[Discuss] One more argument against laws

[Timothy Collett]

jmadsen1 at juno.com wrote:
> ex.1 - Noble loots, goes undetected. Law automatically slaps a fine on him.

No, it doesn't.

> How did the judge know?

He doesn't.  When looting goes undetected, or you're unidentified, 
you're scot-free.  Unless you're dumb enough to loot in a region you're 
the only one in.

> ex 2. Two nobles go to the edge of town to duel. In a region where there 
 > are no other nobles or advies. At dawn, in an isolated field -
 > carefully role played that way. Law automatically slaps a fine on them.
> 
> How did the judge know?

The farmer who was out at dawn (as farmers tend to be), who has a grudge 
against nobles duelling ever since the ones who killed his son because 
he got in the way, finked on them.

It's not that easy to find a really private spot for a duel.

> ex 3. A hero trips in a gopher hole during battle, falling below the 
 > sword that would have cut his head off. In thanks, he decides to start
 > a gopher cult - that only his family is included in. Law automatically
 > slaps a fine on him.

No, it doesn't.

> How did the judge know?

He doesn't. Not if by "cult that only his family is included in" you 
mean "secret society" or otherwise something that is not an official 
game religion--which is open to everyone, and extremely obvious, 
especially since to found it you have to be a region lord, build a 
temple, and renounce all positions to become its first prophet.  Not 
exactly something you can do in secret.

> ok, got the point? ;-)

Yes, I do.  However, the point, in this case, is that you don't have the 
slightest idea what you're talking about.

Yes, there are, and always will be, occasional situations where 
something the game mechanics say doesn't entirely make sense because of 
what people have been roleplaying.  But you know what you do?

You deal.

There is absolutely no way to make 100% sure that the game mechanics 
will always follow roleplay.  Heck, I've roleplayed that my characters 
are hundreds of miles away from their units before; luckily they never 
got wounded or captured in battle during those times, but it could have 
happened, and where would I have been then?

Until we can give the game a sophisticated and impartial artificial 
intelligence that can actually understand our roleplays and make 
judgments based on them, you will *always* have this kind of problem.

Learn to live with it.

Timothy Collett
Anaris Family

-- 

The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart.

~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan


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