[MUD-Dev2] Risk vs Reward [was: Value]

[cruise]

Thus spake Mike Rozak...
> In my writeup, I used the term "weak" and "strong" choices to indicate
> choices that could easily be undone. Walking a short distance is almost
> always a weak choice because it's easy to walk back to the same place you
> started. Selecting which university you wish to attend is usually a
> strong choice because it's not easy to suddenly switch to another
> university.

I think this is a valid distinction, and an alternative way to classify 
choices. Something can be strong, but meaningless, or weak, but meaningful.

Thus spake Sean Howard...
> For instance, a weak choice is one where it doesn't matter which way you
> go as they all lead to the same outcome or is different only comsmetically
> (what color hair do you want), or where you don't have enough information
> to make an informed choice so it might as well be random selection (like
> rock-paper-scisssors).
> 
> A strong choice is one that is deterministic based on information before
> the choice, and has some sort of changing effect on the game world and on
> future choices (ie wearing fire proof armor).

To me, that classification is better served by "meaningful", but each to 
their own :P

> Maybe it's just me, but that's how I'd always heard the terms used...
> Strangely, your examples of weak and strong choices are equally valid with
> the usages I'm familiar with as well, so it seems there is some overlap.
> It just seems like defining choices based on how easy they are to undo
> seems to be missing the important nature of what choice is.

On the contrary, it's a large part of what makes a choice a choice. If 
it is easy to undo a choice, then really the only choice is which order 
to try the various options.