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<blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 4225698" data-attributes="member: 32164"><p>*SIGH*</p><p></p><p>D&D has never been a game aimed purely at simulationists (and in my opinion, hopefully never will). What it has always had is a mostly gamist mindset, tagged with enough simulation to be believable.</p><p></p><p>Vancian magic, for example, was an entirely gamist construct that the game bent over backwards to justify as a simulation. Gary having a somewhat "backwards" notion of what constituted "balance" aside, the vancian magic system was there for game balance purposes. If you stick by Gary's assumptions about how a game works (including that every character starts at 1st-level, including replacement PCs!), it's even "fair" in the sense that every character has a level and situation in which they get to shine.</p><p></p><p>Hit points are another example. They exist for gamist reasons, and with healing spells included, characters never have to worry about the slow pace of natural healing. But that slow pace of natural healing was there as a simulationist nod to the fact that people just don't heal that fast. Similarly, their 'abstract' nature was there as a simulationist nod to the fact that real people just can't get stabbed 50 times and be "fine."</p><p></p><p>So D&D is, and has always been, a gamist system with just enough simulation (or justification) to allow suspension of disbelief. So the new trade-in system can exist purely for balance reasons, but still be based on <em>entirely justifiable</em> simulationist reasons. Those reasons can include: acceptable profit margins, risk of loss, taxation, demand for items, and so on.</p><p></p><p>The in-world justifications can be found <em>if you're willing to look for them</em>, just as has always been the case for (nearly) every "gamist" rule in D&D.</p><p></p><p>Conversely, if you're unwilling to look for them, you won't find them. Because, at the end of the day, this is <strong>a game</strong> that's intended to be played for <strong>fun</strong>, not a wholly consistent fantasy world simulator.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JohnSnow, post: 4225698, member: 32164"] *SIGH* D&D has never been a game aimed purely at simulationists (and in my opinion, hopefully never will). What it has always had is a mostly gamist mindset, tagged with enough simulation to be believable. Vancian magic, for example, was an entirely gamist construct that the game bent over backwards to justify as a simulation. Gary having a somewhat "backwards" notion of what constituted "balance" aside, the vancian magic system was there for game balance purposes. If you stick by Gary's assumptions about how a game works (including that every character starts at 1st-level, including replacement PCs!), it's even "fair" in the sense that every character has a level and situation in which they get to shine. Hit points are another example. They exist for gamist reasons, and with healing spells included, characters never have to worry about the slow pace of natural healing. But that slow pace of natural healing was there as a simulationist nod to the fact that people just don't heal that fast. Similarly, their 'abstract' nature was there as a simulationist nod to the fact that real people just can't get stabbed 50 times and be "fine." So D&D is, and has always been, a gamist system with just enough simulation (or justification) to allow suspension of disbelief. So the new trade-in system can exist purely for balance reasons, but still be based on [i]entirely justifiable[/i] simulationist reasons. Those reasons can include: acceptable profit margins, risk of loss, taxation, demand for items, and so on. The in-world justifications can be found [i]if you're willing to look for them[/i], just as has always been the case for (nearly) every "gamist" rule in D&D. Conversely, if you're unwilling to look for them, you won't find them. Because, at the end of the day, this is [b]a game[/b] that's intended to be played for [b]fun[/b], not a wholly consistent fantasy world simulator. [/QUOTE]
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