Man Alone DESTROYS the Yes/No SoloRPG Decision Oracle using FACTS and LOGIC (and WHINING)

In this BOMBASTIC video, famed solo roleplayer Man Alone (born Mannus Aloysius Archibald Alonie in 1886 Hamburger, New Jersey) topples the tyrannical regime of the YES/NO Decision Oracle. Despite multiple special interest groups pressuring him to NOT release this video, this brave whistle-blower hems and haws for almost an hour whilst bravely reaching NO conclusion. You don't want to miss this, watch now before the SGS (solo gaming syndicate) takes it down.
Boring Year Zero odds breakdown that I read four times because I, too, am boring: www.frank-mitc...

[@DesertDwellerSoloGaming]

Video 18 (of 25) of me liking and then commenting on every new upload to lead the people to a Cy_Borg or Pirate Borg playthrough. Please cast your vote by either commenting “Cy_Borg” or “Pirate Borg” below! Or don’t. Maybe I’ll just pick what I want anyways. *laughs in Evil*

[@Jimalcoatl]

Keep it up. You're doing a public service, sir.

[@BDTMack]

Pirate Borg. I love pirate adventures!

[@jirsadcassam]

Cy_borg ! I'd love to watch a sci-fi story.

[@GrayArmyGaming]

Interested in joining our July Solo RPG experiment? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZWsd4uCa65_etk

[@thomasmascall7498]

Cy_borg for sure!

[@jonathana6298]

6: Yes!!! 5: Yes! 4: Yes 3: Yes? 2: No 1: Fuck

[@juauke]

😂, really cool though!

[@brettlawson5679]

Is that last one an expletive or a command?

[@jeremytitus9519]

@@brettlawson5679Roll a d6 and find out

[@GreekSoloRPG]

If man alone is found in a ditch somewhere, do not believe the suicide note...

[@rjbarnett1116]

Don’t ask the oracle so many questions. If you roll a yes, it’s most obvious outcome. If “yes but”, add the second most obvious thing, something that easily fits. Don’t ask the Oracle again what the “but” is. Just pick the first or second most obvious thing. This is just to add a bit more flavor or randomness. It doesn’t matter that much. “Is the gate locked?” Yes but… it’s really squeaky. You don’t have to ask if this is the correct “but”. The Oracle said there was more useful information, you decide what that information is, if something isn’t quickly obvious about what the “but” could be, drop the “but”. Some oracles have Twists or Interrupts. This just forces you to not get stuck in what you were expecting, you aren’t writing a story, you’re playing a game. Twists are designed to make you have to react to something unexpected. Roll on some random noun and verb tables to try to come up with a twist. “Is the farmers door locked?” No, but also the baker is snooping around inside! Now you get to try to figure out what the baker is doing, is he a spy after the same information you were looking for? The twist might be the most difficult part of the puzzle, as it pulls to the furthest away from what you were expecting to happen. But most of the time, you will get an answer that odd close to what you expected. The SoloDark oracle is a d20. 1-9 means no, 11-20 means yes. Odd numbers (besides 1) adds “but”. 1’s and 20’s are the extreme no or yes, and 10 is a twist. If something is likely, roll with advantage. If unlikely roll with disadvantage. Use mechanics in your system to answer questions that the system already has. Many systems already have weather tables, Hex crawl mechanics, random encounters, and so on. I maybe could have made this comment more succinct, but you posted an hour long video, so it’ll be ok.

[@JackMcCarthyWriter]

Man Alone: bringing the hard-hitting facts you didn't know you needed

[@amanisalone]

Facts so powerful that, even after watching the video, people STILL don't think they need them!

[@s3xedmanthunder192]

not enough sandwiches mine more sandwich! we need more sandwiches! 😁

[@amanisalone]

@@s3xedmanthunder192it was a GLITCH!!!

[@MatthewEaton]

This is why I like the 2d6 system that gives you some wiggle room. 2-3 is a catastrophic failure, 4-6 is a no, 7-9 is a yes, (but), 10-11 is a yes, 12 is a critical success. Makes it easy, gives you more to deal with, you're not shooting for percentile dice or anything like that. And you can adjust and alter to your own tastes.

[@captbiddy160]

New to the solo rpg and was looking for something like this. Thank you.

[@WillyLee23]

2d6 creates a bell curve - where you are more likely to roll a 6, 7, or 8 more-so than the other numbers. Statistically you’ll be rolling a lot of “yes, buts” If it were me, I’d try to work it where 8 is just “yes” to balance the 7 being “yes but” and 6 a flat “no”

[@MatthewEaton]

@@WillyLee23 And that is why you want that bell curve, that leads to more creativity and improv in those situations. That also is where the more "chaotic systems" can come into play, an effect that is quite better at story telling than a simple yes or no. Granted, it isn't for everyone, but it is better to embrace that weighted chaos and think on your feet like a DM might do.

[@WillyLee23]

@@MatthewEaton fair enough

[@animite9965]

When I need an alternative oracle system, I use an a series of outcomes mentioned in a They Might be Giants song. The oracle's d5 possibilities, in order of occurance, are: 1.) Yes 2.) No 3.) Maybe 4.) I don't know. 5.) Could you repeat the question?

[@robw4736]

It's an interesting question. I think it's actually a two-part question, and we tend to try and answer part two, first. I would say the two parts are: 1. What do I want the oracle to do? 2. How do I want the oracle to work? I think the answer to question 2 really requires a good answer to question 1 first. Do you want the oracle to be an AI gamemaster, or a narrative guide? They aren't the same thing, and I think people often want one, and get frustrated when the oracle is designed to do the other. I think answering what you really want the oracle to do will go a long way toward helping each of us to find the right oracle system for the game we want to play. Ultimately, the answer to question 1 rests on what we each want our role in the game to be. If we want to 'play the character', then we probably want an AI gamemaster. If we want to 'tell the story of the character/characters', then we probably want a narrative guide. The real challenge is that we probably want a mix of both, and we each have to find the right balance. To paraphrase Marc Miller from the old Traveller books, 'the role of the GM is to present challenges to the players for them to overcome, not to create obstacles for their success.' Which he immediately acknowledged was often difficult to tell the difference between in the moment. Just the thoughts that come to mind after watching.

[@plus1creator]

This is the one video that Big Oracle does NOT want you to watch!

[@lordhuebi]

Big Oracle has been real quiet since this dropped

[@amanisalone]

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. THE STANDARD ORACLE IS SUPERIOR. I RETRACT ALL STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS VIDEO. SINCERELY, MAN ALLEN

[@druidichabit9181]

@@amanisalone Man Allen lmfao

[@SentientSoup]

😂

[@adub_from_253]

“#4 will ASTOUND you!” 😂

[@HFOfficial]

Reminder: You're your own DM, make those Oracle rolls fit the story you want to tell and the one you want to be part of. A "no but" is just a yes with extra steps In fact, if you're really playing like a DM, a "no" can just be a yes with extra steps. Oracles are supposed to be aids to your own creativity, you don't bow to them, they bow to you

[@peregrineye]

I've been researching dice probabilities on KZbin for the past few weeks attempting to understand how different dice combinations give a different feel to how a game is received in the 'experience' vs just mathematics. Your vid here just explained the 'why' of it and not the 'what' of it. You hit the nail on the head here. Nice job! Keep it going... 🙂

[@shagtasticproduction]

Try this really quick. Grab 3 d6. 1 Red 1 Blue 1 White Red = No Blue = Yes White = Sway Want a simple yes or no? Roll just the blue and red. Highest number color is the answer. Is a yes more likely? Roll all 3 and add the white result to the blue. If the combined number of the blue and white is more than the red, answer is yes. Reading further into the rolls: Say you rolled a 6 blue / 1 red. That answer seems very definitive. Does that large spread towards yes mean something to you after giving it 1.23 seconds thought? No? Then it's just a simple yes. But if you instantly thought of a 'yes and', treat it as such if you like. Rolling doubles: Sometimes you will roll doubles on just a straight yes/no question. Seems the answer is inconclusive. Is there a reason you could think of as to why you could not determine the answer in the length of time it takes you to sneeze? No? Cool, then just reroll. The key to using this oracle is to give options but not be bound to them. It's all about keeping the play going instead of comparing a chaos of a flow chart stuck to a piece of bubble gum under your desk then being forced to fit within your narrative. If doubles do not make sense, reroll. If 'ands' don't make sense / can't be bothered to think of any (usually my case) then don't do it. The colors of your dice are also irrelevant obviously. Red is easily identified to me as no and I chose white and blue so I could yell MURICA every roll as I envision bald eagles screaming from above. Bring it SGS, my bald eagles await your arrival.

[@juauke]

Interesting, sounds cool I hope I can play some solo game with it soon

[@star_seraph]

This is the kind of nitty-gritty design process I go through, and I love seeing someone else do it.

[@defaultidiot1684]

Great video, quite thought provoking. I think you did find the forest, even though the trees were in your way. Sticking to the Year 0 Engine, just build your Oracle dice pool the same way you build a skilll roll dice pool. Start with a base of one die - if there's little or no reasons/excuses for the Oracle to weigh in you favor, but you are giving it a one last chance, that's all you get. If you feel that really want this out come, add a couple dice. If you feel that all of the karmically good decisions you've made during this adventure have improved that world and the oracle should maintain that momentum, add another die or two. Any sixes are a success.

[@Marsh1563]

I really enjoyed this one and the opening bit made me laugh out loud. I have a lot of the same thoughts about Oracle's and especially "and" and "but" additions. I have trouble always deciding what that should look like. I find that if I don't know what the "and" or "but" would be before I roll, then I just leave it out of the roll so I don't feel forced. I've always wanted to share my customer oracle and this seems like an ok time to do so incase it's inspirational at all to anyone who thinks about these yes/no Oracle's. I made a custom D6 with a blank black D6. I drilled pips on all the sides. 2 sides have 1 pip and 4 sides have 2 pips. Half of the pips are painted red and half are painted white. Split down the middle so there is 1 red 1 pip side and 2 red 2 pip sides. Hope that makes sense so far. There is also one special white 2 pip side that has a white and a blue pip. White is good and red is generally bad. White and Blue is best. So with this dice, I can roll for white which is 50% chance of success. I can roll for 2's which is a 67% chance of success. I can roll for anything but the red 1 pip side which is a 83% chance of success. Etc. I can also roll for weak hits and strong hits. A white 2 pip is a strong yes and a red 2 pip is a weak hit. Any 1 pips is a no. I can also roll for Crits. If I roll a red 1 pip it's a critical failure and a white and blue 2 pip is a critical success. Maybe it was a lot of work for something that is essentially a D6 but I find it easier to internalize what I need to roll for than saying I need a 5 or more, I need a 3 or more etc. Anyways I hope that all makes sense and I don't just sound crazy. Thanks for the video man alone. Made me think again!

[@JackMcCarthyWriter]

That's a cool system. Thanks for sharing!

[@Marsh1563]

Thank you

[@amanisalone]

This actually sounds really cool! You should make a video on your process for doing that, I bet that would look awesome with some closeups

[@OldDesertGal]

Fabulous ingenuity.

[@solitaryrpg]

The problem I have with oracles is you use one for your game and it answers all your questions. So very important questions and flavor questions are treated the same. This can really create some results that can derail your game or create something not needed. Maybe we should be using two different oracles when gaming. One for important questions that the outcome can shift the direction of the game. A second one for questions that don't need that type of detail, like roll a D6 and on a one you get the negative result and everything else is a yes with not degree of change.

[@Marsh1563]

I like this idea!!

[@SaintSolo]

Thanks for the shout out M!

[@johnmarcgreen]

One-die wonder system: roll even, yes; roll odd, no. If you need more (optional) granularity/detail, ascending values increase intensity from least to greatest: 2/4/6=good>better>best, 1/3/5=bad>worse>worst. And, roll 6>get a fate token, roll 5>lose a fate token. Fate token limit = your level. Pay a fate token to reroll any oracle roll.

[@brads2041]

I personally have a large problem with the ironsworn, PBTA dice mechanic because I don't know how to handle a constant flow of yes but or miss, with an occasional strong hit. I find the game just goes off into oblivion. Like you said, I wanted to kill the dark lord but I end up trying to coerce a donkey with garlic. I kind of like the mythic one page system that still allows for applying some logic to a situation but seems to keep it simpler

[@lachrymalquietus]

00:00 Intro 05:15 Explaining the Oracle 06:46 Example: Scarlet Heroes 07:30 What more do we have to do with it? 10:07 Extra Features 13:17 Sport 14:17 Explanation: Year Zero Engine 17:19 Adapting It 19:24 When Yes & No isn't enough 22:52 Balance 25:26 Ironsworn 27:50 Unexpected Results 30:47 Sway/Fate Dice 33:57 Is 1d6 the best? Do we need more options? 37:37 How often do I just want to know Yes or No? 45:34 Are we completely value neutral? 47:39 Multiple Yes, 1 No or "Do I want more yes than no?" 49:48 Fun Points 51:37 Closing Remarks

[@vintoks]

Happy belated birthday! I agree no oracle is particularly universal. Perhaps defining a couple of "statements" or worldbuilding declarations so you can have: a binary oracle, minor wrinkles (add crit and fumble) and then complicated (the full 5 to 6 variance of answers). Also I loved the gag about the mic and sandwiches. Enjoy more sandwiches!

[@chiefmcclane]

@3:30 need an Oracle table for cheap unknown brands that also doubles as a fae/demon name table

[@crapphone7744]

My very first thought was Larry Ellison needs to watch this video. You either get it or you don't.

[@warmtropicalwave]

I believe it is always good to question why we do things. Sometimes we'll find the answers because it's the best way to do it, sometimes we'll find the answers because that's the way it's been done and no one has thought of a different way! I do not like the d6 no and no no but ... Because I don't think the extremes but and need to be equal to every other number! So if I'm rolling a d6 it is just strictly a yes no. That is why I typically use a variation of mythic that I have memorized!

[@GamingInThe207]

Can you give an example of the novel oracle ideas that the SGS is likely to file down for "correct statistical distribution"? Purely for theoretical reasons and not at all to attract the ire of the Syndicate, of course!

[@N8ThaGr8r]

Year Zero sounds just like how shadowrun works essentially

[@jw66667]

I like to limit it to yes/no, especially if the system I'm using also includes possible complications. Otherwise it can get to chaotic if you end up with a "no and" plus a complication .

[@vintoks]

I will add that I agree more "yes leaning oracles" feels appropriate because you are already taking all the weight of creative imagination and trying to paint a narrative scheme. Its like you are a painter and instead of doing the "oops" Bob Ross moment where turn the "out of place" thing and keep painting the picture adding that weird tree or cloud... The variant no oracles are taking your canvas and throwing it in the trash and demanding you start building the scene again from scratch! Which can burn through your creative energy a lot faster and fatigue you out of the game quick.

[@crapphone7744]

So create an oracle you think will work and we could do another round robin on it and test it out for you.

[@cylland5060]

The only thing I want from an oracle is the ability to oppose me, i don't want to have controll all the time as i want to have the abilty to lose or fail

[@trollsmyth]

That was a bit rambly. Editing is your friend. ;) As is pithiness. On the subject itself, I think the four-fold oracle is as popular as it is in large part because it's familiar. Once you learn to work with it, it's a familiar tool that you can use as a bedrock, a basecamp, a beachhead, when tackling a new game. No matter how wacky the game is, you have this to fall back on. (Rambly side note of my own: it's one of the reasons the d20 is so popular. Everyone knows "roll a d20, add some mods from your stats and maybe something else, compare to number." So it's popular. And that popularity means moving to a system that doesn't have the swinginess of a d20 feels weird, even stifling. Speak of...) Have you considered the possibility of curves created with multiple dice? For my current science-fantasy project, the core mechanic is 2d8, with 10+ being a success. Now, this is the opposite of you want; I did it this way so that the untrained and untalented are more likely to fail, while the trained AND talented are very unlikely to fail (thus hopefully avoiding that situation where your master assassin can't kill a sickly and blind drunk trapped in a narrow alley). But for your weighted-towards-yes oracle, you could say that 7+ is yes, anything with two digits is Yes-and; only if one die comes up with a 1 AND you fail is it a No-and. Probability curves can let you down sometimes, but I really enjoy playing with them. You could also do a thing where 3 or less is No-but, 8+ is yes, and anything 20+ is Yes-and, and as a character grows in skill you add more dice. d20 for the unskilled, 2d10 for the neophyte, 4d6 for the journeyman, and 5d6 for the master (who can never roll a No-and unless things are extremely difficult).

[@amanisalone]

I ramble on this channel it's my favorite thing to do, I will never edit so your mileage may vary as to how much you can suffer it but just want to let you know. Hope you stick around - quality comment! But just need to be upfront about my style.

[@madmandu]

@@amanisaloneI personally enjoy the stream of consciousness style you have. It’s organic. It feels like I’m having a conversation and I’m just listening to you talk to me.

[@Innocent_Bystander13]

Big fan of the voice recorder actually. I might need to look into it since I write/type way too slowly.

[@OldDesertGal]

I use voice recorder during solo. I write too much sometimes, and the recorder allows me to forge ahead and take more detailed notes/drawings when I listen back.

[@toadsquishgaming2422]

I liked this episode, which earned a sub+like - I dunno what a SGS is, or who those clowns would be. I could see actual solo game authors/published types with an monetary investment into the capitol side, being in contention with any free thinking. However, i've only recently started looking at solo RPGing as a part time hobby. As a Videogame player, and I suppose I could say " retired " TTRPG player and GM ( as back when WoTC bought out TSR era, I sorta quit playing TTRPGs. Groups moved on, disbanded, got to adulting, ect...), and for a long while, I honestly thought the very idea of Solo play would be dull and kinda silly. My entire take on "solo" play, became at it's CORE- Just something you could do, for your enjoyment , however you desired to get to the outcome of enjoyment. There's NOTHING written in stone here , or signed in contractual blood, or determined by etheric beings of alleged power - In my past experiences- no matter if you are dealing with just about any topic : It could be Bushcraft/Survival Camping, Fishing, it could be ... Videogames, or TTRPG , or break that down further to TTRPG game SYSTEMS, but when someone starts gravitating away from "mainstream", that is accepted canonization if you will , there is always a initial "aversion" present from others, locked into that "mainstream" mentality. Thinking outside the box - is suddenly " taboo" to the vast majority. Why, well it is simple reaction ingrained in most people, to suddenly become disfranchised with what THEY have already come to terms and accepted. It causes aversion, because the concepts are, simply different from what they know and how they do things. I could give numerous examples of that, but this is getting long enough. However what is Solo-RPG? How did it come about? It came about as SOMEONE or SOMEONE's had a Out of the Box , creative way of thinking. Maybe born out boredom, or born out of need lacking a group to enjoy the game with. However, it came about , was a simple by product of, a non-canonical manner of using a TTRPG to enjoy playing by one's self came to be. Solo-RPGs were born from outside the box thinking. So I say, let the haters ( if any) hate, they are only hurting themselves. Keep at it. It's for YOU , and your thoughts could influence those like me, either direct ideas, or at least spark of inspiration , for our own manners of - Making a game work for me, how I want to play, how i get enjoyment out of ... because that's the goal really. Doing something enjoyable.

[@juanjosesegura4585]

Solo Gaming Syndicate: Should we destroy Man Alone? *rolls* "Yes, but".

[@amanisalone]

"Yes, but he cannot killed by normal means."

[@Davedwin]

Great topic (DOWN WITH THE SYNDICATE!). I myself am currently intimidated by the Mythic book, but for those in this position I found on DriveThru, the Fate Wheel. Love the videos and Love SRPG.

[@dranorter]

For myself "no, and" and "yes, and" are distinctly different, like is the door rusty? "Yes, and" - it's rusted solid, rusted through. Did my allies get attacked? "No, and" - they made actual progress, they found a really safe spot, etc.

[@RoadDeerGames]

Oracles replace a GM, and GMs are never value neutral and would never have a party go from killing a vampire to milking a rat. So I think NOT following randomness is a keystone to some of the solo experience

[@warmtropicalwave]

To further the idea, jims typically unless they like to railroad or have a very specific reason, will actually allow the characters to do what they want to do, so saying yes a lot more is what the Oracle should do if it's replacing the game master! Just don't make it easy...

[@evanfarrar7226]

tier ranking all of the oracle answers. s tier: yes and / a tier: no but / b: yes / c: no / d: no and / f: uncertain

[@brandthull5471]

Personally, I like having no-but and yes-but oracle results for the same reason I like ‘Mixed Success’ dice mechanics like Blades In the Dark. Adding complications to things makes my games more interesting in my eyes. Of course, there’s plenty of queries that definitely don’t need complication, and I often wonder if it’s better for those questions to use the “Say yes or roll dice” shtick. If your game is far more interesting if you say yes to an interesting idea, or if you’re excited about such an idea, it sounds to me like you should just say yes to your imagination. Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re trying to solve with this oracle, though.

[@OrkKnuckles]

Not interested in taking the responsibility to make an interesting choice, it has to be the dice telling me. Otherwise, we're just making stuff up in our heads.

[@PAD996]

Finally, someone who isn't afraid to speak truth to power...

[@ChrisBillows]

😂 You’re a riot man alone. Keep up the good fight!

[@cobinizer]

Is the SGS like a misanthropic meetup?

[@SentientSoup]

Why do they call it the “year zero engine” and not the shadowrun engine?

[@dranorter]

If you haven't yet tried anydice.com -- it's a great odds calculator, it can do all sorts of things.

[@brads2041]

This is a great video

[@tempaccess7195]

What is your take and perception of 2D20 system for solo gaming?

[@thactotum]

3d6 for difficult, 4d6 for moderate, 5d6 good, 6d6 easy. 1 6 = weak success, 2 6 = strong success. 0 6 = weak fail, 0 6 any1s = crit fail. and the maybe the 2-5s are elaboration if you need it somehow. it's a little tricky to decide a more universally adaptable elaborations for 2-5s unless we look at numerology or assign an element or something which have broader symbolic meaning.

[@CharlesTersteeg]

yes, but. no, but. in some ways, i like the bx d&d method. ironsworn is pretty neat too which i've been on that side this year.

[@orionblu3]

I still don't understand mythic being "complicated". Just choose how likely something is, and you got a more realistic range of whether something can happen or not. That's it. Don't even need to use the chaos factor if you don't want to. Hell, the app makes it even more simple with the fate check/chart being completely rolled by the app, including checking for random events and scene checks :/

[@amanisalone]

It’s not, and mostly I was talking about peoples initial impressions of it. But like anything it’s not complicated as long as you understand it and possess the faculties to understand things of that nature; if that’s not something you’re skilled at it’s harder, and if it looks like something you’re not skilled at, your motivation to take the time to learn it is going to ebb. Either way, you have to admit there could be some people who are not going to take the time to learn something that can be “simplified” into this flow chart: drive.google.com/file/d/1N_fyu8lknQDNOoX1oU709jR0XUMLE4bp/view

[@orionblu3]

@@amanisalone honestly, I feel like that flow chart makes things *feel* more complicated than it is from how congested it is (from a 2E perspective anyway, I did read through a lot of the zines for 1E tbf) vs just having the chart in front of you and remembering: 1) scene check, roll below = altered/interrupt scene. 2) roll on appropriate list if interrupt, otherwise continue with scene 3) For questions going forward use chart/check for yes/no or exceptional yes/no, event on doubles below chaos factor. 4) continue until scene resolution, then ask if characters were in control. If yes, lower the chaos value. If no, raise it. 5) Update lists Don't think I missed anything did I? There's really not *THAT* much to remember and that flow chart is sensory overload lmao I do agree that it all comes down to what works for you though

[@brianfroeschner6644]

How about using a few colors as specific die in the pool of six. One color represents the current environment, one represents NPCs/factions, and another color d6 represents the PCs ability/function/skills. Now you have a quick indicator on influences on the success of failure and that can be homed in on with the fictional result. I'm kind of loving this idea that just bloomed in my thought space. I dislike (what I perceive as) stagnant play with just arbitrating Yes, Yes And, Yes But, No, No And. Often a No result just leaves you asking another question in a similar vein. However, with a No on the NPC/Faction die, I now want to know what NPC/Faction is blocking me (also how and why). Now we are milking the pool of d6s mechanic in a way that rolling a percentile (like with Mythic) will not be capable in one roll. Drop No And with this because now a simple No is way more meaningful.

[@claytonevans4454]

Don't eff with the SGS. They will roll for you the ultimate solo adventure! YaknowwhatImean?!

[@MrMuertoloco]

I have a "how to solo rpg" video watching hobby.

[@crapphone7744]

No because and yes because results? Or how about you think it's yes but it's really no. Or you think it's yes but there are reasons you may be wrong that you don't know. That might lead to better story prompt stuff.

[@smchalk3535]

down with the man!!! if people can't take constructive criticism, then may need to do some reflection on themselves and their organization

[@Mantorp86]

Currently my favourite KZbinr 🥰

[@cobinizer]

I don't think Mythic has the (yes...and) crap. Another good point of Mythic.

[@cobinizer]

Narrative structure? I'm playing D&D. If a narrative appears, it will have to emerge naturally from play.

[@nanashimumei8392]

I must say, this is both Stunning, *and* Brave!!! 🧇🧇

[@mick19]

"Balance is boring" but I want to say yes all the time? I enjoyed the video but if I'm playing solo and just saying "yes" to myself all the time then it's just creative writing.

[@joejohnson2291]

I like using a white d6 as a Yes die and a black d6 as a No die. Roll both together. The higher result is your answer. The difference between the two numbers are the degree. So, a 6 Yes and a 1 No would be a critical Yes, whereas a 3 Yes and 2 No would be a Yes, But or equivalent. If you roll doubles, then there's a twist or something unexpected happens (positive or negative depending on the number rolled).

[@JackMcCarthyWriter]

Great video, MA! Good food for thought, and i appreciate your sense of humor. I personally do like the yes/no oracle for solo play, especially Mythic. My opinion is that it's risen to the top because it is simple, yet functional. Sometimes the additional detail of other answers ("yes and..." Or "no but") is helpful, but it is more than i need at the time.

[@zynthio]

I have to agree on a lot of things said here. The first being me not wanting to roll more than a few dice, do any math, any rerolls, or any chart consultation for a basic yes or no question. And I also don’t really want to have to adhere to all of the defined variations of yes/no you mention. Do I really need to have every number of the die assigned to its own specific answer. Do I need to have more than 1 or two degrees of success? Like do I need a yes, a super yes, and a CRITICAL YES? My immediate thought is absolutely not to all of those things. I would much rather just have a simple yes/no answer and then let my imagination or basic logic fill in the rest. I would have to spend some time thinking about the actual application of this, but I feel like for me personally just having a yes/no die and a “modifier” die with it would be enough for me in most situations. Blue d6 just tells me if it’s yes or no. Red d6 on 1 adds a modifier that to it, and on 6 makes it a critical If you wanted something with more nuance but without much more work, you could do something like 2d6 added together - and doing a spectrum between the yes and no. 2 is a critical no, 12 is a critical yes, 3-6 is no, 7-11 is yes. I’ve used this alot when running D&D, because its really quick, just high number good, low number bad

[@GreedyDrunk92]

Did you try to just use a d100 oracle, like mythic GME? I'm not the biggest fan of it, but its fate chart actually aims for giving you higher probability of "yes"

[@cobinizer]

I never liked the Mythic chart either. That's why I use the simpler roll from Mythic Variations 2. There are many ways to get an answer, but I prefer Mythic.

[@DrBrille]

Thanks for another great video! I always listen to them while cleaning the kitchen. The thing about oracles that should lean more into yes answers got me thinking about Justin Alexander’s book So You Want To Be A Game Master, where he writes something like “Always lean into yes”. Why shouldn’t that also apply to GM emulators / oracles? Then I thought: what about differently colored dice in the dice pool to give the reason/flavor/theme of the yes? Like a six on the green die meaning something like “yes because of nature” or whatever. You just need a dice pool of 5d6 in different colours and a flavour for each of them.

[@OldDesertGal]

Above my pay grade. But, it nudged my os soul. It feels like nudging the outcome in my favor from the beginning. If needed, I think I like the deus ex machina solution better when facing death dice. If there's no threat of death, then what's the point? I lean my dice with simple advantage/disadvantage or a +/- bump. You're probably talking about frog dissection, and I totally missed the point.

[@Grodnark]

Interesting video, I liked the exploration of the topic. Personally, I like the spectrum of possibility that Yes/No/And/But oracles represent, it seems to capture all the logical possibilities in the narrative, but I do wonder if there couldn’t be a better, more intuitive way to do it. Fudge dice seem like a possibility, where you only have 3 results [+], [-], and [ ]. So it’s affirmative, negative, and null results. I wanted to do maybe a 3dF oracle where you just let the counts of the +s and -s determine the strength of a roll, though the two results that kind of throw me would be a triple null result and +, -, and null, they’re both unclear on what happens. At that point would it just be better to do a weird d2 setup where it’s only + & - results? From there it basically turns back into the D6 oracle we started with. I’m sure a good, simple, intuitive system exists outside of Y/N/a/b, but I’m not sure what it is.

[@bleaquehaus]

Interesting. It might be worth it to look at the Trey Solo Roleplaying system by Mattias Peterberg & Clarence Redd. Besides the 3 die system (d6, d8, d10), they also also have a system of story tokens. When the system tosses up an unexpected event, you earn tokens, and once you have enough, you trigger 'endgame' and can use them to bypass bad rolls and other things that lead your adventure away from a conclusion ending how you the player want. Trying it myself now. To your general point, it seems like your thoughts on this are rooted in (justifiable) frustrations with failure. When your cool new character isn't succeeding at doing the cool thing and/or not getting opportunities to even try, it's natural to start questioning the undelying systems. Much loke real life. These are some interesting ideas, and it may lead you to some interesting design choices. It could even lead to you making your own oracle system that may not have the kind of flaws that could lead to a full grown man being...oh, i dunno, being outsmarted by a can of peas... Off to pay my dues to Big Oracle....

[@thestoneshow2001]

I had the finale to my solo Cy_Borg campaign last, after struggling to finally start a game, I had an excellent time! I will definitely be running more in the future!

[@the_Mike_d]

Times like these, I always like to think of the words of Blaine Faulkner - "Well, hey, I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons and not learn a little something about courage."

[@swordssolitude3861]

For a boring video I am enthralled... mainly because I am a fiend for anything that reduces page flipping or immersion-breaks - Forgive me if I've missed something, but your desire for "sizing" could be solved with a single die that says odds = no, evens = yes. And then when you want crunch roll all them jawns

[@dranorter]

For the missing all your rolls thing, first of all something like PbtA / Blades in the Dark is nice in that the failed rolls at least do something rather than nothing. But there are also games that go further and give you something when you fail. I'm thinking of the tokens in Teens in Space, but another example is the optional Ironsworn failure track. Of course yes/no oracles are a very different story. One option on those unwanted failures is "... but actually no". Have your cool idea seem true at first but turn out not to be.

[@dranorter]

There are certain plot developments where it's like, if it happened in a movie I would find it to be a bit much, a bit too on-the-nose. But if I at least roll a yes/no oracle before doing it then I feel like OK, this is legit what happened, I didn't force it in that direction. I like how in this way, the game narrative wraps around the fiction and makes something not quite possible in another medium.

[@swordssolitude3861]

What's Next is feeding AI your favorite ruleset and letting it GM for you

[@WillyLee23]

Use 2d6. 1st d6: 1-3=no 4-6=yes 2nd d6: 1= “but” 6= “and” 2-4 ignore (I use red d6 to easily identify this die) If you manage to roll matching numbers on both dice, follow the above rules but a plot twist/unexpected event/interruption/side plot occurs as well. OR you can use the matching numbers as a “player’s choice wild card” mechanic where you can inject something you want to happen into the moment. This should give a bit more “fun” to the standard oracle that you may be looking for Mister Alone.

[@simonyin9229]

I dont think the answer structure of the oracle is the issue. I think the main issue you are having is that the dice results sometimes dont add surprise or interest to your fiction. I think you are justified to ignore those results and go with what you think is best for the fiction in that moment. The dice serve the fiction not the other way around. I understand your hesitation though. That might seem arbitrary or somehow unfair. I have the following recommendation: i have been using the fate core system combinded with mythic v2. In fate there is this resource called a fate point. You can use these points to improve dice results or introduce story details, but in order to get more you need to introduce a complication for your character. You would need to adapt the rules somewhat but i think for solo play it could work like this.:You can spend fate points to change oracle outcomes you dont like. To get more points you need to actively push your character into a difficult situation. This way you could sometimes change a story outcome to be the way you want it but you would do so at a cost. This would keep it from feeling arbitrary and you would still be within the boundaries of a game system. Plus it gives you an excuse to find ways of getting your character into trouble that makes sense narratively and even get a mechanical reward for that. In general i think the fate rpg plays very nicely with the solor pg approach because it is very intensly fiction first and the mechanics are build around narrative tension. Im also in love with the aspects mechanic and the idea that putting your character in difficult situation should reward you mechanincally. It leads to interesting stories.

[@mayanightstar]

3rd option: Yes/No system is flawed from the start

[@jprebozzi3257]

damnnn got the SPS after you!? You’re the Tupac of the solo gaming world

[@justinsutton3943]

WAKE UP!

[@cobinizer]

The reason there are more options than just yes/no is usually to add random elements to elevate your play from straight up fanwanking.

[@insectophobia5446]

Maybe its just that I got into solo gaming and just learn of all the things people made up over several decades, this problem you're speaking of hasn't even occured to me. To each one their own I guess? I've grown to love GM's Apprentice card deck by Rockwood, and the cards you draw to get answers (among other random stuff) have this grade of yes/no oracles that depend of how you think the affirmitive answer is probable: the chances are either low, even or high. Although the primer has percantage of 25 for yes and the latter for 75, does this look "too balanced" to you or "not gamy" to you as a designer decision? P. S. finding your wholesome yet nonsense muttering over the internet was a great discovery for me, please continue