Subj : Re: Gamelists To : All From : mbottorff@sprintmail.com Date : Wed Dec 13 2000 01:22 am From: mbottorff@sprintmail.com (Michelle & Boyd Bottorff) Subject: Re: Gamelists Organization: | > > I would imagine there are severe limitations on it, especiall since V:tM > > is so freeform a game. I can't picture it doing much beyond being a > > mechanical dice roller. Well, basic combat might be put into it, but if > > your group does any serious imagining, there could be problems. > > But if you want to do basic combat with mechanical dice rolling > among friends who aren't in close geographical proximity, it's one > option. I personally prefer the play-by-email format because then you > don't have to coordinate time zones as well, but I'm biased. :-p Of course, if you ever head back to Korea, you have to coordinate sleep schedules as well... > > I think it all goes back to the troll test. You're facing a troll, you > > don't have much in the way of fire, so you pull out your lighter and set > > your hair on fire, then head-butt the troll. You're playing a werewolf > > character, so you actually have a chance. > > > > Game comes back, asks for the relavent skill or stat and difficulty > > level, because there's *no* way that's programmed into the machine. GM > > probably choses agility, with a real low chance of success, followed by > > stamina with a reasonable chance, to tell if you're in shock from > > personal pyrotechnics. Click, click, scrollscrollscrollclick, click, > > click. > [snip] > Good point. I'm not so familiar with V:TM. But I'm familiar with Over > the Edge, which is the most freeform dice-based game *I've* seen, and it > would be a nightmare to code it in any reasonable manner. Paranoia... that's the game... > And for that matter, there are web-based "dice rolling" services for the > use of web-based campaigns. > > Still, I can see people passing an amusing evening in the computer game > version, as change of pace. :-) Well, Michelle and I went over to a guys house for a FtF game... guy had random encounters, possibly combat programmed into his computer. It was a *very* boring session. I kept thinking he ought to look at the players more. And I think that just about any computer-aided or computer-based RPG is going to end up being a bit dry, or overly slow. After all, when you decide that the roll will be based on stat X, with success rate Y, it's faster to roll a few dice that are conveniently placed by your right hand (assuming a right-handed GM) than point and click a bunch. -- |Fidonet: mbottorff@sprintmail.com |Internet: scott@conchbbs.com | | Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own. --- # Origin: (1:106/357.99) * Origin: ConchGate (1:106/357.0) .