thread: 2005-03-15 : Definition: Engaged
On 2005-03-16, John Kim wrote:
I don't agree that such a boardgame is necessarily disengaged. What you're describing is a refereed game like free kriegspiel. The referee has final say, and so there is no guarantee that the referee won't rule against your move. So yes, if the referee [i]does[/i] in fact block each players' input, then the game would be disengaged. However, that's not necessarily the case.
If the referee does [i]not[/i] block players' input, but instead considers them fairly (as he is directed to do), then this can be engaged play. I've only done one free kriegspiel-like game, but it seemed fine to me.
Now, you can also play games which don't have or need a referee. However, there are a lot of advantages of using that position (plus disadvantages as well).
