Something that occurred to me after a recent session was the usefulness of impossible goals. Something to keep in mind is that often it is just as good to have a Fate Point as a Persona Point.
If you’re rolling six dice or more, a Fate Point will on average get you more than an extra die. Plus, you can choose whether to spend it after the roll. Of course, Persona Points do let you add in your Nature, at the cost of taxing your Nature - but often you don’t want that risk. So it can be totally worthwhile to set goals for yourself that are impossible or nearly so.
Why not get both? Remember that players can only gain (at best) 3 of each. Not getting any Persona would be a pretty big hindrance. Also, it isn’t a huge deal to get Nature back should it be taxed in a do-or-die conflict or situation.
Regardless, you’re talking pure mechanics. The mechanics are a means to support the storytelling and roleplaying. If you’re just looking for mechanics… well… I guess I don’t get playing a table-top RPG for crunch. Goals support player involvement in the story and keep it from being:
Nothing wrong with analyzing the mechanics of the game and exploiting them. An impossible goal is just as much a way to drive the game as one that you can resolve.
Well, specifically in the case of accomplishing your goal, it is a choice of one or the other. You get a Fate Point if you work towards your goal but did not accomplish it, and you get a Persona Point if you work towards your goal but did accomplish it.
I am pointing out that if you view the latter as the greater award, you may tend to choose goals that you think you can accomplish. I am pointing out that impossible goals can be just as rewarding.
Choosing an impossible goal, as opposed to a possible one, is something that is quite different in the storytelling even though it is a mechanical step.
Huh? I’m only aware of Persona being used for providing an extra die or for tapping nature, and Advancement being purely based on building up the current amount of successes/failures with whatever Skill/Stat you want to advance. Am I missing something?
My personal favorite: Choose a goal that’s both impossible and contradictory to the rest of your character. So now you’re racking up both Fate and moldbreaker Personae.
EDIT: Augh! I got my BW content in your MG thread. Nothing to see here, move along.
Goals support player involvement in the story and keep it from being: