Comments for danmaruschak.com http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:55:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Compliance Techniques and RPG Design 2 by danmaruschak.com | Choices Must Matter http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/05/27/compliance-techniques-and-rpg-design-2/comment-page-1/#comment-2404 danmaruschak.com | Choices Must Matter Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:55:30 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=343#comment-2404 [...] are encouraged to take these choices seriously, to think about them ahead of time. This encourages commitment to a character [...] [...] are encouraged to take these choices seriously, to think about them ahead of time. This encourages commitment to a character [...]

]]> Comment on Further Dungeon World Thoughts by Sage http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2012/01/07/further-dungeon-world-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-2330 Sage Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:41:14 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=453#comment-2330 Jesse's reading is correct: any hit gives +1, a 7-9 also gives you some trouble. Jesse’s reading is correct: any hit gives +1, a 7-9 also gives you some trouble.

]]> Comment on More Dungeon World Thoughts by danmaruschak.com | Further Dungeon World Thoughts http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/11/04/more-dungeon-world-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-2326 danmaruschak.com | Further Dungeon World Thoughts Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:59:33 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=420#comment-2326 [...] On Thursday my regular Skype group picked up our Dungeon World game again after missing a bunch of sessions during the holidays, and I wanted to record some more observations (earlier DW posts here and here). [...] [...] On Thursday my regular Skype group picked up our Dungeon World game again after missing a bunch of sessions during the holidays, and I wanted to record some more observations (earlier DW posts here and here). [...]

]]> Comment on Further Dungeon World Thoughts by Dan http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2012/01/07/further-dungeon-world-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-2325 Dan Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:56:58 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=453#comment-2325 Jesse, I think the wording is ambiguous. I read the "also" as meaning that when the person you're helping faces danger you <i>also</i> face that same danger. Your way makes more sense to me in terms of how the rest of the game works since a 7-9 should be at least marginally beneficial, but I feel like I need to make a bit of a leap to get there from how the move is written. Jesse,
I think the wording is ambiguous. I read the “also” as meaning that when the person you’re helping faces danger you also face that same danger. Your way makes more sense to me in terms of how the rest of the game works since a 7-9 should be at least marginally beneficial, but I feel like I need to make a bit of a leap to get there from how the move is written.

]]> Comment on Further Dungeon World Thoughts by Jesse Burneko http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2012/01/07/further-dungeon-world-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-2324 Jesse Burneko Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:41:34 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=453#comment-2324 Hey Dan, We just played DW world tonight and I see a lot of this stuff going on in our game. I did want to point out a small rules error you have. The Aid move is worded a little weird but there's a very crucial "also" in the 7-9 text. So on a 10+ you give them +1 on a 7-9 you still give them a +1 but you *also* expose yourself to whatever danger they are facing. Just wanted to point that out. Jesse Hey Dan,

We just played DW world tonight and I see a lot of this stuff going on in our game. I did want to point out a small rules error you have. The Aid move is worded a little weird but there’s a very crucial “also” in the 7-9 text. So on a 10+ you give them +1 on a 7-9 you still give them a +1 but you *also* expose yourself to whatever danger they are facing.

Just wanted to point that out.

Jesse

]]> Comment on Initial Impressions of Dungeon World by danmaruschak.com | Further Dungeon World Thoughts http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/10/14/initial-impressions-of-dungeon-world/comment-page-1/#comment-2319 danmaruschak.com | Further Dungeon World Thoughts Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:55:07 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=394#comment-2319 [...] of sessions during the holidays, and I wanted to record some more observations (earlier DW posts here and [...] [...] of sessions during the holidays, and I wanted to record some more observations (earlier DW posts here and [...]

]]> Comment on The Halo Effect and RPGs by Dan http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/12/31/the-halo-effect-and-rpgs/comment-page-1/#comment-2279 Dan Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:06:45 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=449#comment-2279 Graham, I think we can separate those out as concepts, or at the very least we should be careful about mixing them up with each other, even though they're not completely independent. The point I was trying to make is that the Halo Effect can make it easy to believe you're measuring X when you might be measuring Y. A game might seem more fun in a high-energy convention context than in a normal home-play environment, which could lead a designer to misplaced conclusions if they think they're <i>only</i> measuring the impact of the mechanics on play. I agree with you that there's a danger of over-quantifying, but that doesn't mean we should abandon all efforts to understand complex things (that's similar to the basic thesis of the book that inspired the original post: that running a business is complicated, and looking at it scientifically is hard, but that doesn't mean we should be content with not analyzing at all or settling for pseudo-science). Graham, I think we can separate those out as concepts, or at the very least we should be careful about mixing them up with each other, even though they’re not completely independent. The point I was trying to make is that the Halo Effect can make it easy to believe you’re measuring X when you might be measuring Y. A game might seem more fun in a high-energy convention context than in a normal home-play environment, which could lead a designer to misplaced conclusions if they think they’re only measuring the impact of the mechanics on play.

I agree with you that there’s a danger of over-quantifying, but that doesn’t mean we should abandon all efforts to understand complex things (that’s similar to the basic thesis of the book that inspired the original post: that running a business is complicated, and looking at it scientifically is hard, but that doesn’t mean we should be content with not analyzing at all or settling for pseudo-science).

]]> Comment on The Halo Effect and RPGs by Graham http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/12/31/the-halo-effect-and-rpgs/comment-page-1/#comment-2278 Graham Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:17:03 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=449#comment-2278 I can see the value of applying Halo Effects to playtesting, but also the dangers. For example, aren't "friends with the same hobbies" and "good game mechanics" connected to "fictional content I enjoy"? Can we meaningfully separate those out? Similarly, why should the high-energy environment of a con cloud "useful data"? Should we only test games in non-fun environments? There's a danger, I think, of over-quantifying games and playtesting. They're complex social process that, probably, we don't understand well enough to quantify. I can see the value of applying Halo Effects to playtesting, but also the dangers. For example, aren’t “friends with the same hobbies” and “good game mechanics” connected to “fictional content I enjoy”? Can we meaningfully separate those out?

Similarly, why should the high-energy environment of a con cloud “useful data”? Should we only test games in non-fun environments?

There’s a danger, I think, of over-quantifying games and playtesting. They’re complex social process that, probably, we don’t understand well enough to quantify.

]]> Comment on Initial Impressions of Dungeon World by danmaruschak.com | More Dungeon World Thoughts http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/2011/10/14/initial-impressions-of-dungeon-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1597 danmaruschak.com | More Dungeon World Thoughts Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:41:44 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?p=394#comment-1597 [...] a few weeks of missed sessions we got back to our Dungeon World game. I think most of my observations from the last session still apply, but I noticed a few new things I wanted to comment [...] [...] a few weeks of missed sessions we got back to our Dungeon World game. I think most of my observations from the last session still apply, but I noticed a few new things I wanted to comment [...]

]]> Comment on Final Hour of a Storied Age by Lark #03: A retrospective | DivNull Productions http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/final-hour-of-a-storied-age/comment-page-1/#comment-1557 Lark #03: A retrospective | DivNull Productions Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:22:05 +0000 http://www.danmaruschak.com/blog/?page_id=14#comment-1557 [...] Final Hour of a Storied Age needs beta playtesters. [...] [...] Final Hour of a Storied Age needs beta playtesters. [...]

]]>