Re: Why play open-ended games (was: O..

From: William C. Pegues <76702.461@CompuServe.COM>

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 13:28:54 +0000

Why play open ended games - a subject dear to my heart.

All I play (except for very rare occurances) are open ended games.
Rather than the response that talks about long term versus short
term goals and watching your character grow, I will add a different
light.  Those are good points of self satisfaction, but they are
also not necessarily the primary ones for many.  They are good and
often necessary for getting started in an open ended game though.

For many, the primary reason for playing an open ended game is
interaction not only with opponents but with allies.  Allies in an
open ended game are much more dynamic than in a closed ended game.
For one, in closed end games, your ally can become your enemy if
they see a chance for a win rather than a second place.  All the
conversation about alliance for any real purposed ends up just so
much lip service.  An ally in an open ended game sees no chance for
a win, will not stab you in the back (usually) unless there was an
intent to do that all along.

And Allies are not just a person representing a position.  In most
open ended games, the dynamics of true teams builds up.  You have
the level of cooperation and rivalry inside your own team.  You
might be helping some, and undercutting others all on your own team
while still attempting to advance the overall goals and position of
the team.    -William

References

Why play open-ended games (was: OLYMPIA: Why do you play?)
pasquale@diku.dk (Morten Larsen)
Mon, 24 Oct 1994 17:10:52 +0000