THAC0 was more a symptom of a deeper flaw - that in Second Edition, it wasn’t consistent whether a higher number or a lower one was better. Worse, the awkward intersection between the two happened to be in the most critical part of the rules, checking if an attack lands. THAC0 as an intermediary score was little more than a band-aid over those design flaws, and later editions embraced “higher = better” as a universal rule.
But also, “You find a set of magic scale plate. Its armor value is two less than what you’re already wearing.” “YIPPEE!” will never not sound weird.
And the AD&D trying to convince people that THAC0 made sense.
THAC0 is WHAC0!
THAC0 did nothing wrong!
I mean, it would if human brains didn’t hate subtraction
THAC0 was more a symptom of a deeper flaw - that in Second Edition, it wasn’t consistent whether a higher number or a lower one was better. Worse, the awkward intersection between the two happened to be in the most critical part of the rules, checking if an attack lands. THAC0 as an intermediary score was little more than a band-aid over those design flaws, and later editions embraced “higher = better” as a universal rule.
But also, “You find a set of magic scale plate. Its armor value is two less than what you’re already wearing.” “YIPPEE!” will never not sound weird.
That’s why I always said “hooray!”
That’s a lot of words to say that Gary Gygax was a gatekeeping math nerd.