Why does Tales of the Arabian Nights have the victory condition it has?

Question

In the setup for Tales of the Arabian Nights, each player secretly chooses a victory condition: a number of Destiny points and a number of Story points that together add up to 20. When you have enough points, you can return to Baghdad, reveal the numbers you picked, and attempt to claim victory.

I don't have any problem with this mechanic—Tales isn't exactly hyper-competitive, so one way of deciding that the game is over is as good as another. But it seems arbitrary and complicated, in a way that's somewhat out of character with the rest of the rules. I've never felt any need to change it, but I always mutter: why do they do it this way?

Has the designer made any statements about the rationale for these rules? Failing that, is it demonstrable that less complicated rules wouldn't serve the game as well as the printed version?

Answer 1

Other games, such as Careers, also have this mechanic. Such Victory Conditions have the effect of increasing replay value, by increasing the number of possible strategies for victory.

Considering that such a mechanic is easily understood by children as young as 10, perhaps even a bright 8 or 9, the additional complexity is truly minimal.