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<blockquote data-quote="gizmo33" data-source="post: 4738867" data-attributes="member: 30001">I agree with some other folks in the thread, &quot;simulation&quot; depends on what you want to simulate.&nbsp; A real world could contain some sort of glowing mineral that makes a sunrod a normal piece of equipment.&nbsp; There's nothing &quot;unsimulationist&quot; about that.&nbsp; It's a matter of trying to define what you want to accomplish.&nbsp; Some sort of plate-stamping technology might bring down the cost of platemail relative to chain.&nbsp; Seems to me that two different &quot;simulationist&quot; campaigns can come up with entirely different economies depending on their initial assumptions.&nbsp;The primary thing I look for as a &quot;simulationist&quot; is that the rules reinforce the campaign culture so that the players make choices consistent with the NPCs.&nbsp; &nbsp;For example, if swords and plate armor are the best equipment in the game, then I expect to be able to have most/all of my NPC fighters strive to own such equipment (depending on income), and the players will do likewise.&nbsp; If sunrods are 1 gp each, then I would expect most settlements will use them as lighting.&nbsp; &nbsp;What I don't want to have to do is frown at players because they make optimal choices according to the rules that are inconsistent with my campaign culture.&nbsp; The exception to this would be if there was some concept of &quot;progress&quot; where technological or social change could improve things - but in my DnD campaign I assume that the presence of the gods means that the current cultures don't have much room to improve in such ways (with periodic exceptions).&nbsp; If a polearm does 3d10 base damage, then I should be ok with everyone in the world using polearms or the rule has to change.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="gizmo33, post: 4738867, member: 30001"] I agree with some other folks in the thread, "simulation" depends on what you want to simulate. A real world could contain some sort of glowing mineral that makes a sunrod a normal piece of equipment. There's nothing "unsimulationist" about that. It's a matter of trying to define what you want to accomplish. Some sort of plate-stamping technology might bring down the cost of platemail relative to chain. Seems to me that two different "simulationist" campaigns can come up with entirely different economies depending on their initial assumptions. The primary thing I look for as a "simulationist" is that the rules reinforce the campaign culture so that the players make choices consistent with the NPCs. For example, if swords and plate armor are the best equipment in the game, then I expect to be able to have most/all of my NPC fighters strive to own such equipment (depending on income), and the players will do likewise. If sunrods are 1 gp each, then I would expect most settlements will use them as lighting. What I don't want to have to do is frown at players because they make optimal choices according to the rules that are inconsistent with my campaign culture. The exception to this would be if there was some concept of "progress" where technological or social change could improve things - but in my DnD campaign I assume that the presence of the gods means that the current cultures don't have much room to improve in such ways (with periodic exceptions). If a polearm does 3d10 base damage, then I should be ok with everyone in the world using polearms or the rule has to change. [/QUOTE]

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