Subj : Re: 3rd Edition, part 1
To   : All
From : yl112@cornell.edu
Date : Tue Sep 05 2000 01:50 pm

From: yl112@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: 3rd Edition, part 1



On Tue, 5 Sep 2000, Scott Royall wrote:

> Well, the complexities of the involved skills have much to do with it. Even
> after 15 years, I still need online  help when switching between several
> computer languages.

True.  With natural language learning you often have interference, 
something I sometimes experience between French/German and 
Korean/English.  (Latin and Turkish are my current language projects.)  
Linguistic studies say that most multilinguals are *actively* fluent in 
one or a few languages, while the rest remain "dormant."  Using myself as 
a butchered example, Korean is a "dormant" language for me, but immersion 
in Korea for half a year would probably make me pretty decent once more 
in conversational Korean.  Also, *which* languages are active/dormant are 
often subject to change depending on the situation, moving to another 
country, etc.

OTOH, I've *never* had my harmonica-playing interfere with, oh, math.  Or 
harmonica-playing interfere with viola-playing.  I suspect interference 
happens with related skills, where you have to override muscle/mental 
memory in order to learn new patterns.  Languages are a good example; 
learning different martial arts might be another, though the guy I learn 
from, who has black belts in two disciplines, has gotten enough mastery 
that he experiences very little interference.  Perhaps that might be the 
case for an experienced language-learner as well.

OC, it doesn't really matter.  If I were GMing, I'd probably modify the 
(to me) silly experience rulings and award wizard-experience for 
spellcasting things, and fighter-experience for doing combat things--and 
awards in both if they overlapped or interfaced somehow.  If someone else 
were GMing and liked these rules, they'd just use 'em.  House rules are 
wonderful things.  :-)

YHL

> > > The reason given is that the strain of developing and maintaining
> > > different skills at different levels takes its toll.
> >
> > The real reason is play balance.  "You start off as a fighter, then
> > immediatly switch to wizard.  This way, you get better starting HP, all
> > the weapon proficiencies of a fighter, and can wear armor."  Don't you
> > love munchkins?  I was told this once upon a time by a "Why play
> > anything but elf?"-type player.
> >
> > I worked for a guy who was an electrical & "standard" engineer, working
> > for nuclear construction companies.  He got out of that business, and
> > went into auto salvage & accessories sales.  As near as I could tell, he
> > had no problem keeping both sets of skills going.  Like, say, the time I
> > said "Is there any way to skip the center post on this loft?"  Next day,
> > he had designed a 40' long beam structure designed to hold up to 1
> > ton/5' length.  And I got to help him put it together, lucky me.
> >
> > -- Boyd

--
|Fidonet:  yl112@cornell.edu
|Internet: scott@conchbbs.com
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| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.


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