Re: [piecepack] Re: piecepackplus

["Edward Pulley" <deucenine@...>]

I am very new to this group, having just discovered it a couple days ago, and I hope that I don't appear too forward, but I would like to add my two cents worth on this subject (give or take a couple cents).
    I read an article on thegamesjournal.com where the author comments about PiecePack+ thusly "While Hohls's revisions are unlikely to gain much support because he changes the piecepack suit symbols".  When I read that, I thought it was quite a trivial concern, nothing that would actually matter in reality.  But perhaps it does matter to some.  I just don't understand why.  
    First off, virtually all games evolve, whether by the original designer or the enthusiasts who follow him.  I am unable to think of a game where upgrades in rules or equipment occurred.  If I read correctly, IceHouse, a favorite among many, originally featured solid pieces, where-as they now have the stackable ones.  Chess has a history so convoluted by change that it resulted in Standard Western Chess, Shogi, 'Chinese Chess', and innumerable others, as well a castling (not sure how that is spelled, by the spell-checker is happy, so fine) and en-passant.  Even Go, which was offered up as a possibly perfect game, evolved, and I believe began without the Ko rule.  
    Secondly, and most importantly in my opinion, does it really matter?  The suits, while quaint, serve no purpose.  Each suit is a different color, so all you really need is the color, not the suit (incidentally, I originally down-loaded a pdf of PiecePack and printed it up to play with.  Recently I decided to make a more durable copy of the game, and when I did, I got rid of all the suits in favor of just using the colors and playing grids on the faces, while making a separate deck of cards.  This is before I read anything about the PiecePack+).  As long as you can differentiate between colors, not a thing has changed.  And as far as the added pieces, such as money and pyramids, or the expanded pieces to allow 5 or 6 players, this is nothing new.  People have already been designing games that require more pieces, such as playing cards, IceHouse, a Go set, dominos and more.  Heck one game, IceFloe, even uses a Candle!  No one has complained about adding these items.  So why would anyone complain about adding somewhat more integrated pieces?
    I guess that someone who has a problem with the PiecePack+ system would also complain about getting a one of those VCR/DVD units, since it has that DVD feature added to it, spoiling the original 'spec's of the VCR.  My answer, just don't use the DVD.  Likewise, just don't use the new pieces if you don't want to.  It wont change anything, and it is your right to limit your options if you wish.  But realize that there really is nothing to complain about.  No one took away the game that you like to play, they only added option for those of us who want them.
    Thank you for your time.  You may all now return to your regularly scheduled lives, already in progress.

    Edward a.k.a. BananaMuncher9