Re: (TFT) Sci-Fi TFT

["Neil Gilmore" <raito@raito.com>]

>     Thanks for your kind words on the half-breed work.  When I was struck
> with the desire to re-publish TFT, or at least share what I have learned
> from it, I dug into the copyright laws.  Struck by the fact that ``an idea
> for a game can not be copyrighted'' I have spent some time trying to cifer
> out the underlying formulas for the game.  This has really appealed to my
> mathmatical side.

And it does reinforce one of the things I like most about TFT. It's not so
much about rules, as rules on how to make rules. This is what allows it to
be so compact.

>      I have developed some formulas for the monsters and humanoids.  With
> minor changes in the existing listings I could recreate all of them.  The
> new formulaic definition of what a humanoid is, as opposed to a monster,
is
> that the humanoids start with ``extra points'' to allocate to their
> character.  These ``extra points'' becoming the definition of being raised
> in a civilized environment.  The more points availiable to be allocated,
the
> more civilized or advanced the culture is for its people.

Interesting idea. So you're saying that the definition of civilization is
the ability to specialize? A wolf is a wolf is a wolf, but a dog is a
watchdog or a herding dog or a show dog. Hmm, I could probably envision a
'civilization' which either doesn't specialize, or specializes so much that
there really aren't any individual choices.

>      I have civilized them a bit, according to the formula definition.
> Following this reasoning higher tech settings with have races with more
> starting points.  Thus in a far future setting, starting men may look like
> this.  ST 6  DX 6  IQ  6  and 14 extra points.

I'm not sure I agree with that reasoning. Look at the recent discussion
about Mathematics. A TFT Mathematician could probably use a sextant and
such, but a modren one probably couldn't. Just like the modern does
calculus, but the TFT doesn't.

>      Lastly, I'm glad you were not offended by the theology.  I tested
that
> theory of ``the divine as low IQ'' against several religious authorities.
> Including one important local figure in Islam.  My inside track to all
> things Muslem.

I'd be interested in why you chose giants and humans to get demigods.

Your big post is currently on another machine, so forgive me if I get your
terminology wrong. First a comment. Your highest technology level looks a
bit as though it could encompass Moorcock's 'Dancers at the End of Time'
stuff -- characters so powerful that they regularly destroyed whole systems,
and so decadent that they were clueless that they were doing so (using the
energy to create useful things, like parties).

Also, in Against the Drug Lords, were you saying that the next civilization
level (space?) is most likely acheived when everyone is stoned?

>      David Micahel Grouchy II

Neil Gilmore
raito@raito.com
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