Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 4104624" data-attributes="member: 16586">That's one way to look at it. I don't think it's the best way. An alternate interpretation is that characters still only perceive their world in feet and that the game rules provide abstractions so that players can meaningfully interact with the game world through their characters.If we accept that game rules define reality we must also accept<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That no human can run any faster than any other human.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That it is impossible to move at any angle that isn't a multiple of 45 degrees.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That time stands still for other characters while a character takes his turn (barring any use of opportunity, immediate, and free actions).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Characters using 'Encounter' as a unit of time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That characters never get tired or winded in a way that isn't reflected in the game rules.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That people move only in 5 foot increments.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Armor protecting against all types of weapons equally.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An awareness of things like Action Points from an in-character perspective.</li> </ul>I think this basically takes us straight to the train to Loonyville. If we wish to retain our sanity it is best to either not think too hard about these abstractions or use abstractions that leak less often. The effect of trying to use game rules as the physics of the game world tends to lead to either a narrative that is so far from human experience it makes our heads hurt (if we bend the game setting for the sake of the rules) or a rules system that is entirely too complex to adjudicate (if we bend the rules for the game setting's sake).Of course if we accept that the game rules are meant to be used as an abstract model instead of a system of physics we can begin to discuss which abstractions are best for the purpose of the game.</blockquote>

Verification