[MUD-Dev] Re: Storytelling vs. Simulationist (Was Re: Room descriptions)

[Adam Wiggins]

On Fri, 2 Oct 1998, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:
> >At 10/1/98 10:21 PM Brandon J. Rickman (ashes at pc4.zennet.com) altered the 
> >>Simulation wants a cause for each effect;
> >>storytelling wants to make things up as you go along.  
> 
> Dissention: Simulation wants a PROGRAMMATICALLY DEFINED cause for each
> effect, e.g. when something happens in the game, the *game* must know why.
> Storytelling is satisfied if the *players* know why.

Very good.  Moreover, I might note that if simulationist players know 'why'
too early on, they will get bored and leave.  (As Raph might say, "the
man behind the curtain")

A true 'Explorer' style player in the midst of a real simulationist world will
be much like a wide-eyed child.  They see a million interesting and strange
things, none of which they fathom - but they want to know 'why', and set about
pushing and prodding at things to see what happens.  If all the things they
see turn out to be cardboard cutouts which collapse at the slightest touch,
they will quickly get bored or frustrated.

Adam W.