Act I Gambling §24
8 April 2011 at 1:58pm
First up, thank-you for making DQ1!
I have enjoyed almost every page and every moment of the first Act. (I'm saving Act II for a time when I can go though it uninterrupted). You've taken experiences I've found enjoyable elsewhere and distilled it down to something pure and simple, yet surprisingly complex.
It seems you have put a lot of effort into making the pacing just right, it seems like every new strategic encounter is different to the last, and that I am being introduced step-by-step into more complicated mechanics.
I've got a few questions about game rules. I'm going to put each question in a different post with a different title (Sorry it feels like I'm clogging up your Rules Q&A forum, and sorry in advance for asking so many questions).
The first is regarding Section 24, which occurs while gambling in Act I. The last line in my copy reads "If the result is ⚁ [2] or less turn to 67, if the result is ⚃ [4] or more turn to 259."
I'm assuming this is a typographic error because no mention is made regarding what to do when a ⚂ [3] is rolled.
I am curious as to what the author's intent was.
Currently I play as if the intent was that there is a 50-50 chance for either section. I do this because it has only a minor effect on overall odds, but makes my attempts to hit double-or-nothing odds a little less tedious.
Congratulations on the design of this gambling mini-game by the way. I like it for four reasons. (1) It strikes a good balance between simplicity and complexity in a minimum of book sections. (2) At first it seems that the odds are strongly against you, but it is possible to find an approach which maximises your chances. (3) It allows a player who has [x] gold crowns, but would like to have [y] GC, to try to reach that goal optimally with the minimum of tedious dice rolls. (4) Aside from section 24, there is a pleasant symmetry to the game (lows are favourable in round 1, highs in round 2, and the odds worsen incrementally).
On the down side it seems to be a bit irrelevant for Act I. I almost get the sense that it is there just for the sake of fulfilling the gambling trope of this genre of games.