(a) LOL. Yes, that works exactly. In actual fact, you generally try to tweak it so people die very rarely, and it doesn't quite apply. Where it does apply is experience points, which, once awarded for an encounter, do add.
But now I wonder if chance of dying would make a good measure in addition to the traditional system -- it's objective, and the second axis would formalise another important aspect of evaluating an enocunter.
(c) is what it's *supposed* to measure. Though (b) is probably closer to what it *does* measure, as all the non-linearities in combining monsters aren't taken account of in the formula.
And in DnD you're either on your feet with full strength, or dying, your effectiveness doesn't really drop. (For spellcasters, that's "have spells left" or "have no spells left"), so (b) doesn't make that much difference.
Actually, I guess there's approximately two timescales that matter. Overnight, you regain spells, and maybe go back to base and renew equipment. Over a few minutes, you can cast healing spells, drink potions, pull people out of pit traps, etc.
Fighting monsters consecutively would be close to "fighting monsters concurrently, but ignoring synergies", which is what they're supposed to measure.
I'm not sure if the term "resources" better tracks hit points or healing potions, or even if it's that well defined (it's certainly not that well thought out :)) That's the end of my musings for this post -- note, this is *mostly* theoretical on my part, I've played some, but not a lot.
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Date: 2007-11-19 06:19 pm (UTC)But now I wonder if chance of dying would make a good measure in addition to the traditional system -- it's objective, and the second axis would formalise another important aspect of evaluating an enocunter.
(c) is what it's *supposed* to measure. Though (b) is probably closer to what it *does* measure, as all the non-linearities in combining monsters aren't taken account of in the formula.
And in DnD you're either on your feet with full strength, or dying, your effectiveness doesn't really drop. (For spellcasters, that's "have spells left" or "have no spells left"), so (b) doesn't make that much difference.
Actually, I guess there's approximately two timescales that matter. Overnight, you regain spells, and maybe go back to base and renew equipment. Over a few minutes, you can cast healing spells, drink potions, pull people out of pit traps, etc.
Fighting monsters consecutively would be close to "fighting monsters concurrently, but ignoring synergies", which is what they're supposed to measure.
I'm not sure if the term "resources" better tracks hit points or healing potions, or even if it's that well defined (it's certainly not that well thought out :)) That's the end of my musings for this post -- note, this is *mostly* theoretical on my part, I've played some, but not a lot.