 Maths, Because I'm just that special |
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 Nov 4 2009, 05:48 PM
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#1
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 Levy  Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: 30-August 08 Member No.: 672  |
How advanced is the mathematics in Labyrinthia? I was just wondering, after the dungeon on Sunday where the charts (which I admittedly only glanced at to awe at how sparkly they were) seemed to be predicting the tragectory of a falling star. Fairly impressive.
I mean, stuff like trig has been around for thousands of years, and you'd think with the help of magic someone might be able to catch up with Euclid and Phythagoras (although maybe all the smart people are more interested in blowing stuff up now) Not that this is ever likely to be particularly useful in game. But if (say someone wanted to drop a large chunk of star metal on a city) a bit of maths I knew would be handy, what would it be reasonable to use? (And no judgements for this post. None of you have anywhere to throw stones from) 
-------------------- Steph L
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Nov 4 2009, 06:17 PM
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#2
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 Legend Group: Members Posts: 5,234 Joined: 23-November 07 Member No.: 39 |
Use whatever is sensible, really. I mean, people have been calculating star positions for thousands of years so knock yourself out.
I've got a seer who's a numerologist, but in a mystical sense. It's not unreasonable to know some maths, certainly. Stuart |
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Nov 4 2009, 07:03 PM
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#3
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Mercenary Group: Members Posts: 1,724 Joined: 23-November 07 Member No.: 105 |
Pretty sure using any type of maths you could reasonably know In-character would be fine, for example if your a human warrior or priest, why would you know advanced maths? Then again pretty sure some wizards and such might know a lot more, particularly if they have done somehting like multiclassed scholar. Assume that most people have had no formalised schooling except from maybe a church or something.
Stuart |
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Nov 4 2009, 08:36 PM
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#4
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Group: Posts: 0 Joined: -- Member No.: 0 |
Assuming we are used what was known back in the time period roughly tech was at then most things would be known. Not many things have been discovered since that the majority of people know today. I think the formulas for Cubic and Quartic equations came rennaisance time though so no solving them IC
 I'm not sure as to what equipment they used in the 11xxs... In Greek times all they had was a straight edge and a compass. The straight edge was unmarked so for geometry nothing could be measured or drawn to a set length. Finding areas usually involved quaderature for weird shapes with lots of odd angles. I'd assume anything in Elements would be ok to be assumed known to the intelligent characters etc. Pi was not really known to great lengths and iirc it was assumed to be 10^0.5 for all intents and purposes. Disclaimer: All of that is from a history off the top of my head and I'm not sure if it even applies in the gameworld but timeline wise it should be correct. Anyone know why I cant seem to post??? This is my third attempt |
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Nov 4 2009, 09:31 PM
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#5
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Group: Posts: 0 Joined: -- Member No.: 0 |
I dunno about 'advanced mathmatics' but accountancy is pretty far gone...
I'm sure Ian will chip in at any moment... 
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Nov 4 2009, 09:55 PM
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#6
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 Deity Group: Members Posts: 12,512 Joined: 10-November 07 Member No.: 25 |
QUOTE(EdBush @ Nov 4 2009, 09:31 PM)  I dunno about 'advanced mathmatics' but accountancy is pretty far gone... I'm sure Ian will chip in at any moment... Who me? Nope. I don't know the answer to this one I'm afraid other than I think "0" was supposed to have been formulated as a concept 2 centuries ago in the Empire. Ian -------------------- Grey's Law: Any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice...
PS, Yes, I know my PM Box is full. Email me instead... (Which you can do through the forums email) |
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Nov 4 2009, 11:31 PM
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#7
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Group: Posts: 0 Joined: -- Member No.: 0 |
I can play a nihilist then! Wooooot!
C QUOTE(BBB @ Nov 4 2009, 09:55 PM) Who me? Nope. I don't know the answer to this one I'm afraid other than I think "0" was supposed to have been formulated as a concept 2 centuries ago in the Empire. Ian |
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Nov 5 2009, 07:56 AM
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#8
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 Bridgewarden Group: Members Posts: 3,789 Joined: 13-December 07 Member No.: 238 |
I always quite fancied the idea that rather than Math functions to follow outcomes in a predictable fashion (eg Pythagoras can be used to determine the 3rd length in a triangle containing a right angle) that Math could be applied in a game world as a justification to make an event happen. Fingolfia's sig would be an example of this.
If the Arithomancer could create a formula that demonstrates that a fortress wall could not legitimately remain standing then it would suddenly and unexpectedly fall over. So for example in the adventure in which Steph is refering to, the Charts don't calculate what could happen, the charts are defining what will now happen as a result of the calculations performmed. If the Arithomancer hadn't performed those calculations then it would never have even become apparent. 
-------------------- Jan McManus
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Nov 5 2009, 10:33 AM
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#9
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 Mercenary Group: Members Posts: 1,968 Joined: 25-November 07 Member No.: 148 |
I concur with Jan. Remember the mantra that belief defines reality. A mage believes that his power will conjure a fireball. Therefore it does. As he is seen to do this other people believe that mages can cast fireball so they do.
The Laby world is a fantasy one and not based on any time in our mundane history. For example caches are hand grenades... however in the laby world where someone makes a potion that instantly heals you 6 tblp, a cache is a strange alchemical almost mystical object that explodes. It is not gunpowder that leads to SWAT teams running around the Empire. Same with maths. It is a strange lore that most do not delve into instead they use magic and rituals. However some may use maths as their link to the supernatural. -------------------- - Pants
"Stop quoting laws to us, we carry swords!" Pompey the Great 82BC VENI, VIDI, NATES CALCE CONCIDI Corrupting the youth since 1995! |
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Nov 5 2009, 04:24 PM
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#10
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Group: Posts: 0 Joined: -- Member No.: 0 |
QUOTE(Jan @ Nov 5 2009, 07:56 AM) If the Arithomancer could create a formula that demonstrates that a fortress wall could not legitimately remain standing then it would suddenly and unexpectedly fall over. Similar to the W.E. Coyote principle? "Gravity only applies once someone has noticed that it should have been applied" |
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Nov 5 2009, 04:28 PM
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#11
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Bridgewarden Group: Members Posts: 3,789 Joined: 13-December 07 Member No.: 238 |
QUOTE(Salamander @ Nov 5 2009, 04:24 PM) Similar to the W.E. Coyote principle? "Gravity only applies once someone has noticed that it should have been applied" Very much so, but more probably along the lines of "according to my calculations, if we stand just 'so' and lean just 'so' they gravity is only half as strong" -------------------- Jan McManus
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Nov 5 2009, 04:41 PM
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#12
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Group: Posts: 0 Joined: -- Member No.: 0 |
QUOTE(Jan @ Nov 5 2009, 03:28 PM) Very much so, but more probably along the lines of "according to my calculations, if we stand just 'so' and lean just 'so' they gravity is only half as strong" We had an Arithmancer on Myths last year (waves at Mr Craig) He had spells such as: "Force x distance = Knockback" Lucy P.S. I did once set an algebra problem on dungeon (I got bored of seeing the same riddles over and over). The party were most impolite about it. |
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Nov 5 2009, 06:20 PM
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#13
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Mercenary Group: Members Posts: 1,724 Joined: 23-November 07 Member No.: 105 |
You could call it something like mathmagics! Oh wait...
Stuart |
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Nov 5 2009, 08:20 PM
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#14
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Bridgewarden Group: Members Posts: 3,789 Joined: 13-December 07 Member No.: 238 |
QUOTE(StuartEaston @ Nov 5 2009, 06:20 PM) You could call it something like mathmagics! Oh wait... Stuart Or you could call Mathmagic Arithomancy matey It's hardly an original concept...
-------------------- Jan McManus
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