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<blockquote data-quote="Charlaquin" data-source="post: 7759867" data-attributes="member: 6779196"><p>Sure, let’s go there. I would define roleplaying as imagining yourself as someone else and/or in a different situation, and making decisions as you think you or the imagined person would in the imagined situation. If you are saying that, in an RPG, the game mechanics and the roleplaying should be the same thing, then you are saying the game mechanics should be an expression of that decision making process. And I agree with that. That’s why I want mechanics that facilitate decision making, and to do that, they need to provide options.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Allowung you to do something you normally couldn’t with a check is what I would call a meaningful distinction. If gives you an option you would not otherwise have, rather than simply altering your chances of success at options you would still otherwise have. It changes <em>what</em> you can do, and in that way it creates more opportunity for making decisions.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Ok.</p><p></p><p></p><p>They are not what I consider meaningful distinctions between characters. This is not something you are going to be able to change my mind about. If it doesn’t change what my character can do, then it’s not a meaningful distinction.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I disagree that it is any different. The only difference that makes in likelihood of success at actions available to both characters. It does not change what options are available to either character, and therefore is not the sort of distinction that I find interesting.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Ranged combat is meaningfully different than melee combat. A Fighter who puts their ability points into Dexterity and uses a bow is not meaningfully different than a fighter who puts their ability points into Strength and mostly uses a sword. Because those characters have the same options available to them. Either can use a sword or a bow, and the only difference will be their likelihood of hitting and expected damage. I don’t consider different numbers an interesting difference. Now, if the ranged fighter had a special technique they could use with the bow that the melee fighter could not, that would be a meaningful difference to me. Different available options means a different decision making process, i.e. different roleplaying considerations.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Charlaquin, post: 7759867, member: 6779196"] Sure, let’s go there. I would define roleplaying as imagining yourself as someone else and/or in a different situation, and making decisions as you think you or the imagined person would in the imagined situation. If you are saying that, in an RPG, the game mechanics and the roleplaying should be the same thing, then you are saying the game mechanics should be an expression of that decision making process. And I agree with that. That’s why I want mechanics that facilitate decision making, and to do that, they need to provide options. Allowung you to do something you normally couldn’t with a check is what I would call a meaningful distinction. If gives you an option you would not otherwise have, rather than simply altering your chances of success at options you would still otherwise have. It changes [i]what[/i] you can do, and in that way it creates more opportunity for making decisions. Ok. They are not what I consider meaningful distinctions between characters. This is not something you are going to be able to change my mind about. If it doesn’t change what my character can do, then it’s not a meaningful distinction. I disagree that it is any different. The only difference that makes in likelihood of success at actions available to both characters. It does not change what options are available to either character, and therefore is not the sort of distinction that I find interesting. Ranged combat is meaningfully different than melee combat. A Fighter who puts their ability points into Dexterity and uses a bow is not meaningfully different than a fighter who puts their ability points into Strength and mostly uses a sword. Because those characters have the same options available to them. Either can use a sword or a bow, and the only difference will be their likelihood of hitting and expected damage. I don’t consider different numbers an interesting difference. Now, if the ranged fighter had a special technique they could use with the bow that the melee fighter could not, that would be a meaningful difference to me. Different available options means a different decision making process, i.e. different roleplaying considerations. [/QUOTE]
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