Re: (TFT) Rule of Five

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
>>>>>>>>>> >I think that the Rule of 5 is a great idea.<

I also think it's a great idea. 

>>>>>>>>Why does it need to be justified?  It's there specifically for the
>>>>>>>>purpose of balancing the game, and in my experience works pretty
well.

It doesn't need to be justified, but it makes it a lot less arbitrary if it
is well justified. 

>>>>>>>>As I think I've said before, Melee/Wizard/ITL are abstractions of a
>>>>>>>>particular set of actions, experiences and locations.  The
streamlined
>>>>>>>>approach to these games doesn't have to accurately model reality.
>>>>>>>>("What is reality?" - The Firesign Theater)

Reality has nothing to do with a justification for an arbitrary rule. 

Having the justification for a rule doesn't make it any more realistic.
"Clerics don't use knives because they are forbidden to shed blood" is not
more realistic than "Its there for game balance". 

It's just makes for more interesting role-playing of cleric. 

Also, modeling has nothing to do with the justification for an arbitrary
rule. The justification for the rule of 5 would not make it more accurately
model any particular magic system. 

It would just make for more interesting role-playing, that's all.

>>>>>>>>I've often felt that TFT didn't get as big as D&D or some other RPG
systems
>>>>>>>>because it valued that gameplay over strict modeling.  People can
go to
>>>>>>>>extremes to model certain situations, leading to overly complex
rules and
>>>>>>>>long bouts of dice-rolling.  TFT tends to be more general, bringing
things
>>>>>>>>to a more basic form.

TFT DID get as big as D&D at one time - then Metagaming stopped publishing
it and Steve Jackson traded the rights for it for Ogre. Had TFT continued
to be published it's likely it would have easily surpassed D&D. 

Of course, it would have had to add the production values and large
distribution channel that also helped D&D, but everything that was
successful after that point in gaming history had to add that. 

>>>>>>>>I don't think anyone can really justify the rule of 5 from a
modeling point,
>>>>>>>>but it keeps a game from having a character like Massha from Robert
>>>>>>>>Aspirin's "Myth" series - all gadgets and no talent.<

I dont think it needs to be justified from a modeling viewpoint. I just
think it would be more intersting and less aribtrary if it were justified
from ANY viewpoint!

(Personally, I've alway kept it optional - optional for me as a GM that is!
If I need it, I'll use it - but I've never needed it. I don't hand out
enough magic items for it to come up!).

Michael 



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