[MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <199707300840.BAA25834 at user1.inficad.com>, on 07/30/97 
   at 08:06 AM, Adam Wiggins <nightfall at user1.inficad.com> said:

>They do, just in limited ways.  The main method is via equipment
>limits: "Argh!  Bubba has the sword Stormbringer, and there's only
>one in the whole world!"  

This sort of thing really irritates me.  Either I should be able to go
out and attempt to persuade the smith to make another Stormbringer,
and/or I should be able to go and attempt to persuade Bubba to give it
to me whether he is logged on or off.  The manner of such persuasion
is of course a personal choice.  

Then again I tend to look at these things from the other end.  There
are no unique items.  There are only items that are incredibly
expensive to make, and there are items which will not tolerate another
similar item also existing in the world (various manifestations). 
Within those limits its all free reign.

You can't get Stormbringer and Stormbringer won't tolerate another
matching item in the game (mutual self destruct).  Solution: Build a
new SB, have it and the original destruct, and then build another SB
that's yours.  Incredibly expensive, but can be done.

You can't get Stormbringer and Stormbringer won't tolerate another
matching item in the game (copy comes out wrong).  Solution: Forget
about an SB, make a Lighteningbringer, or Tornadobringer, or something
else which might be equivalently useful.  Awfully expensive of course,
but them's the breaks.

Etc.

>Examples of stuff that happens all the time on dikus
>via object limits: most keys are limit one, so players get a key to
>(say) the dwarven kingdom immediately on reboot and then hold a
>monopoly over anything found inside until they rent or the mud
>crashes.  I've also seen things like spiteful players throwing the
>keys to Mahn-Tor's keep into the ocean just to keep other players
>out, for whatever reason.

All of which seem quite ideal I'm afraid.  Note the quote in the
recent Bartle posts of the chap sitting by the falls waiting to give
the brand to someone.  Its a trap.  Its obvious, simple, and *really*
elegant (outside of the player hitting ^L repetitively).  Its also
something I don't think should  either be prevented or designed
around.  Call it a happy accident.

I think the baser problem is that there really is only one way in to
Mahn-Tor's keep.  Why can't the walls be scaled?  Or mined?  Or a
player catapulted over the walls?  Or magical teleport?  Or a fish
charmed to go eat the key and then be caught by the player and the key
retrieved?  Or the key magically summoned?  You get the idea.  

Why create a system which of necessity has a single point of
dependance?  Generically that would seem an example of Bad Design.

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