Re: PBM design: give away the formulas? (*FORMULAE !)

From: desj@ccr-p.ida.org (David desJardins)

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1993 05:22:30 +0000

Rob McNeur <rob@ccc.govt.nz> writes:
> For those who are interested in optimization, having to do the
> background work to learn from experience should all be part of it (and
> may actually mean that fewer people try to optimize, and more people
> try to just play for the fun of it).

Now this is certainly true.  I was assuming that the designer's goal was
to make the game appeal to _more_ players, not less.  If, as Rob appears
to be assuming, the goal is to keep certain players from playing, so
that others can have more fun, then I can see how hidden information
might make a lot of sense.  For that matter, so would introducing lots
of random bugs into the game.

> Oldtimers may have a fairly good idea, learned by hard-won experience.
> But even oldtimers should never be able to work out the formulae exactly,
> merely to a best approximation from the final results.

In other words, old timers deserve that advantage over new players, they
earned it fair and square.  That's the surest way to turn off all of the
new players that I can possibly imagine.

David desJardins

References

PBM design: give away the formulas?
skrenta@rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sat, 19 Jun 1993 18:12:59 +0000
Re: PBM design: give away the formulas? (*FORMULAE !)
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 21 Jun 1993 12:00:33 +0000

Referenced By

PBM design: give away the formulas?
skrenta@rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sat, 19 Jun 1993 18:12:59 +0000
Re: PBM design: give away the formulas? (*FORMULAE !)
rob@ccc.govt.nz (Rob McNeur)
Mon, 21 Jun 1993 12:00:33 +0000