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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
On simulating things: what, why, and how?
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 8679215" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>Everyone agrees that you don't have to simulate everything. No one is claiming that the simulation has to be absolutely perfect to be a simulation. But, where we do disagree is that while you don't have to simulate everything, you DO have to simulate something. If all you have is the before and after picture, and everything in between is just in a cloud of possibilities, that's not really much of a simulation. </p><p></p><p>I'm really not sure why you keep ignoring the middle here. It's not "simulations must simulate every single detail". Of course not. The whole point of a simulation is that they simplify complicated events so they can be studied. But, where I'm calling things out is that in D&D, there is no detail. You cannot actually narrate anything based on the resolution mechanics. Any narration is done after the result is known, to backfill the story to fit the result. It's 100% after the results are known. And that's not how simulation works. (Again, I'm using the plain English definition of simulation)</p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, even with plate armor, let's be honest here, the bear should win far, far more often than it loses. And, let's not forget, that in D&D, your fighter isn't fighting one grizzly bear, the fighter might be fighting three. Then, ten minutes later, two more. I think it's fair to say that this is going WAYYYYY far away from anything approaching what could be done in the real world. Wouldn't you agree?</p><p></p><p></p><p>Actually, I do agree with you here. I don't see why simulation has to be limited to real world anything. So long as the simulation produces information about how you get from A to B, then it's a simulation, regardless of what is being simulated. As you say, flying a spaceship in a video game is a simulation - it's 100% made up, and doesn't resemble anything in the real world, but, it's still a simulation. However, if all we get is "Spaceship in Space meets Enemy Spaceship" followed by "Spaceship explodes" with nothing in between, then it's not a simulation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 8679215, member: 22779"] Everyone agrees that you don't have to simulate everything. No one is claiming that the simulation has to be absolutely perfect to be a simulation. But, where we do disagree is that while you don't have to simulate everything, you DO have to simulate something. If all you have is the before and after picture, and everything in between is just in a cloud of possibilities, that's not really much of a simulation. I'm really not sure why you keep ignoring the middle here. It's not "simulations must simulate every single detail". Of course not. The whole point of a simulation is that they simplify complicated events so they can be studied. But, where I'm calling things out is that in D&D, there is no detail. You cannot actually narrate anything based on the resolution mechanics. Any narration is done after the result is known, to backfill the story to fit the result. It's 100% after the results are known. And that's not how simulation works. (Again, I'm using the plain English definition of simulation) Well, even with plate armor, let's be honest here, the bear should win far, far more often than it loses. And, let's not forget, that in D&D, your fighter isn't fighting one grizzly bear, the fighter might be fighting three. Then, ten minutes later, two more. I think it's fair to say that this is going WAYYYYY far away from anything approaching what could be done in the real world. Wouldn't you agree? Actually, I do agree with you here. I don't see why simulation has to be limited to real world anything. So long as the simulation produces information about how you get from A to B, then it's a simulation, regardless of what is being simulated. As you say, flying a spaceship in a video game is a simulation - it's 100% made up, and doesn't resemble anything in the real world, but, it's still a simulation. However, if all we get is "Spaceship in Space meets Enemy Spaceship" followed by "Spaceship explodes" with nothing in between, then it's not a simulation. [/QUOTE]
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