Re: PBM design and formulae - the third solution

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

Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1993 12:08:59 +0000

It just occured to me that there is a third approach available here,
namely publish all the formulae but also provide algorithms that can
optimise the formulae. So for example provide the formula for fuel
consumption and then allow the user to say "I want to fly X parsecs,
how much fuel do I need" and the computer gives the user the puurrrfect
answer (or just loads Y fuel to fly X distance automatically). You
could even have tolerances for probabilistic formulae.

Now to me this seems to be a great approach (particularly the scenario
where the computer does things automatically) because it gives everybody
exactly the same chance. No one is benefitted by having all their tech
tools, or wonder maths ability, the newbies have the same chance as the
oldies wrt formulae, etc.

Moreover those who like to look at formula can do so, and those who
don't can just let the computer do it for them.

And most importantly it allows players to concentrate on the *strategy*
part of a strategy game. Strategy is all about choices and tradeoffs
not about making sure you have the right fuel down to the last litre in
a plane that wants to fly X kilometres. People will play the game as
a strategy game - make strategic decisions like how many units to commit
to some front in a wargame, how much of their production to dedicate to
luxuries, etc.

The key here is that there is more than one path to some goal so the
computer doing optimisation for you does not mean you don't need to play.
For example say you wanted to balance your government's finances. The goal
is to save N million dollars. Now you could disband some military units
and the computer will tell you the optimal amount of units to disband to
save N million dollars, or you could leave the military and raise the
taxes, and again the computer will tell you the perfect tax rate. Now
the two decisions are locally optimised by the computer, but they strategic
choices that will lead to different sitations for you later on.

And for the reality freaks like me this is just how a strategy game simulation
should be. If you are the leader of a nation you set the grand policy, you
don't worry about ensuring the price you get for selling X is just right, or
the fuel in plane Y is just right, you hire minions (represented here by the
computer doing things for you) to do it. You could even build in some imprecision
in the computer's actions (to represent your minions getting more experienced).

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
bc@lnec.pt (Luis Miguel Sequeira)
Fri, 09 Jul 1993 07:45:48 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
vinson@shiva.seas.upenn.edu (Jacker)
Fri, 09 Jul 1993 20:29:22 +0000