Re: PBM design: advice please

From: lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl)

Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

"[Tariz] The Dungeon Master" <adnd@mailandnews.com> writes:

> I bet though that you don't roleplay your situation, though.  I mean
> presented with the entire mechanics of a game how could you possibly put
> yourself in the position of your in-game character.  Given a wargame, for
> example, where you know the the exact mechanism for calculating a battle
> plus the values of your forces, would you in a hopelessly outnumbered battle
> go, "Hmmm.  Well, I think that even though I am outnumbered and out gunned I
> will take these bastards on because I am a foolhardy hero!"

You don't know me at all. In that situation I think, "Looks grim. Do I
want to live to fight another day or not?" I don't role-play foolhardy
heroes, except when I'm playing GURPS, where I like taking disads like
"impulsive" and "moron". I say something stupid, and if no one in the
group points out it's stupid in 5 seconds, I pass a note to the GM...

> No, what I think you mean is that you roleplay _yourself_ in that situation.

I am not role-playing a foolhardy hero, no. The character I've played
in several games of Olympia, Oleg the Loudmouth, certainly isn't me. I
am much more diplomatic ;-)

> > I disagree. Is chess a stagnant game just because everything is known?
> > No.
>
> Some would say, yes.  Otherwise everyone would just play chess.

I don't play chess even though I don't think it's stagnant. So no, I
don't agree with your reasoning. I'm bored with chess for reasons
other than that I know all the rules and there are no dice.

-- greg

References

Re: PBM design: advice please
"[Tariz] The Dungeon Master" <adnd@mailandnews.com>
Tue, 15 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000