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From: lmaher@uokvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: realism (possible repost) - (nf)
Message-ID: <2400048@uokvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Jun-84 01:23:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uokvax.2400048
Posted: Mon Jun 25 01:23:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Jun-84 02:30:04 EDT
References: <171@oliven.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:oliven:-17100:uokvax:2400048:000:1365
Nf-From: uokvax!lmaher    Jun 25 00:23:00 1984

#R:oliven:-17100:uokvax:2400048:000:1365
uokvax!lmaher    Jun 25 00:23:00 1984

Keep in mind that when we talk about realism in FRP, what we usually mean
is naturalism.  If the rules and the campaign don't make cohesive sense,
we don't know how to react and our suspension of disbelief is ruined.
When we're told we can only move half a mile a day, or take two steps in
a minute, it ruins our belief that we're in a viable world.  If we're told
that a wizard has fried the dragon in its own juices; we have no trouble 
believing, because our experience doesn't contradict that - it simply doesn't
cover that.

Now, you can have some reason why people take 30 seconds a step (they all
look like E.T. :-), but otherwise players will want to know why their
characters can't walk.  This is such a blatant flaw, and it is trivially
fixed - just make the movement rates larger.  So why didn't TSR see how
long it took to walk 60 feet?  Hardly 10 minutes.  

This attitude is throughout *D&D - your nose is constantly rubbed in the
fact that you're playing a game, not experiencing an adventure.  Now,
a good Gamemaster can overcome this; no rule system is so bad it can
be salvaged by a really good GM.  And no rule system is so good it can't
be spoiled.  But some are easier to spoil than others, and some are harder
to salvage than others.

Then again, I run my Fantasy Campaign using Champions, so what do I know :-)

	Carl
	..!ctvax!uokvax!lmaher