Something a few people mentioned here, and is stated in the Blades book itself, is how many of the mechanics are left up to the players to tweak in order to define their own experience. I like that in theory, but I also think it could be made more explicit, rather than being left to theoretically form for each group over time as they play.
I wonder if it’d be useful to include some sort of checklist to go through with your group during the rest of your setup, where you’d talk about these things explicitly. I might be missing it, but I don’t think the game itself has something like this. Some of the recurring mechanical points of confusion/customization I’ve seen:
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How will resistance and armor work in our game? Do you nullify harm or downgrade it?
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How will Tier work in our game? Will we ignore it? Will every roll against a higher Tier faction be made at reduced effect, or is it just a general indication of difficulty for a mission? (thinking of this thread on the Blades forums: https://community.bladesinthedark.com/t/newbie-gm-wrestling-with-tier-and-reduced-effect/949?u=deusexbrockina)
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What does Standard effect look like in our game? Maybe provide a few examples, like “if you’re trying to attack someone, do you kill them outright, or will it take multiple wounds? If you’re picking a lock, hacking a computer, etc. etc.”
Some people might prefer to let these things come together naturally as they play, but I think I prefer the idea of having a conversation up front.
