Re: RPG in wargames (was EMG's Imperium)

From: Benjamin Foy <bfoy@access2.digex.net>

Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000

On 17 Sep 1998, David desJardins wrote:

> Benjamin Foy <bfoy@access5.digex.net> writes:
> >> But I've played with folk who really, _really_ didn't like mixing
> >> roleplaying and wargaming - they wouldn't do it themselves, and got
> >> quite incensed when other players engaged in it.
> >
> > It doesn't hurt them and if they don't like it they can attack you or
> > leave.
>
> It depends what you mean by "hurt".  It can certainly damage one's
> enjoyment of the game.  To take an extreme example, imagine playing
> chess against a player who decided on moves by roleplaying rather than
> based on strategy.  So perhaps your queen would take his queen, but then
> his pawn would run away in fear, instead of recapturing.  This would get
> pretty boring pretty quickly.  Either you win every time with little
> effort, or you have to start making bad moves yourself to compensate.
> Either way might not be much fun.

I would like to clarify some assumptions I made but you probably haven't
made:

1)  I was talking about PBM and PBEM games only.  In FTF (non-RPG) games
roleplaying is too time consuming to be practicle.  Concentrating on
playing the current game well takes all available time unless you have
already lost (then its fine since it can easily be ignored.

2)  I am not talking about roleplaying in its strictest form.  I am
talking a creating a persona which we will use to handle communications
with other players.  I am not going to make moves "in character" (unless
I have lost the game already)!  After all I am trying to win the game.

> In general, if a player's roleplaying causes that player to make
> inferior moves that are "in character", instead of the moves that are
> most strategically helpful in a given situation, then it can upset the
> balance of a game intended as a "strategy" game.  Most players don't
> take their roleplaying to such lengths, but some do.  (Note: the same
> thing can happen in wargames with players who play "historically" rather
> than strategically.  Which is really another form of roleplaying.)

I have never played a PBEM game where someone has done that.

> You're correct, that ultimately the only solution is not to play with
> people that you don't enjoy playing with.  But, in the typical PBM, you
> don't choose your opponents.  I find that one PBM game may attract one
> type of player, and another may attract a different type.  So often I
> end up choosing a game based on the type of player that I expect that
> game to attract, rather than the mechanics of the games themselves.

If it is a case of finding players who will take the game being played
seriously, then I will agree with you.  Of course in any game a players
personal habits might get annoying.  I believe you have found my talking
during non-tourneyment Titan games to be distracting.  But during
tourneyment Titan games I don't talk nearly as much so you have no
problems.  So I could see how issues not related to the game itself could
effect your enjoyment of the game.  I just don't believe roleplay has to
cause inferior moves.

- Ben

---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
 Removes the colours from our sight.
 Red is grey and yellow white,
 But we decide which one is right.
 And which is an illusion???."
      from Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues 1967

References

RPG in wargames (was EMG's Imperium)
Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: RPG in wargames (was EMG's Imperium)
Benjamin Foy <bfoy@access5.digex.net>
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: RPG in wargames (was EMG's Imperium)
David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>
Thu, 17 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
EMG's Imperium
Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>
Tue, 15 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: EMG's Imperium
jchromis@aol.com (JChromis)
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: EMG's Imperium
Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: EMG's Imperium
Gumpu Redkar <gumpu@gumpu.student.utwente.nl>
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000