(OT) Do you prefer to know game formulas?

[PvK]

Skolem said:
PvK
could you please explain what you understand by complex, there could be formula that albeit long, are easy to understand because they make sense?

Yes, I meant complex but sense-making.

There are of course important different types of complexity. Here I was trying to reduce it to preference about complexity itself, and the theme I had in mind was the difference between being able to fairly easily completely understand the rules and be able to predict outcomes.

On one extreme, a player would prefer to know all the rules and the values of both sides, and for them to be simple enough to easily predict results.

On the other extreme, a player would prefer to not know the exact rules, nor the exact values even of his own assets, so that players need to accept much uncertainty, relate to what the things are supposed to represent, rather than their game values, and to learn from play how things work and which units have which qualities.

Thanks for the really interesting answers, all of you! I posted this in SE4 and also in the 82nd Airborne thread. The values have fluctuated a bit, but I think I see some interesting differences between the responses in each thread, which I think kind of make sense. For instance, although only a few people have voted so far in the 82nd thread, in that game there are very complex formulas which tend to be explained but usually not written out, and the values are detailed but not shown exactly - the game is all about dealing with uncertainty and complexity. In that poll, there was more in favor of those sides of the scales. In SE4, being more about technology and machines and being a bit simpler and clearer in the game mechanics than either 82nd or Dominions, I think there has been more of a preference for simplicity and open rules and values.

Of course, some game mechanics can seem to give the players full information, and yet be impossible to predict what will actually happen, because there will be too much going on during play. For example, even if we had the exact formula for how the missile weapons fly in Dominions II it would still be hard to predict the odds of a certain amount of damage from a barrage of 30 archers at various ranges, target densities, etc. It's only when the game mechanics not only involve clear formulas, but simple algorithms (like Mind Duel, or castle defense erosion in Dominions), that it becomes very easy to predict.

Anyway, very interesting - thanks again for your thoughts!

PvK