[MUD-Dev] Re: Administrative notes

[Miroslav Silovic]

> On Fri 09 May, Miroslav Silovic wrote:
> 
> > First of all, it appears to me that more often than not, combat system,
> > no matter how perfect, tends to get in the way. While I completely agree
> > that a RP-oriented MUD could be greatly spiced with combat, in practice
> > it actually takes from the experience as it attracts people to whom
> > combat is end in itself. From that point, the game degrades into
> > powerfest, loosing all its immersive value.
> 
> I have to slightly disagree with you here. It's not just the fact that
> there's combat possible that degrades a game. It is often that combat
> is the -only- thing that is happening automatically.

*grin* You are right here, of course.

> > <snip>

> > Now, I think that automated VR could greatly contribute to this - if
> > one were able to deal with 'combat twink' problem. Do any of you
> > have good solutions to this problem? Perhaps an Ultima-type game, with
> > fully functioning NPC culture might work?
> 
> The simple way to get rid of combat twinks is to have a real (gamewise)
> cost attached to it. Make armour and weaponry expensive to get and
> maintain. Don't give it away for free with each corpse, but make players
> purchase it with a armourer and weaponssmith. Make money hard to get at,
> and make not having it a hazardous lifestyle (e.g. characters can really
> starve to death if they don't eat enough, or the right things). Don't
> reincarnate characters when they get killed but make that dependent on
> the actions of other players. If you don't have friends then your characters
> won't last long. That should make players who are looking to fight think
> twice and give players who don't want to other things to do.

Now while this addresses the problem of making people *not* fight, it doesn't
give them other things to do. Another problem you didn't mention is that on
many MUDs, the fastest way to get experience (and rise in power) is by killing
mobs. (for that matter, I wonder how would giving negative XP for killing
affect the player base *evil snicker*).

Actually, while I dislike the idea of random plots (it's waaay too hard to
make them varied enough, and then there is another problem of involving a
/group/ of players, as opposed to individuals, like most quests do), I
think it could be possible to stimulate players to come up with their own
quests: Simply reward them with XP for doing them. For that matter, what
would you all think about a Dream Park style of game, where a couple of
players sits in 'control room' and embodies NPCs as other players progress
through the game? (I refer to /regular/ players acting as GMs, not just
admins - they could switch in their roles). Now there's a problem: How
to ensure objective judging?

	Miro