thread: 2009-07-26 : Very Briefly about Authority
On 2009-07-29, cc wrote:
[i]This is where I've lost you, right?[/i]
Not as such, because thats far too loaded an argument for me to take seriously. Who would be against subtle and clever assignment of authority rather than crude? Is it the same people who are against motherhood and apple pie? The allegation that there are "many" designers who think that "crude" assignment of authority is a Good Thing seems to reek of straw men.
I'm not seeing anything in the argument to ongoing agreement trumping prior agreement that shouldn't be correctly described as a basic social contract breakdown. The agreed assignment of authority - whether or crude or clever - has come under strain.
Reading your "alignment of player interests" posts has not clarified matters. I think that by the time, for example, a dispute over whether one players character can be wounded by another hes been elevated to an actual conflict of interest you are already in social contract difficulties. I would instead see that sort of thing, in a functional game, as a conflict of mild preference, at best.
I'm also not sure that these examples show anything novel in terms of authority assignment. Whichever decision is being made, the party with authority to declare fictional content is pretty clear, and does not appear to be under moment to moment negotiation.
