Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start

From: gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1993 11:05:08 +0000

russw@cs.utexas.edu (Russ Williams) writes:
> The obvious explanation is that they are performing a feat of physical
> dexterity and people simply don't have perfect control over their bodies.
> Boardgames and pbm games use mental analyses, and a well-trained mind
> can operate with far less variability and mistakes than a well trained
> body.  I think the 2 types of games (mental and physical) are so
> qualitatively different that discussing tennis/golf in the same
> context as board/pbm games is useless, at least with respect to the
> question about publishing formulas and players analyzing formulas.

Regardless of whether we agree or disagree on the premise about
variability in swings, you seem to be missing the point a little here.
If I wanted to make a PBM game that was a tennis game then somehow
I have to include all the physical variation (that goes on in a real
game of tennis) in my PBM game. If you don't do this then you are not
really simulating tennis (and the context of this discussion was
simulation games). To say that "the 2 types of games (mental and physical)
are so qualitatively different that discussing tennis/golf in the same
context as board/pbm games is useless" is simply saying that you prefer
to limit yourself to PBMs that do things in a certain way. There is no
a priori reason that a PBM game of tennis could not include the variability
in tennis!

graham

--
Graham Matthews                   Go west, go west
Dept Comp Sci, Univ Edinburgh     Where there's work so I'm told
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk                  California's never cold

References

Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 11:48:17 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 16:09:24 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 17:44:40 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Wed, 07 Jul 1993 12:21:44 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
russw@cs.utexas.edu (Russ Williams)
Mon, 12 Jul 1993 19:18:35 +0000

Referenced By

Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 11:48:17 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 16:09:24 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Tue, 06 Jul 1993 17:44:40 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Wed, 07 Jul 1993 12:21:44 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
russw@cs.utexas.edu (Russ Williams)
Mon, 12 Jul 1993 19:18:35 +0000