I want to be extremely careful and clear that the following does not reflect any disagreement or disrespect for any opinion on the question I'm raising. I'm noticing a pattern in a lot of the criticism of the 2e rules that seems to come down to the idea that the mechanics do not give the LM enough information to convey a rich sense of the world, or of the effects of character actions. Examples: councils having binary results, the journey events, and the apparent removal of mechanical differences between different skill applications, particularly of social skills in journeys and councils. Am I right to believe that those of you lodging these critiques feel that 1E supported you better in these situations?
If that's true, could you tell those of us with no 1E experience more about how that support worked? I'm asking, because I'd like to have a better sense of comparison, and because, like having just learned how helping worked in 1E, which I kind of love and may well use at my table instead of helping dice, I'd like to have the option to make intelligent choices. Alternatively, I'd like to problem solve these from my own perspective and offer possible solutions that would give more support to those who feel this way.
Or maybe I've misreading the pattern. There's a lot of material on this forum, and I've probably not read half the threads half as well as they deserve. *smile*
Some specifics. I think it's fairly easy to extrapolate from when/if successes reach the threshold for councils and other, what are they called, endeavors, you know, linked multiple-roll tasks. (I'm preparing to go play a gig and don't have my rules handy.) I feel farily confident as a LM that I can narrate, and even provide mechanical support to a fellowship that finishes a six-roll council challenge in four rolls due to extra successes, also depending on the skills chosen to color the account. "Not only does Beorn seem more well-disposed to you as the result of your regaling him with your orc-smashing adventures, but he even is willing to throw in some of his famous honey cakes to add to your journeying supplies," would be a silly example of this, ass opposed to being one success short at six rolls, "Beorn is unimpressed with your tales of orc-smashing, but will permit you to stay the night, though he makes it clear that he will not in fact offer you the help you asked," or missing by three successes, "Beorn's brows grow thunderous with his irritation with your useless prattle, and he gives you one night to leave his country or else."
These are simplistic and silly, but give a flavor for how I'd do this.
I'm still deeply uncertain how to do journeys; that is how to make them thematic and have a real effect on the story. The fatigue mechanic seems to fall short in both respects to my way of thinking. I'd be happy to hear from folks who make it work and get some best practices.