Theory - Erfworld is a computer game

[Laurentio II]

Lot of speculations, no need to kill me if I'm found to be wrong. I just tried to "decode" the game behind the comic, and happened to deduce that it can't be a tabletop game.

Clues I find reasonably conclusive
Lot of units. From the very first page, we see that an army is made by hundred, if not thousands of units. While it could be just a simplification, where a "unit" is actually a bunch of identical, lesser individuals, this doesn't fit with times where we see single units (not always warlords or specials).
On page 60 a stack made by three warlords, several gumps and dozens of elves are pictured as three stars and some colored line.
So, if we accept that each individual is a unit, and thousands of unit can be present at the same time, it would be almost impossible to play as a tabletop game. Computer, on the other hand, can handle that kind of numbers with easy.

Lot of movement points. Gwiffon (a fast, but quite common unit) has 52 of movement (dwagons even more, but they are rare). One hex of flight is one moment point, that means 52 hexes. No matter the in-game size of the hex, on a table an hex can't be smaller that one inch, or you can't properly see armies and cities. So, out of game, a gwifffon moves more than four feet every turn (132cm), requiring a table of uncanny dimension for an extensive game. (see confutation: "Hex could really be small")

Individual units have distinct stats. There is no "normalization", where every single "mob A" has the very same stats of every other "mob A". Dwagons in the Dough of Doom are specifically more powerful that normal, as told by Ansom (page 58). This would be uncommon on tabletop games, and much more where thousands of units are present.

Hidden stats. Think of Natural Thinkmancery. Where hidden stats are common on a computer game, are fairly unusable on a tabletop game. Exception: if a neutral master is present.

Lot of throws. page 107 has Vinnie stating that they get "like 300 chances" of blow a spell. When the possibility is just a single throw, it's always told. This seems like the "player" is going to throw like 300 times, more a computer dynamic than a board one.

Clues again my Theory
Hex could really be small. In Parson real life game, he has a map shown, where hexes are, at most, one centimeter. The equivalent of Goblin Knot is several hexes, but it's easy to suppose that cities have special rules about movement and coverage.
While I feel that that map is just out of place and not playable (some of the player at the table could not have a decent sight during the game), it's still possible to play it with flags instead of units, and lot of annotation.
Not my kind of game, but still possible.

Minor clues

• Eye-books ("E-books") use, and abuse, internet writing and memes;
• Internet memes are anywhere, now that I think about it. O'rly? Aggro!
• Arkentools are computer graphics;
• The summoning spell layout is clearly computer-like (seems Tron);
• Not to speak of the illusory strategy tables.

(This page could be edited to insert new facts or deleted speculation that have been confuted.)

[The Old Hack]

Lot of throws. page 107 has Vinnie stating that they get "like 300 chances" of blow a spell. When the possibility is just a single throw, it's always told. This seems like the "player" is going to throw like 300 times, more a computer dynamic than a board one.

Alternately a mechanic for true nerds. Not only does this make me think of Knights of the Dinner Table but I have actually known players who would view a 300-roll situation as a challenge...

[Laurentio II]

Alternately a mechanic for true nerds. Not only does this make me think of Knights of the Dinner Table but I have actually known players who would view a 300-roll situation as a challenge...

I know some on my own, and played with them. So yes, I know that the damage of 24 riflemen (doing 3d6-2 each) is not "let's say 204 damage", but 7, 11, 3, 11, 8, 14, etc. Amusing, if you ignore the fact that my character had 20 hit points.

[tribble]

Hm. That makes sense now that I think about it. I assumed that you meant it WAS a computer game that Parson was stuck in, like Tron, when I read the title, but You're Right, It does play like a computer Game.

[Occasional Sage]

Either that, or one of those tactical tabletops from the Bad Old Days (tm) when the rules had to reference by Chapter, Section, Subsection, paragraph, and line.

Those games translate well into computer games, though, come to think of it, with the machine doing the gawdawful brute force work of determining line of sight, elevation differences, weather, moon phase, whether your units' shoes are tied, et cetera ad nauseum...

[The Old Hack]

Those games translate well into computer games, though, come to think of it, with the machine doing the gawdawful brute force work of determining line of sight, elevation differences, weather, moon phase, whether your units' shoes are tied, et cetera ad nauseum...

Egads, that reminds me of Advanced Squad Leader and all its expansions. "Did you roll for Exposure? Okay, now do a check to see if your units are subject to Ammunition Shortage this turn. After that apply a Kitchen Sink Activation Check for your Logistics Centre, then check for Canvas Breakage for the backpacks of all units exposed to Freezing Winds..."

[tribble]

Egads, that reminds me of Advanced Squad Leader and all its expansions. "Did you roll for Exposure? Okay, now do a check to see if your units are subject to Ammunition Shortage this turn. After that apply a Kitchen Sink Activation Check for your Logistics Centre, then check for Canvas Breakage for the backpacks of all units exposed to Freezing Winds..."

The part that really makes this sad is that I can believe it.

[The Old Hack]

The part that really makes this sad is that I can believe it.

The playtesters of GI Anvil of Victory wrote an absolutely hysterical spoof of Squad Leader that appeared in a classic issue of The General. It largely reads like this, only much, much worse.

[BRC]

Yeah, I had this thought as well.
Seeamancers eliminate Fog of War, something hard to do in a tabletop game, Mathamancers give you access to a probability calculator, The whole "lines of communication" mechanic would be easier to pull off in a computer game than on the tabletop, ect.

[Zolem]

Idividualized units and unusualy strong units in group awerfare isn't that odd. Big Eyes Small Mount 3.5 edition had rules for that. Each unit would consist of several groups of 5-10 charecters as represented by a single token (stack). Unusualy strong versions of units were possible, as was ;eve;ing up stacks. You could even have individual charecters (PCs), eliet fighters (warlords) and casters (um...casters) represented by thier own tokens in a unit. The system was designed for armies numbering between 1,000 - 10,000 troops per side. I coudl get into a lot of detail about unit and troop and squad HP armor attack, ect. but in the end, it's a lot like Erfworld. I have always thought it used a system like that and a computer game never crossed my mind.

[dr pepper]

Irrelevant.

There's obviously central coordination. Whether it is a simulation program, a gm exchanging notes with players, or just the way the laws of the universe work, the effect is the same.

[Goshen]

IMHO, Erfworld is a game-like plane of existence, and not limited to computer or pencil-and-paper implementations in our world.

While a computer game would do a much better job of tracking the details, the emotional complexity of the characters sure looks like a role-playing game. In that way, it's sort of like a MMORPG.

[DarkNewton]

I occasionally play Warhammer 40k: Epic, which has 6mm figures, and some of those games can have some pretty vicious throws like that, it's why I have a bag of a few hundred dice, throwing 300 is easy if you think of it as tossing 30 die at a time and just counting successes.

Altho what I can't wait for is the point at which enough of the Erf game rules are exposed for some of us to take a run at developing a web version of the game. (altho who knows, that might be something the guys already have planned/developed)

[Zolem]

I would love a web version. Especialy if we get some more customizable or unique units, or point-but development.

[FoE]

You fools. Clearly, Erfworld is a computer simulation running in a secret base on the island from Lost. Parson is Jesus, Stanley represents Megatron, Wanda represents Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Ansom represents Adolf Hitler. Also, the Uncroaked are today's youth.

[The Old Hack]

You fools. Clearly, Erfworld is a computer simulation running in a secret base on the island from Lost. Parson is Jesus, Stanley represents Megatron, Wanda represents Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Ansom represents Adolf Hitler. Also, the Uncroaked are today's youth.

Noooo, he revealed everything!

[Occasional Sage]

Egads, that reminds me of Advanced Squad Leader and all its expansions. "Did you roll for Exposure? Okay, now do a check to see if your units are subject to Ammunition Shortage this turn. After that apply a Kitchen Sink Activation Check for your Logistics Centre, then check for Canvas Breakage for the backpacks of all units exposed to Freezing Winds..."

Awwwwwyeeah, the ASL Bookshelf.

I always found ASL a bit light on rules and verisimilitude, though.... ;)

In all honesty, I'd prefer a game that is both flexible and fun. Too much detail can drown the fun.

[Laurentio II]

Altho what I can't wait for is the point at which enough of the Erf game rules are exposed for some of us to take a run at developing a web version of the game. (altho who knows, that might be something the guys already have planned/developed)

You, ask, I do. Give me some time, and all the forum resources.
No need to agree, resistance is futile.

[Olibarro]

If Erfworld actually IS a game, then your theory has a ton of merit. I imagine this setup would be nigh unplayable.

On the other hand, I've never thought of Erfworld as an actual game. Rather I imagine that it is an actual world that happens to be governed by the rules of a tabletop wargame.

[Lord_Butters_I]

Erfworld plays quite a bit like the Total War line of games. Turn based warfare, cities that construct units, real time combat, etc. I'm not saying that Total War is the only game with these mechanics, but it is the only one that I've played, so that's all I'm going to reference.