The “Cliffhangers” section in Masters of Umdaar says that the difficulties for rolls should be concealed until rolled against:
Of course, GMs, don’t reveal a difficulty for a specific approach until a player attempts it—let them stumble around to see which methods are more effective. (MoU 28, Cliffhangers: Running the Cliffhanger)
That stands out because it’s contrary to standard practices in Fate. On the one hand, that makes it feel like an optional playstyle preference note; on the other hand, it can be read as a deliberate and noteworthy departure from Fate norms to introduce a different sort of experience to the game.
Are concealed difficulties a crucial part of the cliffhanger concept or is this just a playstyle preference of the author? What difference does concealing difficulties make to the table experience when using cliffhangers?
