Where the Action's At (A Guide to Action Point Allowance)

Gamers are a funny lot.  On the one hand, we want a game with flexibility and freedom in decision-making.  Restrictions and limitations often mean a less sophisticated experience and leave us feeling like the game is playing us, rather than vice-versa.  However, on the other hand, most of us appreciate designs that are structured to rein things in a bit, and we like to have a firm grasp on what the game allows.  Too much of an open-ended framework often leads to confusion, significant play length, and agonizing downtime.  To address this intriguing paradox, game designers often turn to a very simple and basic mechanism.