tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246037824413568064.post7037818983913357325..comments2024-03-28T06:46:47.044-07:00Comments on Tom Van Winkle's Return to Gaming: Player Skill versus Skillfully Playing Your CharacterTom Van Winklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00498476328377801884noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246037824413568064.post-29644528335386085242020-04-17T06:39:30.112-07:002020-04-17T06:39:30.112-07:00I was referring to giving xp for being in characte...I was referring to giving xp for being in character, or other enjoyable activities – cheapening is as humans, implicitly suggesting that we might not be interested in that without a reward. It’s like that research showing that giving people money for inherently enjoyable activities removes that joy.<br /><br />I grant XP for gold spent – simply because I want to reward a particular optional activity in the game that leads to adventure as the lowest common denominator but usually my players don’t care so much and a simple chapter structure would work just as well. <br /><br />The only thing I would oppose is xp for simply joining the game, or xp for a certain number of sessions, that sort of also takes away the reward nature.<br /><br />Travelled did have an advancement mechanic that I remember: if you assume that every jump takes a week and you can spend a week studying, then it is possible to very slowly increase your skills: there is one page in the 1983 edition of the rules I have talking about small improvements over a four year (!) period.Alex Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104864340940538702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246037824413568064.post-52078101772188336782020-04-17T05:50:55.883-07:002020-04-17T05:50:55.883-07:00I think I would not go so far as to call giving ex...I think I would not go so far as to call giving experience points revolting. That is a strong word! I suppose that players may enjoy multiple rewards for playing: on the one hand, fun, on the other, a more powerful alter-ego (character). I do think it is possible to allow characters to advance or grow in power or just to change in the mode of Chapters as I outlined before, without using an experience point system.<br /><br />I was thinking about your remark on another musing of mine, about the game Traveler. That is one of the few very early games that I never played. I did not realize that there was no feature in that game to allow characters to advance in their statistics. Is that correct? (My first sci-fi role-playing game was Star Frontiers, 1982.) As I look now at information on the original Traveller, I see that it was more influential than I realized. Does Traveller not have an experience point system?Tom Van Winklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498476328377801884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246037824413568064.post-70354065388141049982020-04-16T23:45:22.478-07:002020-04-16T23:45:22.478-07:00Yeah, I never understand handing out a reward for ...Yeah, I never understand handing out a reward for something that is already rewarding. To me, that demeans it. It is saying: the thing you find rewarding, it actually isn’t and I’m going to give you this other reward instead. Revolting!<br />Alex Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104864340940538702noreply@blogger.com