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Jazuela · 08-11-2003, 06:54 AM

I'll use your wolf example to explain why numbers (or at least -some- reference to mechanics) are useful in a RPG:

The staff can't be there 24/7 to moderate every hit taken on every adventurer. So they add mechanics to do some of the work on their behalf.

So how about that fight with the wolf. You get one bite. "Realistically," if you were an elf.. oh wait. You can't be an elf realistically. Elves aren't real. So now we're back to "how do you know it's time to flee?"

Without mechanics, you don't. I'm not talking numbers, per se. But at least some reference to mechanics.. such as "You feel like crap" or "You are bleeding profusely and if you don't flee NOW you are gonna die."

We've got the screen scroll of the fight itself, then add into it any outside interference, such as other adventurers coming to your rescue, or the rest of the pack of wolves running into the frey.

And during all this, you're supposed to keep track of every message that appears on your screen in case you get that one message that reads, "Get the heck outta there!"

For the *player,* it's much easier to see a number in the middle of text scroll. Yes, it distracts from the RP. But in real life, we have a method of knowing when it's time to run. We HURT. We can feel our blood dripping down, we can taste the ripped cheek dangling on our lips. As players, we have no way of doing that in a text game. Except to read whatever it says on the screen.

I'd rather be interrupted by a quick number showing up, or a beep, or highlighted text in bright red, or the word *BLEEDING!* outlined with asterisks, than to have to wade through the regular screen scroll in the middle of a battle just to make sure I didn't miss something important.

Again, yes it does interrupt roleplay. But so does the fact that you're typing commands, reading text on a screen, dealing with your ISP lagging, or your cat jumping on your lap, or any of a thousand other things that interrupt roleplay. If I allowed all these outside interferences annoy me, I wouldn't be able to play RPGs at all.

The numbers, if they are done discretely and the player has the ability to squelch them if they so choose, is just another minor distraction that can be easily overcome, in my opinion.

08-11-2003, 06:54 AM	#12
Jazuela Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New England Posts: 849	I'll use your wolf example to explain why numbers (or at least -some- reference to mechanics) are useful in a RPG: The staff can't be there 24/7 to moderate every hit taken on every adventurer. So they add mechanics to do some of the work on their behalf. So how about that fight with the wolf. You get one bite. "Realistically," if you were an elf.. oh wait. You can't be an elf realistically. Elves aren't real. So now we're back to "how do you know it's time to flee?" Without mechanics, you don't. I'm not talking numbers, per se. But at least some reference to mechanics.. such as "You feel like crap" or "You are bleeding profusely and if you don't flee NOW you are gonna die." We've got the screen scroll of the fight itself, then add into it any outside interference, such as other adventurers coming to your rescue, or the rest of the pack of wolves running into the frey. And during all this, you're supposed to keep track of every message that appears on your screen in case you get that one message that reads, "Get the heck outta there!" For the player, it's much easier to see a number in the middle of text scroll. Yes, it distracts from the RP. But in real life, we have a method of knowing when it's time to run. We HURT. We can feel our blood dripping down, we can taste the ripped cheek dangling on our lips. As players, we have no way of doing that in a text game. Except to read whatever it says on the screen. I'd rather be interrupted by a quick number showing up, or a beep, or highlighted text in bright red, or the word BLEEDING! outlined with asterisks, than to have to wade through the regular screen scroll in the middle of a battle just to make sure I didn't miss something important. Again, yes it does interrupt roleplay. But so does the fact that you're typing commands, reading text on a screen, dealing with your ISP lagging, or your cat jumping on your lap, or any of a thousand other things that interrupt roleplay. If I allowed all these outside interferences annoy me, I wouldn't be able to play RPGs at all. The numbers, if they are done discretely and the player has the ability to squelch them if they so choose, is just another minor distraction that can be easily overcome, in my opinion.