Reply To: Disabilities and mental health (problems)

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1. Should a game characters mental state be used as a game mechanic?  I have no problem with that. A characters stress or anxiety will affect their ability to perform certain actions in certain situations and I have no issues with the way this is portrayed simplistically in games like KD:M, Mansions of Madness etc where it is a simple scale sometimes with specific effects. As long as MH is not trivialised or used for a cheap laugh
2. Should game characters use mental state and resilience as a defining part of that character?  Again, I have no issues with different start states and levels of resilience when defining a character that personalises the mechanics described in 1).
3. Should specific MH conditions be used within a game as a mechanic? For example ‘OCD’ as highlighted by Sam in the Weekender… I guess this is where it gets tricky.  I’ll accept this when it is peronalised within the context of a character, their background and context; so their version of that condition is manifest in their background and personality.  Where it is simply a randomly picked card with a universal effect then I am less accepting; it’s become de-personalised, simplistic and is therefore probably perpetuating a mis-conception about that condition in the real world.
4. Should MH conditions be portrayed as bringing ‘benefits’ to gameplay? I don’t see why not as long as they’re handled appropriately especially if any flip-side is also incorporated as mitigation.  Many awarded medals of valour in history have been considered as having ‘reckless’, risk-taking personality traits that, while leading to outstanding acts of bravery on the battlefield, can mean they have self-destructive lives back home.

The initial appearance of the Madness cards in Death may Die don’t look that appropriate on first, limited viewing but I reserve judgement.