Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start

From: arc@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Richard Conway)

Date: Mon, 05 Jul 1993 17:47:12 +0000

[ someone (I've forgotten who) wrote ]
>> The other camp maintains that (2) is possible, because after all the
>> computer is the most amazing tool ever invented, and already can model
>> some things with such fidelity that scientists study the models rather
>> than reality.  So why not X?  This camp doesn't want the formulas -
>> the behind-the-curtains mechanisms - of X revealed, not because they
>> think that they gain an advantage by keeping the formula hidden, but
>> because revealing the formula destroys any sense of wonder.  And that,
>> after all, is the reason to play a game that simulations a medieval
>> world of magic rather than chess.
>
In article <C9LKrw.6qH@dcs.ed.ac.uk> gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews) writes:

>This about sums up the philosophical problem at the heart of this discussion.
>Thanks.

When I play a game in some particular setting, I tend to think
of it as an abstract game anyway, with the terminology being a handy
way of describing the rules in an intuitive way. This applies
to net.games like galaxy, clestial empire, galactic boodshed,
empire, diplomacy, and lots of board games like risk, titan, etc.

There are some games (like the excellent Society for Interactive Litterature
West) where I play for the role playing, but generally I see games as abstract
things.

BTW: The games that I enjoy the most are those where one CAN (theoretically)
do a minimax calculation, but one doesn't have the time, and thus must
make an "intuitive minimax". The time pressure (due to playing in real time)
doesn't solve the experienced-player problem, but it does stop the
winner-is-the-person-with-the-most-time and the winner-is-the-maths-geek
problems.

Andrew.

--
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Andrew Conway    arc@leland.stanford.edu  Phone: USA 415 497 1094

References

Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
srt@aero.org (Scott 'Dr. Pain' Turner)
Fri, 02 Jul 1993 16:38:59 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a fresh start
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Sat, 03 Jul 1993 16:35:55 +0000