Fundamentals of Chaos and Randomness

I think there is some fundamentals about "random" that need to be clarified.

1. Complexity
2. Random numbers
3. Collective player-driven conditions


### Randomness of conditions*, abilities and their effects ###

- Randomness through complexity
> depends on an array of conditions and abilities which are sufficiently large enough that your average player cannot consciously think of each at any given time when resolving an encounter
AND/OR

- Randomness through numbers
> depends on a limited array of conditions and abilities where a random number generator determines which are relevant to resolving an encounter

- Randomness contributed by player choices in an encounter (collective player-driven conditions)
AND/OR
> depends on an array of conditions and abilities where collective player interaction determines which are relevant to resolving an encounter


### Randomness of intensity ###
And for these (complexity, numbers, contribution):
> where the intensity of those conditions and abilities is varied by a random number generator
AND/OR
> where the intensity of those conditions and abilities is varied through collective player interaction with the environment



*Note conditions can be in the UI, or in the environment


### About the Randomness Arguement ###

I think the majority of people are happy with a collective player-driven set of conditions with an amount of randomness inherent in the complexity of abilities they use to resolve conditions.

Where people get frustrated is when there is an excess of random number generators determining the conditions and abilities in resolving an encounter. It equates to playing a game of Craps.

To achieve randomness in a way which players enjoy, I think you will need to focus on 3 areas:

1. Re-invent the 6 sided die (although I don't know how this can be done so it's a bit of a trick point)
2. Greatly increase complexity of abilities, conditions, and/or the way players contribute to an encounter
3. Moderately increase complexity of abilities, conditions, and/or the way players contribute to an encounter and add a small amount of random number generators in decisions



I suspect that what Starr Long has in mind when he wants to add randomness to the game is something like a Wand or a Staff that either fireballs your opponent for 1000 damage, or turns the caster into a chicken.

On a minimal side, maybe when you cast stone wall you summon a water wall instead, or the intensity of the stone wall varys.


### How to get randomness that is fun? ###

If this is accomplished simply by random number generation, I think a class based entirely off this principle will be frustrating to players.

However, if collective player-driven conditions drive the randomness it could be pretty fun!

For example: If the chaos-mage opponent has a rabbit foot in his backpack, when the mage casts fireball, the mage will burst into flames.

Example 2: if the chaos-mage casts armor buff on himself during a crescent moon, he finds himself standing on a floating lens 50 feet in the air.

This way the player can learn the conditions which impact the spells to some degree and the (Complexity) and (player-driven conditions) are the movers and shakers in randomness.


Side note:

I found the Steam game "Magicka" to be a fun way to add some randomness to spells. Each spell required a sequence of buttons to be pressed in a set timeframe in order to complete the spell. The randomness occurred when you mis-typed the spell and it changed the outcome to a totally different spell in many instances. I think this fits into sort of a compexity-driven randomness as an example.

 

Complexity = have enough spells and effects such that optimising the problem is NP.
Randomness = employ a sufficiently good enough RNG routine such that people are unlikely to determine the correlation between the random numbers.

There. Confusion cleared.