[ExI] simulation as an improvement over reality

[Adrian Tymes]

On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 3:28 PM, Mike Dougherty <msd001 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I had an idea for a crowd controlled pong paddle where time-dependent
> directive of each player is summed to create the action of each
> paddle.  If we both choose to make the left-side paddle move "up" (and
> there are no erroneous counter-controls or griefers) then we get a
> swift response to our collective goal.  Otherwise the amount of
> negative influence puts drag or some other sense of restraint against
> immediate satisfaction.

> btw, if there are any iPhone/Flash/etc. developers reading this who
> decide to build it, please send me an email so I can get skilled
> earlier rather than later.  :)

As someone who's written and tested games, I can tell you that wouldn't
be as awesome as that sounds.

In the case of Pong, either there is a paddle in position to intercept or
there is not.  A crowd-controlled paddle would rarely be in a given, small
range of position, if there is little time to get it into that position and any
question about what that position is, even ignoring deliberate griefing.

(In crowd control, assume that most people will be newbies - at least
to the crowd-controlled version, regardless of any experience they
have with the single player version, which they won't put to good use.
Barring a massively popular game that over a billion people - by today's
population - have at least heard of, you'll usually be right.)

The resulting inability to play well, with no apparent way to improve
(because any loss is "obviously" everybody else's fault), would
discourage most people from playing more than a few times.