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Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Realism vs. Believability and the Design of HPs, Powers and Other Things
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5876787" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>Really, there's not a heck of a lot more that can be added to this discussion. </p><p></p><p>It goes around and around and never achieves anything because neither side will actually pony up and state what they hope to achieve. </p><p></p><p>What is added to the game by insisting that HP=Physical damage? Is what's added to the game by insisting that HP=Physical damage worth what is lost? Is it a net gain?</p><p></p><p>If the only issue here is believability, well, why should yours trump mine? Why do you get to say, "Well, it must be this long and no shorter because any shorter hurts my suspension of disbelief"? </p><p></p><p>Now, if there is an actual, tangible benefit that you can show for this interpretation, then fair enough, let's see it. Convince me why it's better. Don't tell me why you don't like my interpretation, tell me why I should like yours better. Sell it to me. </p><p></p><p>Because, from where I'm standing, right now, the price of admission is way too high. HP=Physical Injury means you lose so much design space (any effect that hurts the character but doesn't actually cause physical damage must now be modeled another way, for example). It also has serious pacing ramifications. If HP=Physical Damage, then we need longer healing times, which means more down time, which means more screwing around waiting to get back to the adventure. It also means that magical healing becomes the default method for all healing because, if HP=Physical damage is part of the resource management game, players are going to stock up on that resource in any way they can. We go back to healing wands and barrels of healing potions.</p><p></p><p>Which, at the end of the day, brings us full circle back to basically zero healing time as all wounds are simply tapped away with wands of cure light. </p><p></p><p>Granted, you can fix that by making wands more expensive. And potions too. But, that has the knock on effect of making wands and potions more valuable. Now, groups flog unwanted potions and wands for large chunks of cash. On and on and on.</p><p></p><p>This is not a simple issue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 5876787, member: 22779"] Really, there's not a heck of a lot more that can be added to this discussion. It goes around and around and never achieves anything because neither side will actually pony up and state what they hope to achieve. What is added to the game by insisting that HP=Physical damage? Is what's added to the game by insisting that HP=Physical damage worth what is lost? Is it a net gain? If the only issue here is believability, well, why should yours trump mine? Why do you get to say, "Well, it must be this long and no shorter because any shorter hurts my suspension of disbelief"? Now, if there is an actual, tangible benefit that you can show for this interpretation, then fair enough, let's see it. Convince me why it's better. Don't tell me why you don't like my interpretation, tell me why I should like yours better. Sell it to me. Because, from where I'm standing, right now, the price of admission is way too high. HP=Physical Injury means you lose so much design space (any effect that hurts the character but doesn't actually cause physical damage must now be modeled another way, for example). It also has serious pacing ramifications. If HP=Physical Damage, then we need longer healing times, which means more down time, which means more screwing around waiting to get back to the adventure. It also means that magical healing becomes the default method for all healing because, if HP=Physical damage is part of the resource management game, players are going to stock up on that resource in any way they can. We go back to healing wands and barrels of healing potions. Which, at the end of the day, brings us full circle back to basically zero healing time as all wounds are simply tapped away with wands of cure light. Granted, you can fix that by making wands more expensive. And potions too. But, that has the knock on effect of making wands and potions more valuable. Now, groups flog unwanted potions and wands for large chunks of cash. On and on and on. This is not a simple issue. [/QUOTE]
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Community
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Realism vs. Believability and the Design of HPs, Powers and Other Things
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