Paul Beakley I don’t think trad play is the inspiration, but rather the game has a radical design philosophy of a flat hierarchy. This philosophy effects the player side as well. I see it come up with resistance rolls, where players are so use to accepting consequences that they forget to assert themselves and try to resist things. You can see it in the action rolls where the PC picks which action they’d like to use, while the GM chooses position and effect. The game is constantly creating opportunities for all players to check in with each other to see if things are going well. I’ve heard John Harper describe it as, “The players’ are responsible for their own fun.”

This design philosophy is also reflected in the reward cycle. I think the absence of explicit statements is very intentional. The game does not want GM to decide what is and is not worth xp. The XP questions are not there to dictate proper play. They are there to encourage discussion after session and to be a tool for the players to reflect on their own play. Incongruities may occur in play, but the rules take every opportunity to encourage checking in rather than enforcement.

All that being said, I definitely find it hard to let go of the steering wheel. Designing scenarios to challenge specific Flags has become one of my favorite mind puzzles, and I have difficulty prepping sessions without it. Luckily, I don’t think a single FidD game has come forward that doesn’t have a rich evocative setting. Making sure the GM has plenty of inspiring material to pull upon.