Re: How to hide this formula?

From: ulim@coli.uni-sb.de (Ulrich Mayring)

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1993 23:26:40 +0000

mebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu (MsciDave) writes:

>	You player doesn't need to know the fine details that the commander
>of a legion wouldn't know (in my opinion).  Obviously you would have to
>put in comments about some of the effects of terrain on units (although
>I expect that these could be applied to classes of units not to each
>unit individually).  But there is no need to know that your attack factor
>is cut in half in the open fields.  Just knowing that you go from
>great to average would be plenty.

This can only be done, if the game is very realistic and intuitive. It is
very hard to design such a consistent game. And die-hard strategists will
want the formulas, no matter how cleverly you put your argument :-)

>	Yes, a player who has spent a lot of time and effort experimenting
>might start to get a feel for the exact values (or at least some orderings
>within the ranges).  But I don't think it would be serious.  A smart
>newebie should still be better then a dumb experienced player.  And if
>the modifiers are done well a newbie who knows (or at least has read
>up on) the history, weaponry and tactics of the period should be able
>to have about the same advantage as the experienced player who has done
>loads of experimenting.

The problem with this is that you encourage die-hard calculators to
analyse battles they have fought down to the last piece of movement and
they will find out the real numbers after a lot of number-crunching.
Anyone who is not prepared to do that loses. So, let me establish the
three fundamental truths that this discussion brought about:

1.) Strategists will not tire until they have the formulas - the hard way, if
need be. They will then proceed to spoil the fun for everyone else.

2.) Non-strategists don't like the mathematical way of playing a game.
They don't like others to play that way, either.

3.) Why don't we send strategists over to Gladius et Pilum and direct
non-strategists to Monster Island?

I play both and wouldn't want to miss my formulas in the former and the
atmosphere in the latter.

Ulrich

References

Re: How to hide this formula?
mebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu (MsciDave)
Thu, 24 Jun 1993 11:24:11 +0000
How to hide this formula?
ulim@coli.uni-sb.de (Ulrich Mayring)
Thu, 24 Jun 1993 09:29:04 +0000