FormerlyHemlock
Hero
(A) To be honest with you I find that whole discussion about bears and goldilocks confusing. "Is this story about a bear a simulation?" is a question which makes about as much sense to me as "how tall is blue?" I was trying to explain to you what simulation means from my perspective (which I believe is the GDS perspective), but I can't talk about bears and Goldilocks. If that's what you're interested in I have to bow out.I was asking what game doesn't allow for simulation per the example provided by @Maxperson . (A) I don't see how his example actually displays simulation other than that it is plausible that a bear would go into a river and catch a fish. What game doesn't work with some sense of plausibility?
You've offered two... I would agree on Diablo, but I suppose I should have been more specific and said "tabletop RPGs". I'm less concerned about a video game. On Hillfolk, I don't know if I agree. (B) Again, I'm not familiar with it other than the very basics, but I don't think that a bear catching a fish in a river isn't something that could be narrated because it's plausible.
(C) In other words, what is it, other than plausibility, that makes something a simulation?
(B) If you ever have the opportunity to play or run a couple of sessions, I would encourage you to take it. It helped me understand what people like about non-action-oriented RPGs, it helped me understand some of the distinctions between iconic and dramatic heroes in fiction, it clarified my thinking on scene framing, and it changed the way I build NPCs (it's now more network-based with more frequent "fraught relationships"). It also helped me understand some phenomena I see in real life, like the emotional kick some people get out of being the one to deny an emotional petition, even if they don't really want the other results of denying it.
(C) The emphasis on plausibility comes from you, not from me. Per GDS, I have been emphasizing intent to extrapolate. Plausibility is a metric of how good the simulation is, but plausible situations can arise through G or D as well as S. Does that unblock you or need I elaborate? I don't want to insult you by stating the obvious here. Edit: I guess I explained anyway, see following post.
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