Re: An uncommon problem...

From: George (greerga@DRAGON.HAM.MUOHIO.EDU)
Date: 09/29/97


On Sun, 28 Sep 1997, Daniel Koepke wrote:

>scrambling system.  You don't want to the player deciphering
>the language, you want the player's *character* deciphering
>the language.  In other words, allowing an outside element
>(that is, outside of the game), such as a player (and not
>their character) to decipher a language defeats the whole
>purpose of scrambling the text and having language skills in
>the first place.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

It's like playing D&D where someone sits behind the DM and translates all
those ancient language messages for you.  Or if the DM decides that the
ancient language sounds exactly like modern day French, then if *you* know
French, your character sure doesn't and therefore should not know what was
said.

>I've always thought that the idea was to have a game where the
>character takes part in the world, not where the player
>outsmarts and overcomes additions to the game.

I believe so too.  In D&D, the player outsmarting the game is where he goes
out and buys the same game pack the DM is using.  It defeats the purpose of
playing, makes everything boringly tedious, and reduces the fun of everyone
else because nothing is 'mysterious'.

>Did no-one catch this, or does everyone disagree?

No one reads nowadays, they just reply blindly.

--
George Greer  -  Me@Null.net   | Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity
http://www.van.ml.org/~greerga | is not thus handicapped. -- Elbert Hubbard


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