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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6011117" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Issue 291: January 2002</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 10/10</p><p></p><p></p><p>DM's toolbox: With Dungeoncraft on vacation, this column takes up the slack with some slightly more ambiguous advice than usual. How to handle bluffing NPC's. As I've said before, when the DM is the sole source of information, presenting false info without giving the players a chance to figure out if it's false can make them pretty grumpy. Interestingly enough, this article encourages you to play it straight, act your characters exactly as they would act in game. If that means they're a good liar, let the players be convinced, only rolling sense motive checks and rolling for clues all is not what it seems if they actually ask for it. As soon as mechanics come in, you've already lost to some extent. Which isn't advice I was expecting from this source. It can be all too easy to pidgeonhole people based on a few impressions. Still, it keeps this column interesting, and makes me wonder more what they'll have for us next month. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Silicon sorcery: This month's column is another left-field turn, a study in game mechanics and how they can reflect reality, or in many cases fail too. The example used is Stronghold, a tactical wargame who's rules do not encourage you to use tactics that would work in reality. This isn't to say that it's a bad game, and indeed, it might be more fun than trying to build, maintain and defend a real castle. But it does serve as an illustration of just how different things can be in a game, and how even small inaccuracies can have cascading effects on the emergent properties of a simulation. So no crunch conversions this time, but a very interesting topic that's worth further studying. You can encourage certain playstyles in a game not by telling people they should or shouldn't do things, but setting it up so the mechanics reward or punish them as a natural consequence of following through the math, and this seems preferable to me than just saying something should be so and expecting people to do it without incentives. This applies to board and computer games as well as RPG's. Learn how to do math, and apply that skill wisely, and an imaginary universe is your oyster, or something. </p><p></p><p></p><p>What's new puts it's own distinctive spin on gnome culture. And ranger bears. Hee. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Not quite as good as the last few issues, this still has lots of useful articles, both in and out of the themed section. The demise of Dragonmirth and minis coverage is a little worrying though, and makes me wonder what they'll change next. We haven't had any ecologies in a while either, and I'm starting to miss them. Once again, the magazine is gradually getting more serious and focussed, and while that has some definite good points, it also means their vision continues to get narrower when compared to the old issues. That can only go so far before you lose people because they're not getting enough variety. So let's see what's introduced or put on the chopping block next issue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 6011117, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Issue 291: January 2002[/U][/B] part 10/10 DM's toolbox: With Dungeoncraft on vacation, this column takes up the slack with some slightly more ambiguous advice than usual. How to handle bluffing NPC's. As I've said before, when the DM is the sole source of information, presenting false info without giving the players a chance to figure out if it's false can make them pretty grumpy. Interestingly enough, this article encourages you to play it straight, act your characters exactly as they would act in game. If that means they're a good liar, let the players be convinced, only rolling sense motive checks and rolling for clues all is not what it seems if they actually ask for it. As soon as mechanics come in, you've already lost to some extent. Which isn't advice I was expecting from this source. It can be all too easy to pidgeonhole people based on a few impressions. Still, it keeps this column interesting, and makes me wonder more what they'll have for us next month. Silicon sorcery: This month's column is another left-field turn, a study in game mechanics and how they can reflect reality, or in many cases fail too. The example used is Stronghold, a tactical wargame who's rules do not encourage you to use tactics that would work in reality. This isn't to say that it's a bad game, and indeed, it might be more fun than trying to build, maintain and defend a real castle. But it does serve as an illustration of just how different things can be in a game, and how even small inaccuracies can have cascading effects on the emergent properties of a simulation. So no crunch conversions this time, but a very interesting topic that's worth further studying. You can encourage certain playstyles in a game not by telling people they should or shouldn't do things, but setting it up so the mechanics reward or punish them as a natural consequence of following through the math, and this seems preferable to me than just saying something should be so and expecting people to do it without incentives. This applies to board and computer games as well as RPG's. Learn how to do math, and apply that skill wisely, and an imaginary universe is your oyster, or something. What's new puts it's own distinctive spin on gnome culture. And ranger bears. Hee. Not quite as good as the last few issues, this still has lots of useful articles, both in and out of the themed section. The demise of Dragonmirth and minis coverage is a little worrying though, and makes me wonder what they'll change next. We haven't had any ecologies in a while either, and I'm starting to miss them. Once again, the magazine is gradually getting more serious and focussed, and while that has some definite good points, it also means their vision continues to get narrower when compared to the old issues. That can only go so far before you lose people because they're not getting enough variety. So let's see what's introduced or put on the chopping block next issue. [/QUOTE]
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