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Archive => Indie Game Design => Topic started by: Ben Lehman on February 23, 2006, 10:32:20 AM

Title: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Ben Lehman on February 23, 2006, 10:32:20 AM
Hey, this is wierd.  Here I am, posting to Indie Game Design about Polaris, a game that has been in print for nearly six months.  What's my deal?

Well, I've been combing through Polaris for typos and formatting problems (boy, are there a lot of formatting problems) and generally cleaning up the text for the next printing.  This is a pretty minor deal -- I'm given to understand that a lot of indie designers do this.  It isn't really a second edition, or even a revision like Vincent did for Dogs.  It's just "Polaris: Better proof-reading edition."

But, in my reading, I came across this rule on page 75

Quote from: Polaris rules page 75
If they (the Moons) disagree, they can either reject your offer or they can ask you to exhaust and additional Theme, in which case you can decide to spend the extra Theme or to just make a different statement that doesn't cost a Theme.

As far as I know, no one has ever used this rule in any Polaris play.  Ever.  I think that the mathematics of the rule is still sound but, now that I've got another 100 hours or so of the game under my belt, I see why it is basically useless as an option, and is routinely ignored.

This is a great example of an unrule -- not only does it not come up in play, but it has no affect on play, likely because no one even acknowledges its existence.

So here's my question before the design forum:  I'm strongly considering deleting this rule from the text, and devoting the extra space to explaining, in detail, that you exhaust Themes, and so only get four of them, rather than Aspects, which would give you an infinite number.  I'm curious to hear from other people who have played Polaris -- did you use this rule?  Were you even aware of its existence?  Anyone care to make a pleading case for its survival?

yrs--
--Ben
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Kesher on February 23, 2006, 10:59:16 AM
Hey, Ben.

We never used that rule when we played; the couple of times it came up we simply revised the original statement.  I think the extra space would definitely be better used by clarifying the Aspect vs. Theme exhaustion.  I know we were confused by that during at least our first session.  It's a fine rule, but it's counter-intuitive to how many games work, so probably needs a bit more explanation.

Aaron
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Troy_Costisick on February 23, 2006, 12:26:50 PM
Heya Ben,

Yeah, when I saw the topic I was like, Polaris????  So anyway, to me a rule that is seldom used will be seldom missed.  While it does make sense as you say, it's not the kind of rule that will make or break the game.  If you can toss it in favor of better clarification of other rules, I'd say go for it.  People can always do with more clarification :)

Peace,

-Troy
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Valamir on February 23, 2006, 12:51:25 PM
To clarify are you refering to the Moons ability to reject the offer, or the Moons ability to charge an additional theme?
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Lance D. Allen on February 23, 2006, 12:56:08 PM
My guess is the Moon's ability to charge an additional theme, considering that we've played exactly once so far, and we've had the moons reject an offer twice already.
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Ben Lehman on February 23, 2006, 01:33:32 PM
Ralph: Charge an additional Theme.

Rejection is paramount.

yrs--
--Ben
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Emily Care on February 23, 2006, 01:38:48 PM
I'd say that the exhausting themes vs. aspects is more important.
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Chris Peterson on February 23, 2006, 05:30:33 PM
Here is a list of Polaris typos I found:

Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Valamir on February 23, 2006, 05:36:27 PM
Quote from: Ben Lehman on February 23, 2006, 01:33:32 PM
Ralph: Charge an additional Theme.

Rejection is paramount.

yrs--
--Ben

In that case, I think you're instict is right on.

I had the same issue with the rule for ties in Universalis Complications.  Even *I* never remembered to use the old Edge Dice rule...good sign its total dead wieght.
Title: Re: [Polaris] The Unrule
Post by: Josh Roby on February 23, 2006, 06:40:01 PM
Tangential publishing note: what you're doing is a second printing, not a second edition.  Many printings are slightly different than the one that preceded them; second printings almost always correct a number of errors.  It's only once you get up around eighth printing that there's nothing left to fix before it goes to press.