Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary

From: bonar@math.rutgers.edu (Doug Bonar)

Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1993 00:46:53 +0000

In article <20vs3c$7qk@harder.ccr-p.ida.org> desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins) writes:

> Doug Bonar <bonar@gnumath.rutgers.edu> writes:

> You, on the other hand, are taking my side.  That experienced players
> are going to be able to learn about how the game works, regardless of
> whether they do it mathematically or statistically or intuitively.

No, I'm not taking your side.  I saying what I think is correct.  You
may take it as agreement if you want.

This whole idea of the experienced player having an advantage is a
red herring.  To me, if in a game like Olympia or Atlantis (which are
what started all this) or a strategic wargame of some type, experience
should make a difference.  If I can't make my position better than it
was when I started in some amount of time, why play?  If I can't get
better by playing the game more (and so learning about it) why play?
(In both cases, I could play for social reasons, I know.  The point is
that the game analyzers wouldn't/won't play such a game for those
reasons. )

> > A non-analyst would play around, but wouldn't get treat the
> > resulting data the same way.  He probably wouldn't treat the formulas
> > (if given) in the same way either.  So, he is probably better off (at
> > least in the short run) with the formulas hidden.
>
> I absolutely agree, in the short term.  If a game is going to be one
> turn long, or maybe two, this is a very reasonable method.

One or two turns?  Where do you get enough information in those turns
to do enough analysis to gain a great advantage?  If I give you the
formulas, you start with that advantage true.  But it I don't, then
you both are in the trial and error stage.  You have equal chances to
learn about the game in your own ways.

References

Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 11:15:09 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 17:38:04 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
bonar@gnumath.rutgers.edu (Doug Bonar)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 20:51:56 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 23:30:52 +0000

Referenced By

Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
gym@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Graham Matthews)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 11:15:09 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 17:38:04 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
bonar@gnumath.rutgers.edu (Doug Bonar)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 20:51:56 +0000
Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary
desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)
Thu, 01 Jul 1993 23:30:52 +0000