[Torg] Why 0-21? Or why not ?

[Alexandre Chessel]

Hi to everyone !

Let's assume this topic still keep on interesting people with the point it is based on !

Reducing the charts ? or not ?

Torg is a nice game with a pure mechanism, ruling everything from an ant to a space-cruiser with the same chart ! I've always assume that this was linked to the axioms charts in some way. And I sometimes came to regret the blanks in these charts.
But above all, I agree that all these ranks are sometime confusing.


Filling the blanks or rewriting a new simplier chart ? That is, more or less, the question. I don't have an opinion on the right answer.
But reading you guys,  I came up with the idea that if one wanted to rewrite a simplier chart, he would have to base his decision on game mechanisms, gameplay opportunity and so on. And after that only on the ability of the chart to replace the old one and to simulate a perfect drawing of the axioms.

Let me explain : how many cosms do you have in your game ? 6 ? 7 ? 8 ? More (damn your game must be awesome) ? The axioms charts is useable only to state if something from a cosm come to work when used in an other. And if two cosms are on the same level, the same tool may be dispendable in one and not in the other, without creating a contradiction (ex : hovercraft in Nippon Tech and Market-Place, same tech level). In that case, if ranks of this charts are only to discriminate between various cosms, one should really do not need more than ten ranks on his/her scale (which come to eleven with the zero ranking).


The tech example

The science is described with an exponential growth  by sociological models. Following this idea one could have :
Ex for a tech scale :
0 : none
1 : furs and wall painting LL
2 : Antiquity, Land Below, Tz Ravok.
3 : Aysle
4 : Orrorsh
5 : Nile Empire
6 : Core Earth
7 :Nippon Tech
8 :CyberPapacy Tharkold
9 : Space Gods
10 : Full Tech, Time Travel and so on.

Is there a need for more ? The fact is : there is already cosm with identical axioms ! See Cyberpapacy and Tharkold ! The axioms is only a picture of the spirit of the cosm, in one in four aspects. It gives an atmosphere in which you should appreciate to play.
For instance let's assume that you have created a cosm with slightly less tech than the space gods and slightly more than the cybernetics realities. Let's say you have imagined that the tool you have created force a contradiction check in tharkold and not in the space gods reality ? but on the contrary, a space god tool will not be supported by this new reality ! What kind of technology will it be ? How to describe it, inferior to space travel but superior to cybernetic reality ? Is there room for this ?
On the opposite, you could have choose an intermediate reality between Land Below and Aysle. Will the tools dispendable in this reality be very exciting for a player compared to those of Tz Ravok ? A lighter bronze, a sharper knife and so on. Here if there is room, is there an interest ?

I mean, in the end, who cares ? Is it to have a playable scale with the existing and fully described realities ? Or is it for a Torg 2.0 hypothetic game, suited for a new background and new realities possibly to be created ?
Like we say in France, don't take a missile-thrower to kill a fly. !
I hope you caught the point and enjoy reading. I'm eager to read your answers.

Alexandre

 		 	   		  
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