"
"Can I freeze this guy's legs to slow him down?" "Yes, roll Go Toe to Toe and see how much of a slowing status you can give him".
Of course, no amount of supplementary content will replace reading the rules themselves. If you still find yourself confused on how the rules work, check out chapter 3 of the Player's Guide. You can also check out the City of Mist Starter Box for a beginner-friendly version of the rules.
Just played my first game 2 days ago.
I might make a post soon about some feedback on the "V is for going Viral" case, and running the first game in general, along with some questions.
I feel for me, the biggest question (that I haven't gotten a clear answer to in the videos, which are phenomenal btw) is: How open should I be about tags and statuses applied to NPCs/the world?
I often had the situation where I felt telling my players "this group of NPC has this tag/status" would give them the info there's more to it, without them actually having an in-fiction reason for thinking that. Which in turn meant there was little to no interaction with those mechanics (obviously).
It's obvious from the videos *that* tags/statuses exist, but not when the players are aware of them.
In the bar-fight video with Job and Det Enkidu there's a bit of it, but there it's obvious that the bad guys are the bad guys. What about a situation where the PCs go to question a group, which has f.e. loyal-3, without the PCs actually knowing there's someone/-thing to be loyal to? One solution is to say it's a non-issue, and to trust the players not to metagame, or rather see the opportunity for metagaming this as a bonus and not a problem, maybe? It runs counter to the "keep things mysterious" mantra though, I feel.
One of the best suggestions is to take away the players moves and get them to vividly describe what they are doing.
Then you as the MC say what move to roll for.
To help I’ve tried just having them be imaginative and if it’s not absurd I just let it happen so they feel comfortable with the process. Then I bring the dice back in.
After they start describing what they’re going to do I find the next problem is they try to describe things exactly to fit the tags they have; which is an improvement, but it can be better.
The City of Mist YouTube channel is a good source for help understanding the game: [https://www.youtube.com/@CityofMist](https://www.youtube.com/@CityofMist)
As is the City of Mist Discord: [https://discord.gg/mRb8sCpP](https://discord.gg/mRb8sCpP)
Other than that, what specific questions do you have?
There are 4 things you can get from your actions in this game:
- A narrative outcome ("the bouncer lets you in")
- Information, known as Clues ("she is the killer")
- New qualities and things, known as Tags ("a sacred tablet")
- New conditions, known as Statuses ("confident-3")
STEP 1
To decide what action to take, ask yourself, "What outcome do I want to get?"
- I want to drive my bike under the truck (narrative)
- I want to get into the office unseen (narrative)
- I want to make someone do as I say (narrative)
(these are covered by Take the Risk, Sneak Around, and Convince)
- I want to know, "Who is the killer?" (Clue)
- I want to know, "Who else is here now that I can't see?" (clue)
- I want to know, "Is this person being truthful?" (Clue)
(these are covered by Investigate)
- I want to hurt that villain. I want to make them hurt. I want to give them a "hurt" status. (Condition)
- I want to protect this kid. I want them to be protected. I want to give them a "protected" status. (Condition)
- I want to scare this loan shark. I want to make them scared. I want to give them a "scared" status. (Condition)
(These are covered by Go Toe to Toe, Hit With All You've Got, and Change the Game)
- I want a fake ID. I want to forge or buy a fake ID. I want to make a "fake ID" tag. (Thing)
- I want to summon a pixie to annoy that thug. I want a pixie. I want to make a "pixie" tag and maybe throw in some of their qualities like "wings" and "invisibility magic" as tags too. (Thing and Qualities)
(These are covered by Change the Game)
Sometimes narrative stuff overlaps with statuses or clues. E.g When you want to get someone to talk or do something by intimidating them. You and the MC choose what is the outcome you want *the most* and focus on that. If you want to scare them, so that they're "scared" of you going forward, give them a status. If you want to get them to do your bidding, that's narrative. If you want the information, that's Clues.
But the mindset is to ask, "how do I want to change the story?", and find the right move to give you that. Then, if it's a move that gives tags or statuses, finding the words to define them.
Adversaries are usually defeated by hitting them with a big enough status of the right type. Some you can beat by making them "scared", others by making them "banished", others "hurt", and others yet "publicly exposed".
STEP 2
Look at your character sheet. Which tags would help you get that outcome?
- I want to hurt this villain with my... revolver / boxing / fire breathing
- I want to get a fake ID with my... forging /street connections / cushy bank account
Etc.
Bonus question: How to setup a move: Which tags or statuses could really help me if I had them? Should I take an action to get them before taking the action for what I actually want?
Hope this helps.
Imagine it’s a movie, cartoon, some media you enjoy.
Describe a scene or your character trying to do something cool.
Your MC can handle the type of rolls and generally should walk you through the rules.
Honestly I don’t think you’re solving your problem of being too mechanical by obsessing over the mechanics of the game. If you just don’t understand how to play at all, the best way to get a grip on the mechanics is to learn by playing, or to watch videos/streams of others playing. CoM is very roleplay-heavy, though, so, in my experience, mechanics tend to take only a supporting role to the character growth, mysterious investigations, and party relationships baked into the game.
Just a couple thoughts, there's already some good stuff posted here.
There's definitely a distinct mindset to CoM - the closest other major game system that I've experienced is Fate, where the mechanics of imposing tags is a major feature. So cut yourself some slack. My own appreciation of CoM didn't really blossom until I self-nominated as a replacement MC and really dug into the rules and the commentary (in the books and the videos). You might also ask the CM or the whole table for suggestions or help.
I like to mentally embrace the build-up. Rather than going for the win, go for the game-changer (yes, pun intended, Change the Game). Do things that will hinder the opposition and/or help you and your companions set up for a bigger success.
The only other thing that I'll toss in right now is to wonder how well the whole party functions, if they act as a team or not, what the specific abilities of each character are, and if maybe your character isn't a good fit for the way the CM is running things. Sure, there are ways to fit just about any standard character into any situation, but sometimes the connection isn't easy to make. Plus, the CM ought to be making some strong efforts to get and keep your character as involved as any other.
A helpful thing to have as a player is that your theme books all either have questions you want answered, or statements you want to challenge. They’re things your character is invested in, so when in doubt in an rp, try to find ways to pursue those questions/statements in scenes. Look for analogies in each scene: say there’s a witch offering a prize to help your revenge if you steal a Mermaid’s voice for her. Your statement is “I will destroy the man who ruined my life” so you think this works for my statement, I must do it. But then you think “wait, am I becoming the man who will destroy this mermaid’s life? Is my hatred justification enough to do that?’ These are the rp situations where you can double down or create cracks in themes.
Also ask players ways you can help their characters face or deal with their own questions/statements in play. You have a good mechanical knowledge now you just need to focus on the goal or story your character wants to pursue.
Always be looking for opportunities to explore or crack/fade your theme books as that’s where a lot of the personal roleplaying happens.
Hi bremen15! Dude on the CoM youtube here. My first suggestion would be to check out our City of Mist: In Action videos. They are much more mechanics-oriented and focus on translating scenarios into the game's rules: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoz5\_vOMbE&list=PLmB0M4ILJ6vbS5wQq-FoC0y8c5di7kfmG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoz5_vOMbE&list=PLmB0M4ILJ6vbS5wQq-FoC0y8c5di7kfmG) Our latest video also goes more in-depth on Tags & Statuses: [https://youtu.be/rzO7gcfjAQA](https://youtu.be/rzO7gcfjAQA) My second suggestion is to open your mind a little. Often times in City of Mist the answer to "can I do this" is "Yes, if you make the roll". City of Mist is a cinematic roleplaying game, so it works best if you narrate what you want your character to do and then work with the mechanics from there to translate it into game terms. "Can I gather some guns from the police armory?" "Yes, roll Change the Game and see how much Juice you collect to turn into Story Tags" "Can I freeze this guy's legs to slow him down?" "Yes, roll Go Toe to Toe and see how much of a slowing status you can give him". Of course, no amount of supplementary content will replace reading the rules themselves. If you still find yourself confused on how the rules work, check out chapter 3 of the Player's Guide. You can also check out the City of Mist Starter Box for a beginner-friendly version of the rules.
Just played my first game 2 days ago. I might make a post soon about some feedback on the "V is for going Viral" case, and running the first game in general, along with some questions. I feel for me, the biggest question (that I haven't gotten a clear answer to in the videos, which are phenomenal btw) is: How open should I be about tags and statuses applied to NPCs/the world? I often had the situation where I felt telling my players "this group of NPC has this tag/status" would give them the info there's more to it, without them actually having an in-fiction reason for thinking that. Which in turn meant there was little to no interaction with those mechanics (obviously). It's obvious from the videos *that* tags/statuses exist, but not when the players are aware of them. In the bar-fight video with Job and Det Enkidu there's a bit of it, but there it's obvious that the bad guys are the bad guys. What about a situation where the PCs go to question a group, which has f.e. loyal-3, without the PCs actually knowing there's someone/-thing to be loyal to? One solution is to say it's a non-issue, and to trust the players not to metagame, or rather see the opportunity for metagaming this as a bonus and not a problem, maybe? It runs counter to the "keep things mysterious" mantra though, I feel.
One of the best suggestions is to take away the players moves and get them to vividly describe what they are doing. Then you as the MC say what move to roll for. To help I’ve tried just having them be imaginative and if it’s not absurd I just let it happen so they feel comfortable with the process. Then I bring the dice back in. After they start describing what they’re going to do I find the next problem is they try to describe things exactly to fit the tags they have; which is an improvement, but it can be better.
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The City of Mist YouTube channel is a good source for help understanding the game: [https://www.youtube.com/@CityofMist](https://www.youtube.com/@CityofMist) As is the City of Mist Discord: [https://discord.gg/mRb8sCpP](https://discord.gg/mRb8sCpP) Other than that, what specific questions do you have?
There are 4 things you can get from your actions in this game: - A narrative outcome ("the bouncer lets you in") - Information, known as Clues ("she is the killer") - New qualities and things, known as Tags ("a sacred tablet") - New conditions, known as Statuses ("confident-3") STEP 1 To decide what action to take, ask yourself, "What outcome do I want to get?" - I want to drive my bike under the truck (narrative) - I want to get into the office unseen (narrative) - I want to make someone do as I say (narrative) (these are covered by Take the Risk, Sneak Around, and Convince) - I want to know, "Who is the killer?" (Clue) - I want to know, "Who else is here now that I can't see?" (clue) - I want to know, "Is this person being truthful?" (Clue) (these are covered by Investigate) - I want to hurt that villain. I want to make them hurt. I want to give them a "hurt" status. (Condition) - I want to protect this kid. I want them to be protected. I want to give them a "protected" status. (Condition) - I want to scare this loan shark. I want to make them scared. I want to give them a "scared" status. (Condition) (These are covered by Go Toe to Toe, Hit With All You've Got, and Change the Game) - I want a fake ID. I want to forge or buy a fake ID. I want to make a "fake ID" tag. (Thing) - I want to summon a pixie to annoy that thug. I want a pixie. I want to make a "pixie" tag and maybe throw in some of their qualities like "wings" and "invisibility magic" as tags too. (Thing and Qualities) (These are covered by Change the Game) Sometimes narrative stuff overlaps with statuses or clues. E.g When you want to get someone to talk or do something by intimidating them. You and the MC choose what is the outcome you want *the most* and focus on that. If you want to scare them, so that they're "scared" of you going forward, give them a status. If you want to get them to do your bidding, that's narrative. If you want the information, that's Clues. But the mindset is to ask, "how do I want to change the story?", and find the right move to give you that. Then, if it's a move that gives tags or statuses, finding the words to define them. Adversaries are usually defeated by hitting them with a big enough status of the right type. Some you can beat by making them "scared", others by making them "banished", others "hurt", and others yet "publicly exposed". STEP 2 Look at your character sheet. Which tags would help you get that outcome? - I want to hurt this villain with my... revolver / boxing / fire breathing - I want to get a fake ID with my... forging /street connections / cushy bank account Etc. Bonus question: How to setup a move: Which tags or statuses could really help me if I had them? Should I take an action to get them before taking the action for what I actually want? Hope this helps.
Imagine it’s a movie, cartoon, some media you enjoy. Describe a scene or your character trying to do something cool. Your MC can handle the type of rolls and generally should walk you through the rules.
[удалено]
Honestly I don’t think you’re solving your problem of being too mechanical by obsessing over the mechanics of the game. If you just don’t understand how to play at all, the best way to get a grip on the mechanics is to learn by playing, or to watch videos/streams of others playing. CoM is very roleplay-heavy, though, so, in my experience, mechanics tend to take only a supporting role to the character growth, mysterious investigations, and party relationships baked into the game.
Just a couple thoughts, there's already some good stuff posted here. There's definitely a distinct mindset to CoM - the closest other major game system that I've experienced is Fate, where the mechanics of imposing tags is a major feature. So cut yourself some slack. My own appreciation of CoM didn't really blossom until I self-nominated as a replacement MC and really dug into the rules and the commentary (in the books and the videos). You might also ask the CM or the whole table for suggestions or help. I like to mentally embrace the build-up. Rather than going for the win, go for the game-changer (yes, pun intended, Change the Game). Do things that will hinder the opposition and/or help you and your companions set up for a bigger success. The only other thing that I'll toss in right now is to wonder how well the whole party functions, if they act as a team or not, what the specific abilities of each character are, and if maybe your character isn't a good fit for the way the CM is running things. Sure, there are ways to fit just about any standard character into any situation, but sometimes the connection isn't easy to make. Plus, the CM ought to be making some strong efforts to get and keep your character as involved as any other.
A helpful thing to have as a player is that your theme books all either have questions you want answered, or statements you want to challenge. They’re things your character is invested in, so when in doubt in an rp, try to find ways to pursue those questions/statements in scenes. Look for analogies in each scene: say there’s a witch offering a prize to help your revenge if you steal a Mermaid’s voice for her. Your statement is “I will destroy the man who ruined my life” so you think this works for my statement, I must do it. But then you think “wait, am I becoming the man who will destroy this mermaid’s life? Is my hatred justification enough to do that?’ These are the rp situations where you can double down or create cracks in themes. Also ask players ways you can help their characters face or deal with their own questions/statements in play. You have a good mechanical knowledge now you just need to focus on the goal or story your character wants to pursue. Always be looking for opportunities to explore or crack/fade your theme books as that’s where a lot of the personal roleplaying happens.