Re: What makes a PBM? (was Re: Recommended Games)

From: madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)

Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 22:36:07 +0000

>>Chess, Monopoly, and most other boardgames are played in turns,
yes, but they are definitely asynchronous.<<

I think you've got something here, but...

>>Most (as far as I am aware -- though there are many exceptions)
PBM games have turns run either simultaneously, or at least run
in some sort of batch process.<<

Not really.  RPGs are often simply when somebodies turn arrives, and there are
various strategy games with 'no deadlines' which dont run simultaneous, but are
still turn-based.

>>An interesting counter-example is the boardgame Diplomacy, which
has turns run simultaneously, in batches.  This makes such a good
PBM that it could be argued that it is really a PBM that can be
played as a boardgame.<<

I think the term PBM here is misleading, in that its out of date and only used
for tradition, I definitely agree that Diplomacy really is a turn-based game
like the ones we all discuss here, and has more in common with tradition PBMs
than with board games.

>>Furthermore, most PBM games allow a large (depends on your
definition of "large") number of actions to be undertaken during
any given turn. <<

I dont think this is true enough to be a consideration.  More happens in some
complicated hands of Magic the Gathering, than in a early turn of, say,
Archmage, or Necromancer, or other low complexity' PBMs.

Steve T.

References

What makes a PBM? (was Re: Recommended Games)
"Rob Harper" <rob@stateofmindgames.co.uk>
Mon, 13 May 2002 15:19:19 +0000

Referenced By

What makes a PBM? (was Re: Recommended Games)
"Rob Harper" <rob@stateofmindgames.co.uk>
Mon, 13 May 2002 15:19:19 +0000