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Why use D&D for a Simulationist style Game?
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<blockquote data-quote="Andor" data-source="post: 6349563" data-attributes="member: 1879"><p>Wound systems are perhaps the classic place where gamers and game systems have different goals and expectations and it's a classic scrapping ground over 'meaning'.</p><p></p><p>As I've mentioned in this thread, even the most anal retentive attempts to model real life biological processes like Morrow Project or Erma Felna EDF will fall utterly short of their goal. Big stong men have died falling off a step ladder. A stewardess survived a fall of 33,000 feet. Is there any game in the world that allows for both of those outcomes? In real life a sword through the shoulder might be meaningless, or it might kill you if it's 1 mm to the left and nicks the subclavian artery. </p><p>Something no game I've ever played models is the fact that wounds may get worse over time. At the moment you're stabbed chances are your adrenaline is up and you may not even feel the wound. The next day however after the adrenaline wears and swelling sets in you will surely feel it. Anybody know a game system where wound penalties are worse the next day? No? And that's not even taking into account infection, or poor healing. </p><p></p><p>My point? All damage systems are abstract, and are poor models of real world processes. Some of them admit it better than others.</p><p></p><p>Frankly for D&D I actually like to use what you describe as a purist-for-system approach to understanding the damage system, using a fiction conceit I first saw in the game World Tree. In that game (which is actually not a level based game but nevermind) hit points represent not just 'meat points' but the effectively supernatural skill of your soul to hold onto your body even when mere biology indicates you should be dead. In that world no one would expect an experienced warrior to die simply because he was shot in the eye and stabbed in the heart. </p><p></p><p>Is it an accurate depiction of real world wound behavior? No. But then again no system is, and it explains the consequences of the rules system in a way which both satisfy my expectations and allow me to understand whats happening from the POV withing the world.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Andor, post: 6349563, member: 1879"] Wound systems are perhaps the classic place where gamers and game systems have different goals and expectations and it's a classic scrapping ground over 'meaning'. As I've mentioned in this thread, even the most anal retentive attempts to model real life biological processes like Morrow Project or Erma Felna EDF will fall utterly short of their goal. Big stong men have died falling off a step ladder. A stewardess survived a fall of 33,000 feet. Is there any game in the world that allows for both of those outcomes? In real life a sword through the shoulder might be meaningless, or it might kill you if it's 1 mm to the left and nicks the subclavian artery. Something no game I've ever played models is the fact that wounds may get worse over time. At the moment you're stabbed chances are your adrenaline is up and you may not even feel the wound. The next day however after the adrenaline wears and swelling sets in you will surely feel it. Anybody know a game system where wound penalties are worse the next day? No? And that's not even taking into account infection, or poor healing. My point? All damage systems are abstract, and are poor models of real world processes. Some of them admit it better than others. Frankly for D&D I actually like to use what you describe as a purist-for-system approach to understanding the damage system, using a fiction conceit I first saw in the game World Tree. In that game (which is actually not a level based game but nevermind) hit points represent not just 'meat points' but the effectively supernatural skill of your soul to hold onto your body even when mere biology indicates you should be dead. In that world no one would expect an experienced warrior to die simply because he was shot in the eye and stabbed in the heart. Is it an accurate depiction of real world wound behavior? No. But then again no system is, and it explains the consequences of the rules system in a way which both satisfy my expectations and allow me to understand whats happening from the POV withing the world. [/QUOTE]
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