tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post1217898371944404324..comments2024-01-06T04:13:41.492-07:00Comments on A Paladin In Citadel: Stock Ticker And VerisimilitudeAaron E. Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-8926987650272234302011-02-21T13:40:06.933-07:002011-02-21T13:40:06.933-07:00Roger the GS said...
There is a British game, quit...<b>Roger the GS said...</b><br /><i>There is a British game, quite old by now, which I've played called "Stocks and Shares." Almost exactly the same concept except the stocks move up and down on the basis of cards pulled from a deck. Each player gets to see some of these cards as "inside information" and some cards are also public knowledge. This makes for a much more interesting game as you try to figure out why player X sold off all of stock B ...</i><br /><br />Sounds interesting! I must do a little research to find out more about it.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-30975831507506173252011-02-21T13:12:59.780-07:002011-02-21T13:12:59.780-07:00Dave Cesarano said...
I wouldn't say it is jus...<b>Dave Cesarano said...</b><br /><i>I wouldn't say it is just an issue of verisimilitude, but also of abstraction.</i><br /><br />Yes, I don't think a game has to be versimilitudinous to be fun. Giving a game more versimilitude doesn't make it more enjoyable.<br /><br />The best games keep everyone engaged at the table. This is part of my complaint about 4E. A player's turn can last so long that the other players end up surfing, texting, or otherwise being distracted from the game. This is why I like fast (abstract)D&D combat.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-23447520735438154962011-02-21T12:54:01.431-07:002011-02-21T12:54:01.431-07:00Bard said...
I totally agree. As I get older, and ...<b>Bard said...</b><br /><i>I totally agree. As I get older, and my responsibilities get heavier, I feel more and more this way. Learning and playing a game should not be as hard (or harder) than my job. I've hit a point where my criteria for game rules of any sort have basically become: a) I have to be able to give the rules a first read in one hour and b) the rules should be intuitive enough that a first or, at most, a second read is enough to play a trial game without having to constantly look up rules for every turn phase, die roll, etc.</i><br /><br />Yes. I like games with re-play value, but not if it is at the cost of complexity. That's why I like negotiation games like Settlers of Catan, the game mechanics are pretty simple, it is in the interactions and strategies of the players where the game is complex.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-30239684095484381902011-02-19T17:53:46.442-07:002011-02-19T17:53:46.442-07:00There is a British game, quite old by now, which I...There is a British game, quite old by now, which I've played called "Stocks and Shares." Almost exactly the same concept except the stocks move up and down on the basis of cards pulled from a deck. Each player gets to see some of these cards as "inside information" and some cards are also public knowledge. This makes for a much more interesting game as you try to figure out why player X sold off all of stock B ...Roger G-Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08594440701279968693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-5712805212578896402011-02-19T07:45:18.388-07:002011-02-19T07:45:18.388-07:00I wouldn't say it is just an issue of verisimi...I wouldn't say it is just an issue of verisimilitude, but also of abstraction. One could argue that White Wolf's health system in <i>World of Darkness</i> is less abstract. The combat system of <i>Riddle of Steel</i> is extremely realistic, not very abstract at all, and pretty complicated to run. On the other hand, 4E <i>D&D</i> isn't really any more or less abstract than OD&D, but it lacks verisimilitude due to rampant <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/dissociated-mechanics.html" rel="nofollow">dissociated mechanics</a>--the lack of realism literally drags you out of suspension-of-disbelief and reminds you that you are playing a game.<br /><br />D&D hits that ingenious "comfort zone" of abstraction and simplification. It's smoother (if properly run) than all the other health systems out there. It's extremely abstract, but that abstraction makes it a breeze to run and doesn't ruin suspension-of-disbelief.<br /><br />I think this goes for board games as well as role-playing. European games tend to be so abstract as to really be little more than puzzles with a theme--kind of like a pinball machine. <i>Caylus</i> and <i>Carcassonne</i> are good examples. Castle/city construction is represented in such an abstract and unrealistic way, but the game is still loads of fun and challenging. You just never really forget you're playing a game. And <i>Caylus</i>, for all its abstraction, is extremely complex.Dave Cesaranohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01454928720043301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-57966461707505279062011-02-17T20:55:18.761-07:002011-02-17T20:55:18.761-07:00I totally agree. As I get older, and my responsib...I totally agree. As I get older, and my responsibilities get heavier, I feel more and more this way. Learning and playing a game should not be as hard (or harder) than my job. I've hit a point where my criteria for game rules of any sort have basically become: a) I have to be able to give the rules a first read in one hour and b) the rules should be intuitive enough that a first or, at most, a second read is enough to play a trial game without having to constantly look up rules for every turn phase, die roll, etc.Chris C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08655640273250716377noreply@blogger.com