Reality rears its ugly head (again)

From: amead@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Alan Mead)

Date: Tue, 09 Feb 1993 00:22:25 +0000

This is not a flame.  If it looks like one, re-read it.  It's
just a suggestion.

Jesse.Taylor@launchpad.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor) writes:

>[in follow-up to the two prev messages on this]

>I think both ideas are good. REduce cargo mass to 0 AND get rid of cargo
>tech. Seriously, you've devoted an immense amount of space in the inside
>of your ship to cargo... so why the heck should it take up so much mass?!?
>Colonists are already in cryofreeze, Materials wouldn't require special
>containment, and Capitol wouldn't either. BUT, Cargo Tech is silly too.
>You can put more cargo into the same space?! There's something you should
>look into called Physics... [...]

Oh,  interstellar travel is intuitive but "bolting extra containers onto
the outside of the ship (Galaxy rules)" is crazy?  Let's not lose sight
that Galaxy is a GAME.  The rules should be PLAYABLE first and realistic
a far far second.  The below point would be a good reason to change the
rules, not the above.

>These two things would make the game a _lot_ simpler... IMHO, of course.

I often see discussions were this critical perspective is entirely
forgotten.  For example, someone suggested that the simple change of
limiting the numbers of rounds in combat (allowing defenders more time
to defend by forceing some battles to continue for extra turns) would
make the game more playable (for a number of reasons).

A bizillion people started posting about this and that not being
realistic.  That's not the point.  I find it incredible that anyone can
discuss the "realism" of a space conquest game.  I can send a scout 75
light years in one year.  Maybe we should limit movement to 0.2 or so?
Or increase the length of a turn to a century (and re-arrange the
corresponding tech, COL, CAP and MAT production rates)?  And what
immutable law of faster-than-light physics is used to determine that
only tiny ships can attain maximum velocity?  Maybe we should be
inventing complicated hierarchies and taxonomies of weapons and their
counter-measures instead of sticking to the boring but simple and
playable Weapon and Shield?

NO.  All those changes would be dumb.  Those rules work now even though
their realism is arguable (at best).

-alan

References

Galaxy Cargo Tech - KILL IT!!! :)
Jesse.Taylor@launchpad.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor)
Mon, 08 Feb 1993 22:40:49 +0000