Re: (TFT) Re: Forgetting

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
>
>>>>>>>>I also question the forgetting of a skill.  I have not ridden a
>>>>>>>>bicycle in a long time, but I have no doubt that if I were to get
>>>>>>>>on one now, I'd be riding well in moments.

I agree. Which is why Bicycle isn't a talent. It's simply not that hard to
learn that it's worth an entire point. Therefore it doesn't qualify as
forgettable.  However, I think that most Talents - skills so detailed that
they are worth points rather than just a background mention do need to be
kept up to date.

>>>>>>>>I had taken a long break from astronomy after I got married, and it
>>>>>>>>was only in the past couple of years that I got back into it.  The
>>>>>>>>constellations were right where I'd left them, and I remembered 
>>>>>>>>them all quickly.

But this still works with the TFT rules. You 'forgot' your Astronomy talent
(10/2) by not using it for over a year. This freed up 2 IQ points. You then
decided to start using it again, and low-and-behold you have 2 free IQ
points - which you then immediately bought Astronomy with. You don't even
need to be 'rusty' with it because you  just bought it as a 'new' talent.

>>>>>>>>Do I have to lose my astronomical knowledge if I learn to play the
>>>>>>>>flute?  Nope.  Now, if I don't have the time to practice the flute,

Nope, but that's the beauty of TFT for *role-playing* purposes. If you want
to say "I can play the flute, but I can't practice very often so I'm not
very good...". BAM! You're a mediocre flute player. No dice involved.
However, if you want the BARD (9/2) Talent - meaning that your flute
playing skill is SO good that you can make women swoon and just hearing you
gives a +1 reaction, then yeah, your going to have to let your Astronomy
studies suffer in order to get THAT good at flute playing! 

At best flute playing is just a 1/4 point Hobby. But frankly, in a
role-playing game (or a TV show) it's really just an "affectation" since
you NEVER plan to use it as a plot point. It's just 'colorful'. In the same
way that Mr. Spock plays the Vulcan Lyre. It's not really important IN A
WAY THAT REQUIRES GAME MECHANICS.  It's just 'colorful' and interesting
role-playing. Game mechanics SHOULDNT be necessessary to duplicate it. 

>>>>>>>> I think we have an
>>>>>>>>excellent ability to pull up things from our past.  Quick, what was
>>>>>>>>the name of your roommate your freshman year in college?  That was
>>>>>>>>probably easy.  Trust me, if I could remove certain things from
>>>>>>>>my memory, I would.  All that COBOL crap is just taking up valuable
>>>>>>>>space!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I think that whoever said most of us ignore the forgetting rules
was
>>>>>>>>probably right.

Just some thoughts on Forgetting. I think they're about as simple and
useful a mechanism for 'freeing up points' as any, and I dont think the
game would benefit from allowing you to remember EVERYTHING you ever knew. 

Quick, what was the credit card number of your last girlfriend? I'm sure
you saw it, but you probably dont remember it. So how do you change the
forgetting rules so that they dont invite that kind of GM-player
discussion? 

Michael 

=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"