(fwd) Re: Death in Muds -(also Birth, Imprisonment, Aging, and skill development)

[coder at ibm.net]

I can't say I like the idea, but its worth noting:

From: Uae <rendall at javanet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.games.mud.misc
Subject: Re: Death in Muds -(also Birth, Imprisonment, Aging, and skill
development) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997 21:35:36 -0400

Here are some thoughts I have on the subject:

DEATH:  I would love to see a MUD where those killed have to be rescued
from the afterworld by some other character (maybe one of the class
Necromancer).  The dead may have to pay through the nose or have to
promise to fulfill a quest to be brought back to the living. Perhaps the
Necromancer gets some benefit from taking stat
points or skill points from others.

When I code my own lib :) I'll experiment with this.

BIRTH:  Ideas of birth are entwined with character generation.  One day,
as I pondered MUDs, an idea formed, fully developed:  When a new character
is generated, it is assigned a certain number of "chronons" which roughly
represent the number of hours (or other suitable unit of time) the
character has until death by old age.  This number is hidden from the
player.  

        To generate statistics, the player spends these
chronons, as many or as few as he or she would like, on a desired  skill. 
This represents the number of hours in life that the character has spent
learning this skill (for example, in generating my character, I decide
that swimming, assuming it is allowable in the MUD, is a good skill.  I
spend 1000 chronons on "swimming").  These chronons are subtracted from my
original amount.  In exchange, this skill confers certain benefits to my
character: additions in strength, overall health, the ability to cross
water, etc.

        I continue spending chronons in this way on various skills until I
have the desired characteristics.  When I begin playing, my character is
now a certain age.  If I've spent few chronons, I may be adolescent or a
child (or even an infant!).  If I've spent many chronons, I may be old. 
Perhaps too old to adventure.

TIME:  As the character plays, chronons are continually subtracted.
Whether or how they are subtracted when the character is not being played
is up to the admin.  Various tasks take chronons, too.

  Reading that Tome of Vengeance? 3 chronons.  

  Digging for the Lost Artifact of Uraguay? 7 chronons.

  Memorizing the spell "Kill Bolt"? 2 chronons.

  Eating? 1 chronon.

IMPRISONMENT:  Using this system, imprisonment is simply a matter of
subtracting the requisite chronons from the character's total and letting
her go.  Alternately, some of the skill points of the character might also
be subtracted (If she hasn't swung a sword in 5 years, maybe my skills are
rusty).  The designer of the prison may want to offer this as an option
only, giving the player the chance to figure out if there is an escape.

AGING:  The player is always aware of the character's age.  This can also
have physiological effects.  Adolescents may have a strength penalty but
have a learning benefit.  The elderly character, assuming that age is
linked to infirmity, may have a strength penalty but have a  charisma or
wisdom benefit.

DEATH (again):  When a character runs out of chronons, that's it!  Death
is permanent.  Maybe there are magic items or quests which can add
chronons in life, but Fate snips the thread at CHRONON = 0.

        I hope these ideas have been stimulating and if you decide to use
them or modify them, feel free.  I would love to see these in effect.  As
I said, someday I hope to actually code them myself.

Peace.
Uae.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com ...Honorary
Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...