Using Diaspora's social combat rules

[zenten]

So another FATE game Diaspora has some social combat rules that have come highly recommended to me.  I'm thinking of adapting them for my game.  Has anyone else done so?

You can read the rules in the Diaspora SRD here: http://www.vsca.ca/Diaspora/diaspora-srd.html#social-combat

[Blechpirat]

I plan to. I love the idea behind those rules, but never employed them in a game.

[Rubycon]

What in a nutshell is the difference between the social combat system of diaspora in comparison to the DFRPG?

[zenten]

What in a nutshell is the difference between the social combat system of diaspora in comparison to the DFRPG?

The biggest difference is it uses "social terrain" with zone maps.  So if there's a debate for instance the various positions you could take in a debate are zones, and there are range modifiers to act across different zones.  It gets more involved than that, but pretty much everything is either based on the use of zones or comes from the fact that Diaspora is a different version of Fate (I intend to modify the latter).

[Rubycon]

Sounds a bit complicated.
I personally think that most social conflicts can be played out, without any stress boxes and things like that. Just play it. Certainly the GM can compel some aspects to give a social conflict a certain direction (or to start a social conflict) but from this point on it's roleplaying.
Maybe I have to play some sessions to see the point in social conflict rules, but until then...

[Richard_Chilton]

Maybe I have to play some sessions to see the point in social conflict rules, but until then...

Here's one point in their favour: the social misanthrope whose character has Great (or better) social skills while the player is Average at best.  The PC can charm like James Bond but the player can't play that level of social skill.

Richard

[Rubycon]

point given...
It's just that I haven't seen someone who has no great social skills himself wanting to play a social character for years... In my groups, there are some very good plyers for social interaction and the way they play is like an example for the rest for the group. Nobody who can't keep up with this want's even to try...