RE: (TFT) Hey its Conan!!!

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
> >>>>I think the real issue here is how closely does one want to model
reality?

Why would you want to model reality? In reality violence is an ugly,
painful and horrible experience that takes weeks and years to get over
physically and mentally. 

I just want to kill monsters and take their stuff...

>>>>>>That's not merely unrealistic, its unbelievable. And for fantasy
>>>>>>to be really effective, it really needs to be at least somewhat
plausible
>>>>>>(and as a minimum internally consistent).

I think that's the bottom line. Nothing whatsoever to do with reality - we
watch/read and are entertained by many things which stretch reality all
over the place. What we really want is internal consistency.  The world
should act the same way all the time for everyone. 

>>>>>>So a Conan type really isn't all that realistic. I don't mind
stretching
>>>>>>things a bit, but the idea that a nearly naked man is going to take
on a
>>>>>>half dozen knights in full plate and survive (much less win) is just
a bit
>>>>>>more then I can swallow. 

Well there you go. I have no problems with the above example at all. If I
sent 12 knights, I'd want the players to surrender - and my rules better
make sure they die if they dont. But six 25-point gaurds against a 40-point
player? I'm just giving the player something to do while I look at my
notes....

TFT gives me the closest thing to this kind of balance I've yet seen. 

And I think this most closely matches the kind of adventures we've all come
to enjoy in tv, movies and books. Our heroes aren't invincible, but they
are more than a match for a 'gang'. It will be an exciting fight - but
still the outcome will rarely be in much doubt. 

Michael
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