[MUD-Dev] OT: Books

[Matt Chatterley]

On Sat, 13 Dec 1997, Sauron wrote:
> Matt Chatterley wrote:
> > On Fri, 12 Dec 1997 s001gmu at nova.wright.edu wrote:
> > > On Fri, 12 Dec 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> > >
> > > >  <snip quotings>
> > >
> > > > <Off Topic:>
> > 
> > [Snip]
> > 
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > > > Frank Herbert's Dune.  See Tolkien.
> > >
> > > Loved the books, but it's difficult to extract too many ideas from a
> > > Sci-Fi book for a Fantasy theme.
> > 
> > I loved the first Dune book, liked the second, and do not believe the rest
> > to be worth the paper on which they are printed. I'd suggest that Dune
> > offers some excellent basis for fantasy-level desert based cultures (the
> > fremen ways of life, with some adjustments).
> 
> I enjoyed the first three Dune novels immensely, due to the "epic" feel
> of the entire story arc. IMHO after that the rest were more
> self-contained stories, and parts of Chapterhouse were just downright
> bizarre. Though I do like the entire model of the expansion,
> consolidation, expansion of each "empire" throughout the course of the
> books (purposelly vague for those who haven't read the novels yet, don't
> want to give away too much :) ).

Heh. This can be said to be true - I did read all five (or was it six? I
seriously lost count!), and elements did carry through well. I think the
style with which Herbert tackled them was quite different to anything else
I had (have?) read, and intruiged me for a book or too, but soon wore
thin. I would definitely read Dune again, and even Messiah, but I wouldn't
go further purely on literary merit. Quite right; chapterhouse was just
plain strange.

And the film was *dire*!
 
> > [Snip]
> > 
> > > Not a book, but the Highlander Movie/tv series has impacted our design.
> > > We will have immortals of the highlander type running around, trying to
> > > not get their heads cut off. :)
> 
> I've strongly considered using this as a possible way to deal with
> player damage, thus allowing for perma-death, but only under certain
> circumstances which most players will take steps to avoid. My real
> concern is that of abuse, perhaps it would work better to make a few
> "immortal" npc's...

Hmm, its certainly an interesting game basis, but as well as the idea of
'immortality' you also need some checks and balances (for instance 'the
rules' that lots of the immortals follow - some don't, and to a point this
is your IC abuse of position, which is probably allowable and good). I
suppose the watchers can be called checks and balances now, given the few
times we have seen them aid the hero in getting the villain.

Its an interesting way to handle death versus permadeath, but I'm not sure
what angle I'd take in a 'non highlander' mud, using some of the concepts.
  
> > Heh. I am repeatedly impressed by the quality of the TV show, as far as
> > spin-off shows go. The first movie was a *classic* (Chris Lambert, AND
> > Sean Connery!), the second was utterly bizarre, and the third sucked.
> 
> I really loved the first, the second one was well I don't know what it
> was, and the third on its own was a fairly good movie, but when compared
> to the rest of the "franchise" it is disappointing. 

The third was reasonable as a 'run of the mill action movie', something
which I counted the original above. This is the trouble with sequels - you
compare them to the originals, and they have generally lost the sparkle.

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	ICQ: 5580107
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world." -Einstein