Re: (TFT) Re: New Armor in TFT. -- David's thoughts.

[Jay Carlisle <maou.tsaou@gmail.com>]

Okay...
It's the old saw about abstraction vs. realism in TFT and as Joe Heartly
said a few years ago...

"The conversation about (it) is one that's gone on for years."

Yep, and I'm not here to say anyone's wrong about where they come down
on the question but I do have something to say... or try to say, about
the objective merits of having a "realistic" definition of basic
statistical components of the mechanics I think merit consideration
and maybe even some feedback if so inclined.

I find that the nature of the table-top face to face form of RPG's
requires a shared imaginative concept of gameplay that much of the
components serve without explicitly being noted for such ergo the
hex-map for tactical positioning for instance.

Now abstraction is basically flying in the face of this form of
communication if not applied carefully and while this isn't the "end
of the world" much less a problem at all generally speaking it isn't
doing diddly for detail to abstract statistics to the point that Nigel
has a tough time explaining why "... these go up to eleven." is
meaningful or could be if one wasn't so bloody abstract.

Is it really that important?

Obviously it doesn't have to be but it does add too that shared
imaginative image in a way than some may care to play out elseif it's
something that can be left out of play and that's okay but abstraction
alone is like destructive play dynamics as the sole game-mechanics
available for advancement.

A failure in system IMHO from a "Universal" viewpoint albeit a
straight hack and slash dungeon crawl isn't dismissed as a valid
(entertaining) form of play.

Regardless of what's become traditional in the RPG form the fact is WB
and what I deem totalitarian business brought up D&D in its near
infancy or at least in a far from finished state conceptually
speaking.

In other words if the idea was focus on a single member of the Unit
rather than the whole Unit then D&D didin't get finished before warner
wrangled 'em and went with the dungeon crawl dynamics with a books +
modules & expansions marketing model because that's what was paying
not because that's the best for the community of Players and overall
play in what's possible for the form.

Human MA 10 is a proof of the not finished status I'm pointing out
here as MA 10 is Unit movement not an individual with the option to
hurry or dither while making their way to a destination.

When concepts get muddied by too much abstraction as the soul option
in dealing with details You can end up forgetting key features in a
forest for the trees kind of way that can be pretty important to the
topic; like how TFT weapons and armour fill slots in a d6 progression
as much as represent real equipment.

It's not that I'm saying anything's wrong with what We've obviously
all found enjoyment with in the form it's in but if I can add to that
shared imagination among Players without throwing pages of rules at
'em but instead offer simple take it or leave it additions some of
which were unquestionably meant to be in the finished system itself
anyway then... hey.

However, it remains to be seen where the line should be drawn twixt
what's TFT and what's too far... My opinions on what works for armour
is just the sort of example of the kindda thing I'm pointing to with
this worry...

Let's make that part two of this missive...

If Y'all don't mind of course.

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