[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] What is a game? (again) was:[Excellent commentary on Vanguard's diplomacy system]

[Jeffrey Kesselman]

On 2/27/07, cruise <cruise at casual-tempest.net> wrote:

> I consider something competitive if it includes challenges - I'm
> competing against the challenge (and indirectly against whoever created
> the challenge, which could be myself).
> if you include games that are 'everyone against the game" then i more or less agree.

But really, IMo, what you are saying is that a "game" is a challenge
with some reasonable chance of success on the part of the player.
(Note that this excludes most carny games, which i consider "scams'
not games.  It also leave out the lottery for a similar reason.

There *is* a whole 'nother category of entertainment that doesn't have
this quality, but i would call those "toys" as opposed to games.