Re: PBM design and formulae - a summary

From: rwallace@cs.tcd.ie (Russell Wallace)

Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 08:57:14 +0000

rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur) writes:

>After having followed the "Formulae in PB(e)Ms" discussion/argument in
>rec.games.pbm over the last week, it seems that there are 2 quite different
>requirements for 2 different type of games and these 2 different attitudes
>came through strongly in the discussions.

>I believe that the need for displaying the formulae is different for each.
>In Wargaming games, I think that formulae must be given. The players need
>to min/max everything, optimizing their growth so as to be the biggest fish
>in the pond. The only way you can do this fairly is to allow everyone to
>have equal information, ie all rules, all stats, all formulae.

>In Roleplaying games, the needs are different. As the players do not have
>the need to obliterate each other (many still do, but I think that they are
>missing the point of the games), they do not need to optimize everything,
>hence do not need full information. Here, the prime requirement is to learn,
>to enjoy and to develop, not to "WIN !"
>Hence, the roleplayer style of games does not need full formulae, although
>they still need many stats and general rules. The rest they can learn as
>they go.

There is still, however, a difference of opinion on this point - there
are those, myself among them, who think that full formulae should be
published for all games, wargaming and roleplaying.  Note also that one
and the same game can be a wargame to some people and a roleplaying game
to others (e.g. Atlantis).

--
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem"
Russell Wallace, Trinity College, Dublin
rwallace@cs.tcd.ie

References

PBM design and formulae - a summary
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 09:53:02 +0000

Referenced By

PBM design and formulae - a summary
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 28 Jun 1993 09:53:02 +0000