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Old 12-28-2014, 05:51 AM   #56
Tomsdad
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
Default Re: Literal vs. Abstract interpretation of GURPS combat and other things

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Assuming making it more realistic neither make it easier nor harder, it falls under '#7. Making something different. A change has to make something more powerful, less powerful, or neither. A change caused by wishing to make something more realistic is the cause; an increase, decrease, or neither, in power, is the outcome.

You yourself say it's done for reasons of realism, and then proceed to hint that the relationship lacks causation. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something?
You seem to assuming that there is causal relationship between realism and changes to game mechanics. You then go on to infer things like intent and preference based on this causal relationship.

In short those who want more realism therefore want more complex rules (or certainly rules that deviate from literalist RAW more), that is dependent on causal relationship.

I'm suggesting that there is only a correlation between the two, and that even more importantly it's not uniformly in just one direction. This makes your following inferences less relevant to the process.

I.e Those who want more realism just want more realism and are not actually thinking in terms of more or less complexity or even making actions harder or easier. Again while Sighted shots might be more restricted they get the follow up buff, unsighted ones now get a buff.

The example given was making Sighted shots AoA. You posited that there was an aspect of this precess where those involved had looked at this from a game balance point of view. Only that wasn't the case they had only looked at it from a realism point of view. It was deemed more realistic to make Sighted shots AoA, that was the be all and end all of the process. There was no ulterior or even obvious motivation in regards restricting them by the game system.

Now it's been pointed out that this change has acted to distinguish between those making sighted accurate shots having to take more defensive position, which means that those who don't have to fill more aggressive roles. But again that is a point about realism not game balance, even if it has corollary effect on game choices.

Last edited by Tomsdad; 12-29-2014 at 02:02 AM.
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