Why card-based randomization often feels more agenty than dice-based randomization: If I shuffle a deck, then draw N cards off the top, I am presented with N choices. I am then free to choose any one of those N actions. Other choices are not in front of me, so I dont really feel like I lost them. On the other hand, if I have a character sheet in front of me, with M actions, I can choose one and attempt it with X% likelihood of success. If it fails, then I feel as if *the choice I wanted to make was taken from me*. This extends to a vs. game as well. If you and I are fighting in a card game, with me as player 0 and you as player 1, I have my N(0) choices, and you have your N(1) choices. If, when I make my choice, you have an option within your N(1) choices that can counter it, I dont feel as if my choice was thwarted randomly - I feel as if *you played better than I did*. On the other hand, if I have M(0) choices on a sheet, and you have M(1) choices on a sheet, and one of your options directly opposes mine, then I can choose one and attempt it with something like an [X(0) - X(1)]% likelihood of success. If I fail, then I dont feel as if YOU thwarted me, so much as I feel as if *the dice* thwarted me. Summary: Dice randomize outcomes, cards randomize choices. Randomizing choices makes people feel in control of the choices that are left; randomizing outcomes makes people feel (partially) like they cant even control the choices presented to them. Of course, there are plenty of situations where you WANT that slight out-of-control feeling. Generally, the more simulationy the game/scenario youre designing, the more appropriate dice will be. But Ive found that MechBrawl, which does a pretty darn good job of simulating fast-action giant robot stompy explodey action, gets by just fine without it.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 21:28:31 +0000
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