[MUD-Dev] Players as Monsters/NPCs

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 10 Dec 97 at 14:37, Richard Woolcock wrote:
> 
> Oooh sounds a bit like my new system (Stephen Zepp has had a brief look ;).
> Players start with a number of 'dots' in particular catagories (which they
> can prioritise), and spend them as they see fit.  This means that if you
> want to, you can bang your Brawl and Melee right up to max right from the
> start and have Physical as your primary attributes - but you'll be somewhat 
> limited in other areas if you're not careful.
>
> I am planning on expanding this system so that players who die and come
> back on can spend their 'brought over' exp straight away (at the moment
> they have to spend them once they are back in the game), as well as
> getting more advanced starting options depending how many soul points
> they have.  I'm also planning on improving the combat system so that 
> your fighting abilities can become more flexible with experience, even 
> though a new player might be as good as you in their specific type of 
> fighting - otherwise combat will become very dull.
> 
> With no experience points for combat, and all 'fighter types' of roughly
> equal power (unless they have experienced souls and are playing vampires/
> werewolves/etc), I hope to make combat both rarer and more tactical (no
> more charging around hitting anything that moves, cos they'll hit you
> back just as hard).
> 
> This is one of the benefits (and drawbacks) of basing my system on a
> roleplaying game.
> 

You basing it roughly on the White Wolf systems then?  The 'dots' leads
me think so.  Interesting system.  I recall the combat to be extremely
balanced, that is there was no great disparity between the the extremes
of combat development.  Although I remember it to be much less developed
than other aspects of the game.  The background information for these 
games was very very good. 

I am based almost entirely upon the RoleMaster system.  So your first
paragraph applies quite aptly with this system as well.  One of the
drawbacks of RM is similar to the concerns with D&D based systems.  
Leveling and experience if implemented straight-forward become the "goals"
of the game.  Another drawback is the many interesting skills and spells 
that at first glance appear to "require" GM adjudication.  I'd imagine
you face some similar problems with many of the WW ones.

The slant of the game is wholly RP-oriented.  The multiplaying aspect of 
the game is allowed to accomplish this.  Playing other characters (NPCs) 
doesn't necessarily provide ownership only authorization like in your 
example of "MonsterMud".  In fact its my intent to even allow a whole 
establishment (such as a barkeep, barmaid, bouncer, etal.) to be 
simultaneously played by a single person.  

Come to think of it, I should just post my pet project description 
contribution to the proposed FAQ-like document.  ;)

--
Jon A. Lambert
"Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato