Topic: A Note on Terminology
Started by: Ben Lehman
Started on: 9/20/2004
Board: Burning Wheel
On 9/20/2004 at 8:29pm, Ben Lehman wrote:
A Note on Terminology
Hey.
So I'm reading the Burning Wheel book and I'm like "why do they call values 'exponents?' That doesn't... Oh, wait..."
Luke. Thank you. You actually know the math. Thank you.
yrs--
--Ben
On 9/20/2004 at 10:00pm, abzu wrote:
RE: A Note on Terminology
huh? I do?
-L
On 9/20/2004 at 11:35pm, Ben Lehman wrote:
RE: A Note on Terminology
Well, uh, maybe you don't. Suffice it to say that, in BW's die pool system, your chance of (one) success looks like:
P = 1 - (S^E)
Where P is the probability of success
Where S is your Shade (3/6, 2/6, or 1/6 for black, gray, and white)
and E is your exponent.
See how the Exponent is, in fact, an exponent? Whoa.
If you don't know the math, you're awfully good at faking it.
yrs--
--Ben
On 9/21/2004 at 1:47am, abzu wrote:
RE: A Note on Terminology
exponent also happens to mean "One who, or that which, stands as an index or representative" which is what the number does for shade. i never mathed out that equation, but that's neat.
-L
On 9/21/2004 at 2:09am, Valamir wrote:
RE: A Note on Terminology
Hah, that's too funny.
I never liked the term exponent (my little brain can only store so many game terms at one time) but forgave it because it was a fully mathematically appropriate term.
Only to find out that the math had nothing to do with it, and instead the term was chosen based on a definition of exponent I've never ever heard before...
classic.