tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post308151185140103508..comments2024-03-27T22:32:17.055-05:00Comments on Jeffs Gameblog: I am a dirty thiefJeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-74809266728717450702008-11-08T16:39:00.000-06:002008-11-08T16:39:00.000-06:00gordon, it's because "evolve" has several definiti...gordon, it's because "evolve" has several definitions, some of which are casual and decidedly out of synch with the pedantic/scientific senses of the term ... some of which are purely metaphorical and which have little connection at _all_ with them.<BR/><BR/>That's the way language works, and all the pedants in the world can stamp their little feet and wring their pocket protectors and when the next day dawns, that's <I>still</I> the way language works.<BR/><BR/>That said, Jeff's original post (or not entirely original post, as the case may be) had a very valuable point hidden behind the obscuring semantics, which is a shame :/S. John Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284417121877141161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-23266561651676815282008-11-04T03:47:00.000-06:002008-11-04T03:47:00.000-06:00I've been correcting people's incorrect use of the...I've been correcting people's incorrect use of the word "evolve" forever. It never sinks in. There will always be those who think "change" and "evolve" are synonyms.<BR/><BR/>Individuals cannot evolve. A set of rules is an individual item. A new edition is not a new species of rules.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12353846549822192408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-65094026734664613522008-11-03T19:37:00.000-06:002008-11-03T19:37:00.000-06:00We've been saying that on K&K Alehouse for...We've been saying that on K&K Alehouse for years. James knows that. But, I guess it would only be an original idea if it came from a blog. :shrug:Kellrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18149255116106626419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-64827745213891213932008-11-03T16:08:00.000-06:002008-11-03T16:08:00.000-06:00Why does every thing on the internet devolve to in...Why does every thing on the internet devolve to insults and pressure asshat political tactics. This sucks. I wish it would stop. Saying rules evolved isn't, necessarily insulting old schoolers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-500297510525222192008-11-03T07:50:00.000-06:002008-11-03T07:50:00.000-06:00Not a problem.Not a problem.JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-8410296811406717472008-11-03T04:03:00.000-06:002008-11-03T04:03:00.000-06:00Hell Jeff, I probably did the same with some of yo...Hell Jeff, I probably did the same with some of your stuff quite a fewe time in the last 15 months.<BR/><BR/>Good Show.<BR/><BR/>Games don't evolve, of course, however the thinking behind their design changes.ChattyDMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06774125843333573256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-81860600469693543422008-11-03T01:09:00.000-06:002008-11-03T01:09:00.000-06:00Games do evolve. In a process of natural selection...Games do evolve. In a process of natural selection, the games which satisfy their players live based on sales and popular consciousness of their rules and themes - the rest die. Death being defined as a departure from common knowledge and a lack of support from either the parent company or dedicated fans. Evolution never refers to change in any specific generation of animals, it refers to changes over generations as traits which survive well are passed down. Therefore, if a new edition of D&D (for example) has inherited certain traits deemed most likely to succeed, that decision wasn't plucked out of thin air. It was influenced by the successes and failures of previous RPGs. No, the metaphor isn't perfect; there is little apparent randomness, unless you consider that games are often designed by teams who communicate imperfectly, and who have at best incomplete knowledge of what their audience wants - and that is stretching the point. I don't find the term a bad one to describe the process at all.<BR/><BR/>Like the alligator and crocodile, though, some beasts remain the same over millions of years. D&D as first printed is by no means dead, fitting this metaphor to the T. It has not evolved; though small changes have been made by the fan community, it remains viable in its original form. This is an incredible strength in a medium where most competitors don't last a single year.Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07159572189487274802noreply@blogger.com