Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary

From: m16547@mwunix.mitre.org (Arthur Gorski)

Date: Thu, 01 Jul 1993 12:58:22 +0000

>> Rules and stats equate to background knowledge that the player has about
>> specifics, formulae are those world based things that relate to experience,
>> and hence must be learned by experience.

>You still have to explain what you are going to do about the fact that
>the formulas will eventually become known.  Unlike the real world,
>computer programs _do_ work by formulas, which can be discovered in the
>course of play.  It's true that you can make the formula so complicated,
>or depend on so many diverse factors, that I may never discover it
>exactly.  However, I will be able to discover an approximate version, in
>which some of the effects may be replaced by "unknown" or "random"
>quantities.  That will still be enough to give me a tremendous advantage
>over other players, who don't have even that approximate understanding.
>(Further, if you make the formula increasingly complicated, it is
>increasingly likely that I will be able to discover "bugs" in the
>formula---ways in which its behavior is counterintuitive, and which I
>can use to my advantage.  I don't want the formula to have those, but if
>they do exist I generally do feel it necessary to use them.)

In real life, the "formulas" aren't known, but can be approximated over
time.  The difference is that in real life, the formulas keep changing
based on complex external factors.  Example:  The government changing the
%$&^! tax laws every year, so you never do get your withholding calculated
correctly.

So my thought is 1) DON'T publish formulas, and 2) adjust the formulas as
the game goes on based on variables like game turn, total wealth of all
players, tech level, etc.

Admittedly, this can get complicated as far as game balance goes, but you
can adjust the formulas slowly and gradually and limit the range of
possibilities.

This could reward "reasonable" play and frustrate attempts to gain an
advantage over other players who have a life.
--
email:  agorski@mitre.org        Arthur M. Gorski        (713) 333-0980
snail:  The MITRE Corporation, 1120 NASA Road One, Houston, Texas 77058

References

PBM design and formulae - a summary
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 09:53:02 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 20:30:42 +0000

Referenced By

PBM design and formulae - a summary
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 09:53:02 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 20:30:42 +0000