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DFRPG / Re: Yes, A Free Tag Can Invoke For Effect
« on: February 07, 2011, 10:02:55 PM »That will just encourage players to place aspects on each other and avoid ever doing it on enemies. Same net effect, pretty much, but they don't have to give the enemy a Fate point. Remember that to tag you have to use an action to place the Aspect (typically), and that's not a trivial sacrifice.
For me I look at it from the series point of view. During the escalation to the final confrontation Harry is constantly being beat on (and starts gain fate points from the all the consequences and compels he's getting) and then goes uber and wins (dumping a lot of the faint points he just gained to win). The gaining a fate point even if tagged, for me anyways, is more in sync with that. Plus it would depend on the group. I don't believe my group would abuse it like you think.
Which is for all intents and purpose a tag being used for a Compel (GM taking or supplying a Fate Point to the target as needed).
Yes and No. It is partially semantics, like you say, but it would limit things to a certain degree too. A compel coming straight from the PC could have a much wider ranges of effects, or be much harsher. The compel from the GM would IMO be in a narrower frame of things seeing as the GM would only do the compel if they see it as appropriate and apply a potentially more subtle effect. Plus, as I see it, it also effects if the effected party will get the fate point. If your going with "no fate paint spent, none gained" then the effected party would not get the point from the Invoke for effect, but since the GM initiated the compel the target would get one from the compel.
I mean no offense, and correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to me that you're coming from the perspective that this is a big loophole and could be exploited. I see it as what would be a better story, and what would everyone enjoy better. If that means that A tag could be essentially be used as a compel, I'd go with it. But I still retain all my rights to say to a player "Okay, now your abusing it."