[MUD-Dev] Re: Administrative notes

[Jon A. Lambert]

> From: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
> 
> A lot of players want levels as some form of mental bubblegum.  They
> provide game-world short term goals which can be assumed to keep
> players interested in playing the game, always striving to make that
> next pip on the score card.  The classic operating phrase is "only XXX
> points to level!"  A lot of games reinforce this view by having new
> character abilities suddenly materialise as of certain levels.  It all
> seems sort of silly to me.

This is my primary reason behind wanting to keep levels and XP "internal" 
information.  I have a feeling that subjective XP awards (those awarded
by a gamemaster) should be kept hidden also. 

> 
> Some have (partially) replaced this model with skill trees.  However
> they still tend to balkanise the skill tree (cf Legend) so that many
> skills are just flat out impossible until you get all the
> pre-requisites in order.  "No, you can't do XXX because you don't know
> how to do YYY."

Reminds me of Gurps spell system.  You have to master certain basic spells
in order to perform more advanced spells.  They are all logically related
and well thought it.

Heat Object-----------------> Fireball
Ignite Flame----/

I don't have anything against it but I don't wish to implement it.

> 
> For me, all abilities, no matter how arcane or specialised are
> available to all characters from the moment they are created onward. 

Yes. I do this also. The default chance for a character trying to 
perform a skill which they have no knowledge of is -25%.
Add in talents, stats and situational modifiers and they become
quite doable especially routine skills like climbing, riding, etc.

JL.