Rob Renaud ([info]ru_linux_geek) wrote,
@ 2008-03-08 00:19:00
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Entry tags:board game design, board games, chess, el grande, hidden public information, ingenious

Hidden public information in board games, you suck
Chess and go are two great games, they have no hidden information. Ingenious is a great game with no hidden public information. Simon is a terrible game. Board game designers, every time you make your games include hidden public information, you make your games less like chess and more like simon. This is clearly a step in the wrong direction. Why, oh why do you do this? Remembering things is not fun. Making informed decisions between two options is. Stop making memory necessary for informed decisions. Please! El Grande, I am looking at you.

Will anyone take the position that hidden public information is actually a good thing?


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I have a position
(Anonymous)
2008-03-11 07:11 am UTC (link)
That ``Hidden Public Information'' is an oxymoron. :)

-Dave Harding

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: I have a position
[info]ru_linux_geek
2008-03-11 02:28 pm UTC (link)
It's hidden in the sense that it is not shown. It is public in the sense that all of the actions leading to the game state are shown to everyone, hence, a very observant player would know it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: I have a position
[info]larrytc
2008-03-11 10:00 pm UTC (link)
Where do you draw the line? Even games like Powergrid's $$ is as such. And I'm sure if you're hardcore enough, that would make a difference..

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: I have a position
[info]ru_linux_geek
2008-03-11 10:05 pm UTC (link)
I don't draw a line. Hidden public information is bad. A perfect memory of the history of the game should give a player no advantage about knowledge of the game state.

Is there some game that you believe actually benefits from hidden public information?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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