JoshuaZ comments on LW Women- Minimizing the Inferential Distance - Less Wrong

58 [deleted] 25 November 2012 11:33PM

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Comment author: gwern 24 November 2012 01:46:46AM 11 points [-]

Why would plowing one field make a difference to their survival or death? Especially when plowing one field is taking up time to the detriment of going after the dark elves. Indeed, if they cared about the farmers, wouldn't a cash transfer make infinitely more sense? No, this looks like the usual signaling about caring: "but they care so much, they even went and plowed a field to help them out!" (As opposed to working on the real problem, or giving them a gold coin which is probably worth several fields of food given the medieval setting and also doesn't have the minor problem of it likely failing anyway since it's going to be plowed by complete amateurs with broken equipment at the wrong time...)

Comment author: JoshuaZ 24 November 2012 01:54:44AM 4 points [-]

This does seem to start falling pretty heavily into something very close to the MST3K mantra with the note that this was a highschool game.

or giving them a gold coin which is probably worth several fields of food given the medieval setting

And given my above suggestion, I'm going to refrain from ranting about how little sense D&D economics make other than to note that adventuring parties seem to be one of the strongest argument in favor of fiat currency ever.

Comment author: gwern 24 November 2012 01:57:28AM 2 points [-]

This does seem to start falling pretty heavily into something very close to the MST3K mantra with the note that this was a highschool game.

If someone wants to say 'this is a great insight which demonstrates the value of diverse viewpoints!', it'd better be a great insight, and not one that fails multiple ways.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 24 November 2012 02:00:55AM 2 points [-]

Well, how much would killing the dark elves have helped either? In the context we have two proposed solutions, neither of which really actually does much. One of the solutions is arguably obvious to the traditional male gamer, and the other (which makes about as much or as little sense) does seem to show some degree of diverse viewpoint arguably (although as I commented above, I don't think this one is really gendered related as much as it is to bad DMing).

Comment author: gwern 24 November 2012 02:11:06AM 6 points [-]

Well, how much would killing the dark elves have helped either?

It is specified the dark elves are the entire problem. The crops are now not being planted or tended because the dark elves are raiding and there weren't raids before. I uh can't see how killing them would not help.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 24 November 2012 02:14:11AM 11 points [-]

If the farmers already are emaciated they aren't going to be able to survive that long even if they do plow and plant (it takes a long time). Moreover, plowing takes a lot of effort. The most likely result if they do kill the dark elves in a marginally realistic situation is that the farmers will still starve. The whole situation is poorly thought out (and becomes even more poorly thought out as the DM claims that the farmers don't even have functioning farm equipment and thus that the dark elves aren't the only problem).

Comment author: [deleted] 26 November 2012 01:30:24PM *  3 points [-]

It seems obvious to me that even if many had died in the famine, not all would have. Once the famine was over there still wouldn't be any dark elves causing them problems. Also a good way to help them is to share some of the stuff you looted from the dark elves.

Comment author: thomblake 26 November 2012 04:13:25PM 3 points [-]

Also a good way to help them is to share some of the stuff you looted from the dark elves.

And delicious dark elves.

Comment author: [deleted] 26 November 2012 04:17:01PM 0 points [-]

I had a character who was famous for his kobold stew. I bet elf tastes like pork.

Comment author: gwern 26 November 2012 08:10:28PM 1 point [-]

If humans are 'long pork', and elves stereotypically taller than humans, does that make elf 'longer pork'?