At 01:17 PM 6/24/99 -0700, Jim Mattson wrote:

>Now, if you can believe that you can breathe underwater by playing a tune on
>a minotaur's horn, you should have no problem accepting the above. Now
>you can use /loc and still call yourself a roleplayer!

Not.

You're missing my point.

In my mind I can justify gadgetry that is intended as part of the game or
is separate from the game but can in a reasonable way be considered part of
the game, such as this mailing list or externally obtained maps. Mailing
lists and maps are straightforward ways for people to exchange information
and can be kept somewhat in game.

My problem is using programming internals to further my ability to beat the
computer program. That's not the game I want to play. It's too much like
disassembling code to decypher the operating system so I can write whizbang
programs of my own, or getting playing hints by printing out all the text
messages from the software. That's playing the computer system, not the game.

/loc and the grid system are program mechanisms, not a game world feature.

This is an old, familiar argument. I've had it before about exploiting
rule glitches in live roleplaying games. Some people do because they get
more power. Others won't because they want to play the fantasy game, not
the external rules. I'm of the latter group and as a game rules designer
tried to eliminate the abilities of the former.

Bob