calculations in gaming (was Re: Galaxy: Suggestion: test idea re bombing planets?)

From: Joseph Strout <jstrout@ucsd.edu>

Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000

On 3 Sep 1995, Ingolf Markhof wrote:

> It depends on how you define "complexity". From the point of stragtegy,
> galaxy is rather simple and it could be for sure enhanced by some
> more options. But technically, galaxy is too complex already. Too much
> fomulas, to much calculation.

Do most people feel this way, in general, about formulas in gaming?  I
think one of the primary advantages of computer strategy games over
paper-and-dice is that the rules can take into account a lot of factors,
thrown together to generate (say) a probability, just as in "real life".
On the other hand, the computer had better do this for you -- if you're
crunching equations just to play, it will quickly get tedious.

Many computer games simply don't tell you the formulas, though you know
they must be complex.  "Civilization" and "SimCity" leap immediately to
mind.

In Galaxy, the only place where it's really important to know the
formulas is in ship design.  This is a pretty complicated process which
would benefit from some sort of CAD software.  This could be as simple as
a spreadsheet, with formulas typed in from the rules.

I'm really interested in how others feel about this...  Formulas:
benefactors of realism or harbringers of tedium?!?

-- Joe Strout

References

Galaxy: Suggestion: test idea re bombing planets?
Simon Reed <simon@sandj.demon.co.uk>
Thu, 31 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Galaxy: Suggestion: test idea re bombing planets?
markhof@ls12r.informatik.uni-dortmund.de (Ingolf Markhof)
Sun, 03 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000