Mixture

[claw at null.net]

On 29/03/97 at 08:22 PM, "Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com>
said: >> On 27/03/97 at 10:27 PM, Adam Wiggins <nightfall at inficad.com>
said:  >>> [JCL]:

>>>> I see no reason that the system should ever report stats for things
>>>> like dexterity, strength and such (aside: I can see no possible excuse
>>>> for an intelligence stat.).
>> 
>Ahh the intelligence stat.  Controversy still rages in the paper &
>pencil RPGs over this.  
...
>...Situations
>can occur like:  "Bob that is  an altogether brilliant solution to
>the puzzle at hand, however you character Bubba the troll has the
>intelligence of a 2 week old rat snake and such a  solution is
>basically beyond his grasp."  

Precisely.

>There are others who demand an 
>intelligence stat in order to effectively roleplay their character to
>the point  where they will intentionally overlook what may be obvious
>courses of action from a player perspective.  

In which case I see nothing to prevent them from dreaming up their own
intelligence stat and diddling with it as they chose.  Why the game
has to be involved is beyond me.

>I have seen this stat
>broken out into as many as 4 different stats in some games or not
>used at all.

There are some break-outs which I do like.  The definition of
intelligence I really dislike to binding in MUDs is "the ability to
pose and resolve problems relating to survival."  Visual accuity,
perception, will power, all that stuff, sure, it could be in the game
as its very easy for the game to enforce it via the IOs it sends the
player, the interactions it allows -- just not the above definition. 
Having the game enforce choice of action is counter to the whole flow.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...