JulianMorrison comments on How David Beats Goliath - Less Wrong

18 Post author: JulianMorrison 05 May 2009 01:25AM

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Comment author: orthonormal 05 May 2009 02:27:25AM 2 points [-]

Taking the broader view, I wonder how much complaining about cheats is really an attempt by Goliath to have slings declared unfair.

Reminds me of the Playing to Win essay linked here a few weeks ago.

And how much of the desire to be nice and conform is evolution telling David to fall in line.

That doesn't make sense, though. If playing "cheap" in this way benefits David against Goliath, then evolution would favor a whole lot of Davids playing "cheap".

Comment author: JulianMorrison 05 May 2009 02:42:32AM 0 points [-]

Not sure what you mean by "cheap".

Comment author: MrHen 05 May 2009 04:41:09AM *  5 points [-]

"Cheap" is a term used in the Playing to Win essays. It generally refers to a tactic that is uninteresting or repetitive but successful.

The example used in the essays is repeating the same move over and over in Street Fighter.

(Edit) The example from Eurisko is that making ships that sink themselves is "cheap" because ships in a real war wouldn't do that. It is a valid strategy according to the rules of the game but invalid according to extraneous rules that have no bearing on the game.