Random Number Table "guiding"

[Dave]

I'm thinking of incorporating some kind of "guiding" control in the RNT, such that if you press a direction arrow (or numpad), while the RNT is scrolling on - it will tell the RNT to pick a number from that general portion of the table.

This would make it really much more like playing the book by hand, where you sort of know where the greater concentration of 9's and 0's are, and you close your eyes, but still make sure the pencil lands in the general vicinity of the numbers that you want. It's no guarantee of getting the number you want, but it does give you a slightly better chance of the number you are hoping for.

e.g. as the Table scrolls onto the screen, if you press the up arrow, it will pick a number from the middle five columns of the upper half of the table. If you had pressed the left arrow, it would pick a number from the middle five rows of the left half of the table... Basically reducing the area from which the number might be picked.

This would definitely not be in a "by-the-book" or "hardcore" rule set, but as a gameplay option, I think it would be kind of groovy.

I don't think it would be hard to implement. Any thoughts on this?

[commentator]

I like it...kinnda like pseudo-cheating but less hardcore than the usual automatic nines or zeros that tends to produce. A middle ground for the morally questionable if you will.

[Doomy]

Go the whole hog and include a swingometer as seen in countless old golf games.

[eastpaw]

Hm... isn't it kind of pointless though? Since the table is fixed, a player will very quickly find out which arrow key to hit for best results. In combat at least, one would always hit the same arrow key.

[Dave]

Mostly, except that LW doesn't always want a 9 or 0, for many other instances of getting a random number.

And the table changes with each book. Were you aware of that? Each book has it's own table taken from the originals (I own the first 12 - they are not all the same.) So, at least the player would have to discover which key to press for the best results on each book, and then not forget the right key in the heat of the moment!

[ghanesh]

I think it's better to keep it totally random

[alderaine]

I think the choice factor would be really cool Being able to choose to play the LW series by pure skill would be great

[eastpaw]

Dave, that's news to me!

Well, I don't really see a problem with this feature. Those of us who don't like it can just ignore it.

Oh yeah, as for "the heat of the moment", how excited could one get rolling dice for a gamebook?

[Dave]

Relatively speaking, it's probably the most intense moment in the entire experience.

[Dave]

Hmm, just saw that the current code decides on the number before the RNT even scrolls onto the screen, so it will take a little more work that I thought. This'll have to wait for a future version...