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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8263139" data-attributes="member: 82106">I don't think you can define any specific play experience as CAW or CAG (Combat as Game, whatever you want to call it). There isn't really, in a general sense, enough detailed background to know exactly what the capabilities and options of any given 'monster' force would really be. What tools do they possess? What skills do they have? What are the practical/operational restraints on their activities? How does their mentality/culture/beliefs effect what they will actually do? Mostly we don't really know.So, 'CAW' as it is called is simply a tone/genre choice, like any other. Exactly what makes sense in a given game is probably more closely related to the goals and preferences of play than anything else. I mean, you might create "Tucker's Kobolds" as a way of implementing a 'player test of skill' meatgrinder dungeon crawl sort of game. Players will then have to respond with elaborate ruses and ploys aimed at thwarting the adversarial plans of the GM. Those plans will simply be based on whatever she finds it interesting to pose as challenges. Any rationalization as 'CAW' is thus post-hoc. Likewise a more 'story of the characters' type of game (narratively focused) is unlikely to persistently feature this sort of intricate 'puzzle games' kind of approach to monsters. It doesn't generally cater to a sense of the characters operating on a broad stage and undertaking heroic action adventure. Obviously the exact mix can vary, and maybe there's a specific sweet spot where the two can combine, though I haven not really seen it. I think your 'initial claim' is pretty hard to validate. I mean, back in the day, we played an extremely 'skill focused' game. As players we became EXTREMELY adept at exploiting every sort of ploy you can imagine. Sure, frustrated GMs sometimes just refused to go along, but as players we were vastly more familiar with our PCs and the rules for 'PC stuff' than the GM was familiar with how to have specific monsters stick it to us. Of course he also had the advantage of operating on his turf. Overall things balanced out. If we had a serious problem with some underground complex, for example, we would just find all the ways air came in and out and fill the place with toxic smoke. It might take a couple weeks, or whatever, and involve labor, time, money, etc. but for how long is the GM going to sand bag each and every step you take? Eventually they will lose credibility in a game where things are supposed to be so 'realistic'. The end result was that, past really low level play, this sort of thing generally petered out. It just got very time consuming and frankly boring.</blockquote>

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