02-14-2017, 01:48 PM
Grim, I'm not sure I'm following you. Your answer seems to be that you have no answer (or that there is no answer).
There may in fact never be one best answer, but if you poll 1,000 people and 800+ of them give you a consistent answer - then you can have a pretty good idea of where the mindset of the general population is. If the response is completely flat, then you either have to try to please everybody or you should try and please as many of them as possible within the constraints of time and budget.
In my mind, even though you seem to be saying there is no one answer, I believe you have cast your lot towards #1 or #2. If you are simply skimming the battle reports from Hyborian Wars and Alamaze, it means the lengthy details are less important to you than some specific details that you are seeking. Whether the game is an epic adventure filled with vast numbers of characters, military units, cities, etc. or whether it's a single character RPG, what I want to know is "did I win or lose?" and "how much damage did I inflict and/or take during the battle". Is it safe to assume that this is also the information that you are skimming the battle report looking for?
Regarding the cooking of chicken ... each game designer would most likely create a different taste experience. Some will make chicken the tasters will love. Some will make chicken that the tasters will hate and some tasters will simply be indifferent because they would prefer beef. Knowing the palettes of your tasters will make it much easier for the designer/chef to prepare them a taste experience they will enjoy. I love spicy food. My wife prefers less spicy food. I can prepare the very best spicy chicken ever made - but my wife will not eat it because it does not suit her palette.
I am expecting that the readers of this forum comprise a decent cross section of PBM gamers along with their likes and dislikes. I want to provide the taste experience that is most palatable to the largest possible audience.
... and now I'm hungry for fried chicken ...
There may in fact never be one best answer, but if you poll 1,000 people and 800+ of them give you a consistent answer - then you can have a pretty good idea of where the mindset of the general population is. If the response is completely flat, then you either have to try to please everybody or you should try and please as many of them as possible within the constraints of time and budget.
In my mind, even though you seem to be saying there is no one answer, I believe you have cast your lot towards #1 or #2. If you are simply skimming the battle reports from Hyborian Wars and Alamaze, it means the lengthy details are less important to you than some specific details that you are seeking. Whether the game is an epic adventure filled with vast numbers of characters, military units, cities, etc. or whether it's a single character RPG, what I want to know is "did I win or lose?" and "how much damage did I inflict and/or take during the battle". Is it safe to assume that this is also the information that you are skimming the battle report looking for?
Regarding the cooking of chicken ... each game designer would most likely create a different taste experience. Some will make chicken the tasters will love. Some will make chicken that the tasters will hate and some tasters will simply be indifferent because they would prefer beef. Knowing the palettes of your tasters will make it much easier for the designer/chef to prepare them a taste experience they will enjoy. I love spicy food. My wife prefers less spicy food. I can prepare the very best spicy chicken ever made - but my wife will not eat it because it does not suit her palette.
I am expecting that the readers of this forum comprise a decent cross section of PBM gamers along with their likes and dislikes. I want to provide the taste experience that is most palatable to the largest possible audience.
... and now I'm hungry for fried chicken ...