Re: It's about time!

From: madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)

Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 00:00:00 +0000

>>In the lizards context though the situation where you would desperately
want to move before a bridge was built is unlikely to arise and having
the building phase before the movement phase should cover it. I do have
a feeling though that the bridge builders need to be undisturbed for the
turn they're building (steve?) so you might not be able to use the
bridge in the turn it is build in any case....<<

Abstract ideas follow... not a direct answer to the above...

First of all, I didn't make Lizards... I just licencsed it.  However,
the questions asked are like so many in PBM.  This is how
I see it...

Unless you are programming an actual simulation of something real
(which Lizards patently isn't and neither are most PBMs) then what
you have is a *game*.  The important thing in a game is a strong mechanic thats
fun to play and works well for game balance.

Personally, although Lizards isn't a game I've personally made I have
always had a great deal of admiration for the mechanics.  The phase based order
system is a very important part of the game.. change even one of the phases
orders... or change the way a phase works... and you have essentially a
different game.

If the game worked as was previously (erroniously) suggested then the mechanic
would be pretty poor... total randomisation of orders wouldn't be the best way
to go in a game like Lizards.  But the phase based system is excellent.

Its not realistic though.  Of course it isnt.  Its a game.  An abstract game
given a 'veneer' of background... like most PBMs.  You wouldn't play monopoly
and complain that you can only move clockwise on the board... "hey... this game
is dumb... why can't I go backwards and forwards over "go" and collect 200 evey
time!".

A *lot* of times I've heard players say something about game mechanics like ''I
really would prefer that defensive screens were set before high energy cannons
were fired."  The order of processing is often the very heart of the game.  And
if the order is changed you have a different game with a different mechanic for
winning.  It might be better.  It might not... but next week somebody will be
writing and saying they prefer it the *other* way.

Steve
-Madhouse UK

References

Re: It's about time!
mlwilliams <mwilliams@signal.dera.gov.uk>
Fri, 05 Mar 1999 00:00:00 +0000