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<blockquote data-quote="Libramarian" data-source="post: 5984709" data-attributes="member: 6688858">Two definitions:1) A game is elegant if it does what you want it to do without unnecessary rules effort2) A game that appears in the abstract to be mathematically or conceptually pleasing in its simplicityThe first one is clearly the most important insofar as games are meant to be played. I have developed a skepticism with regard to (1) necessarily following from (2). For one reason, I think that a sort of design that most people would call inelegant according to (2) -- modular subsystems using different dice -- can actually have advantages with regard to rules effort in play. Using different dice for different procedures makes them easier to separate mentally and remember. The human mind doesn't work with systems like a computer: it likes big, chunky categories, with rough edges between them. I like that in AD&amp;D you use d100 for thief skills, d20 for attack rolls, and d6 for surprise. The different dice serve as physical anchors for the different concepts. I don't like everything jumbled together into a hash of d20+mod&gt;DC. But I only have an undergrad degree in psychology so what do I know.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Libramarian, post: 5984709, member: 6688858"] Two definitions: 1) A game is elegant if it does what you want it to do without unnecessary rules effort 2) A game that appears in the abstract to be mathematically or conceptually pleasing in its simplicity The first one is clearly the most important insofar as games are meant to be played. I have developed a skepticism with regard to (1) necessarily following from (2). For one reason, I think that a sort of design that most people would call inelegant according to (2) -- modular subsystems using different dice -- can actually have advantages with regard to rules effort in play. Using different dice for different procedures makes them easier to separate mentally and remember. The human mind doesn't work with systems like a computer: it likes big, chunky categories, with rough edges between them. I like that in AD&D you use d100 for thief skills, d20 for attack rolls, and d6 for surprise. The different dice serve as physical anchors for the different concepts. I don't like everything jumbled together into a hash of d20+mod>DC. But I only have an undergrad degree in psychology so what do I know. [/QUOTE]

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