has anyone given though to the state of mathematics in fantasy settings and how it affects the setting and characters in it? e.g.>tribes in not!Africa struggle with trade because they can't count past 2>how traders to calculation to determine prices, risk, etc>how well astronomers understand the motion of the heavens>how the characters think (i.e. logically, or numerically, or in a poetic / non-mathematical way)
>>97367640It's used the same as the real world in most setting the only difference is less people look into it past basic arithmetic. Maybe Wizards, Nobles and Merchants might use use it in their jobs and all but yeah, most people today can barely do math. What makes you think that people in a Magical Ren-fair would know more? Maybe Sci-fi if they're a spacer for space flight and all.
>>97367640There is a worldbuilding general for nogames posting.
>>97367663>What makes you think that people in a Magical Ren-fair would know more?I think they would know less. That's also important and interesting. for example, could innumerate NPCs be tricked into accepting bad trades?also, how do you model a PC who is bad at math? if you're some not!african who can't count to 3, how do you manage your inventory?
>>97367700>if you're some not!african who can't count to 3, how do you manage your inventory?Probably easiest to just dump int down to 7 or 8 and say you were the smart one in the tribe. Playing a character unable to count past three or lacking theory of mind is something you'd to be a really committed roleplayer to attempt, fine if that's what you want to do but probably easier to sidestep in most cases.
>>97367684Too bad you guys get to shitpost there too. Fuck off.
math is the same wherever you gothat's part of the appeal
>>97367700To be fair, I was trying to say more fuckers today can't do math past basic counting. Hell, I bet most people don't know their multiplication table. Speaking of this subject. Their was a anime about something similar called 'Secrets of the Silent Witch' where the main character is all about numbers in a magical world that basically that classic fantasy magical Victorian school and all. Also some places think too many numbers were "witchcraft" or something. (The anime shows flashbacks of it but ends before fully explaining it.) Mind you magic is known and exist too.Also, have you seen that video explained how some people from Africa explain time. I swear, it worse than what a toddler would say. They can't grasp the idea of time past a fucking year or so.
>>97367700By weight I guess.
>>97367700Why do you insist that they're not!Africans?
>>97367640Pretty advanced to barely able to make simple calculations. In my games setting magic and the technology that would allow for automation can't co-exist, as the chaotic reality manipulating nature of magic would interfere and break stuff purely running on the laws of physics. (not the most original idea, but at least it explains why things have been in medieval stasis for so long)There was country that was able to produce machines because they managed to collectively ban magic for quite a while before their country collapsed due to civil war. They did manage to spread around the world setting up schools and colleges that teach the principles of mathematics, advanced metallurgy and engineering. Functioning planetariums, working plumbing and automation aren't uncommon around those places, but magic items and spell casting is banned on the premise of these schools. I think if you want a grounded functioning fantasy world that doesn't fall apart at basic scrutiny then mathematics and science should have some place in it.None of my players give a shit about any of the above though so its mostly just world building for myself and hoping they appreciate playing in a setting that has some actual reason on why things are the way they are.
>>97367777Quads checked, but not quite, when you get deep enough arguments over the axioms to use get vicious and far enough back you get shit like Ethiopia invoking deities for operations. The benchmark is whether the hard logic is equivalent, but that leaves plenty of room for wildly disparate extent and prevalence of understanding as is OP's question as well as utterly bizarre framings.Particularly if you've got entities backing divination by equations not actually related to the mundane processes or Wizard Bullshit powered by numerology. That can do... Very nasty things to math as we know it, by reinforcing shit it took us centuries of heated arguments and multiple major theological shifts to dislodge.>>97367780>Hell, I bet most people don't know their multiplication table.That's a poor way to learn math anyways, you "should" be learning algorithms to apply to arbitrary numbers rather than just memorizing products.>Also, have you seen that video explained how some people from Africa explain time. I swear, it worse than what a toddler would say. They can't grasp the idea of time past a fucking year or so.Before the advent of clock towers, the same was true of much of Europe, and even today with digital clocks in most people's pockets you get people who lack it because they never really interact with time pressure. Japan also had a really wonky approach to time, but then they got train schedules which pretty much forced them to adopt Europe's.
>>97367774Stop being a janny. Let people post what they want.
>>97367684Generals are cancerous and I have every thread with the word "general" in it filtered on all boards.
>>97367980Nobody asked, redditor.
>>97367847I think they did cause of OP>>97367640 saying it first.
>>97367780>have you seen that video explained how some people from Africa explain timeyou have to be more specific than that
>>97367888>if you want a grounded functioning fantasy world that doesn't fall apart at basic scrutiny then mathematics and science should have some place in it.The problem with this is that inevitably "the science of magic" will come up. Now to anyone with a functioning imagination, this isn't an issue. Unfortunately though, the average midwit suffers actual physical distress trying to comprehend metaphysical conundrums or paradoxes, and they collectively decided "medieval fantasy" was the go-to escape from modernity, so anything too "modern" or """mundane""" in their fantasy games sends them into a frothing rage.
>>97368026https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN5PfzD5ehI
>>97368087...... You're not wrong. I don't mind the idea of magic being "chaotic" in nature. However I hate the idea that magic has to be random and basically "unknown" and can't have a "science" to it. I prefer the idea that magic is kept hidden to the nature of it. As well as people find their own way to cast and use magic.
