I mean that your goals are extremely concrete, and their value is extremely concrete. “Kill this many boars and you will gain this many experience points.” “Earn this many experience points and you will gain a level.”
My conception of the real world is that goals tend to be vague (“figure out and fulfill my own utility function”) and subgoals tend to be unpredictable (will keeping a diary help? A food diary? research on the internet? Spending time with friends? What balance between “figure out” and “fulfill”?)
It is true that the system is MORE liquid than in most single player RPGs, where it is not uncommon to encounter a narrator saying something like “monsters are everywhere! Our hero sets out to defeat them all!” Which is on a bit of a different level.
I mean that your goals are extremely concrete, and their value is extremely concrete. “Kill this many boars and you will gain this many experience points.” “Earn this many experience points and you will gain a level.”
My conception of the real world is that goals tend to be vague (“figure out and fulfill my own utility function”) and subgoals tend to be unpredictable (will keeping a diary help? A food diary? research on the internet? Spending time with friends? What balance between “figure out” and “fulfill”?)
It is true that the system is MORE liquid than in most single player RPGs, where it is not uncommon to encounter a narrator saying something like “monsters are everywhere! Our hero sets out to defeat them all!” Which is on a bit of a different level.