Re: simulations in HQ outsourced to Narrator

From: John Machin <trithemius_at_...>
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:22:46 +1100

I think the big differences between HQ2 and traditionally high-sim games is that HQ2 is more about intent resolution than task resolution - and when it *is* about task resolution the tasks are typically very big and are being abstracted to single contests.

The other issue is that finding a gun in play is mostly is useful in terms of giving you options with respect to credibility tests. If you don't, narratively, have a gun it makes it less-than-credible to claim that you can shoot people - for instance.

I would personally consider "being out of ammo" to be something involved in the resolution of a contest: if the player with the gun tries to use the gun to solve a problem (e.g. by shooting it perhaps?) and fails then the gun may prove to be empty, or jammed, or broken.

The real key is "what is the gun doing with respect to the story?" not the guns technical capabilities.

-- 
John Machin
"Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."
- Athanasius Kircher, 'The Great Art of Knowledge'.