Bring the right people together
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
Two designers had different ideas about the scoring system for a cooperative board game. They decided to convene a small testing group rather than continue the argument through scattered messages. Before the session, they would confer with the person writing the instructions so that every proposed rule could be explained consistently. They hoped for consensus on the central scoring principle, even if participants continued to prefer different artwork or character names for the final edition.
When the group agreed to convene again after playing, each tester brought notes about moments of confusion. The designers could confer privately about practical constraints, but they also needed to explain those constraints to everyone considering the rules. A consensus began to form around rewarding cooperation rather than individual speed. That general agreement gave the team direction without requiring every player to endorse every detail of the revised scoring chart before another test could begin.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.