PBM design: give away the formulas? From: skrenta@rt.com (Rich Skrenta) Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1993 18:12:59 +0000 Should PBM's give the formulas in the rules? Gamers seem to take two sides on this: Hide the formulas: o Shouldn't need to do math to play the game. Things should work "intuitively." o Learning how the game subsystems work is part of the fun. Show the formulas: o Old-timers will know the formulas anyway, so not giving them to new players put them at a disadvantage. o Trying to guess the rules shouldn't be part of game play. Not giving the formulas forces players to use trial-and- error to discover how things work, which is tedious and unenjoyable. Personally, I groan when I see formulas in the rules. Formulas mean that I have to shift into math-mode to figure out how to optimize my play. Ignoring them isn't an option, since other math heads will minimax their way to the top. Games which don't include formulas, on the other hand, let the player develop a feel for the rules while playing. You shouldn't need to consult a calculator before issuing at ATTACK order. Legends seems to fall into the hide-the-formulas category. The first page of their rule book says: Please note that these rules are vague about precise formulae for combat values, exact effects of certain spells, etc. This is being done for a purpose. The idea is that playing Legends should be something that can be done by feel, which does not require tedious calculation and analysis of mountains of data on friendly and enemy forces to make a single decision. Experienced players will of course acquire a more exact knowledge of how these things work. But a new player should not have to do intense paperwork to get things done in the game. Trying new things is also encouraged, by this method; one might stumble on something really effective. How do most gamers side on this issue? -- Rich Skrenta <skrenta@rt.com> Referenced By Up