I've finally figured out how to articulate my dislike of percentage-chance based abilities.
I'm well aware that it is now far too late for my opinion to be incorporated into the game, and even if there were time left I doubt this would be a worthy use of the developer's time. However, I wanted to share what I consider to be an elegant summation of my opinion.
The problem I have with percentage-chance based abilities (particularly when they appear on weapons) is that they break my suspension of disbelief.
I put a certain amount of trust into the rules which are used to articulate the game. I accept that there will be saving throws and attack rolls, and that the results of those rolls will be balanced to give me a challenge. I accept that the game designers have taken the time to ensure that there will be sufficient internal consistency to the rules so that any given session will fall within a continuum of that internal consistency.
When an ability calls on probability which is not represented by the components of the game system (which I feel that percentage-chance based abilities do in AD&D) it calls my attention to the fact that there are two sets of probabilistic results--those which compose the balance of the system and those which compose the chance that in my lifetime I will see any given variation of those results.
At this point I am no longer playing the game, but rather I'm trying to judge if I've been enough of a consistently lucky person to warrant choosing those abilities.
My contention is that it's bad form to ask the player to accept one version of probability while using another when it suits the designer's whim.
I'm well aware that it is now far too late for my opinion to be incorporated into the game, and even if there were time left I doubt this would be a worthy use of the developer's time. However, I wanted to share what I consider to be an elegant summation of my opinion.
The problem I have with percentage-chance based abilities (particularly when they appear on weapons) is that they break my suspension of disbelief.
I put a certain amount of trust into the rules which are used to articulate the game. I accept that there will be saving throws and attack rolls, and that the results of those rolls will be balanced to give me a challenge. I accept that the game designers have taken the time to ensure that there will be sufficient internal consistency to the rules so that any given session will fall within a continuum of that internal consistency.
When an ability calls on probability which is not represented by the components of the game system (which I feel that percentage-chance based abilities do in AD&D) it calls my attention to the fact that there are two sets of probabilistic results--those which compose the balance of the system and those which compose the chance that in my lifetime I will see any given variation of those results.
At this point I am no longer playing the game, but rather I'm trying to judge if I've been enough of a consistently lucky person to warrant choosing those abilities.
My contention is that it's bad form to ask the player to accept one version of probability while using another when it suits the designer's whim.