[MUD-Dev] Re: Administrative notes

[Adam Wiggins]

[Nathan Y:]
> I like to think that, even for a fighter, most of the effort should go
> into _avoiding_ fights... unless you think you can win, or, say, you are
> providing a diversion for someone else or defending a position that needs
> defending, or have been paid/ordered/offended into killing that _specific_
> person.

Right.  You pick the fights you can win.  Also, not all (in fact, I'd
like to think most) fights don't end in the death of one of the oponents.

> :Why?  Why, why, why, why?  I don't get it.
> :If you want to be good at something, you do it a lot.  What is the problem
> :with becoming a good healer by healing, becoming a good fighter by fighting,
> :and becoming a good juggler by juggling?  You just don't like for thinks
> :to make any sort of sense?
> 
> Your choice. A bit dull, but your choice. I don't see anything wrong with
> choosing non combat not dangerous skills. Aside from the fact that I have

Yeah, I wasn't making any judgement on whether it was dull or not.  I wouldn't
want to just stand around and heal, but who am I to decide what's fun for
someone else?  I exchanged some email with Marian on this a while back; she
was saying that she'd probably actually do this, if she could, since for
her socialization and helping people out is the most rewarding part of the
game.  So what's the matter with that?

> rigged my game to kill those sort of people unless they get _real_ good at
> running and hiding. *grin*

Well, it depends just how violent your mud is.  In a game like the pen
and paper Cyberpunk (which seems to be the closest comparison to your
mud, Nathan) people die all the time in violent and gruesome manners,
whether they themselves engange in violence or not.

> Seems to me a healer's biggest worry is failure. A healer that fails, say,
> to heal some big ogre of a barbarian's brother may have some traveling to
> do real soon.

Sure.  Or how about the pain when they set that bone...ogre starts swinging
his fists around...
Also, it depends what sort of a healer you're talking about.  An herbalist
has to worry about travelling the lands to find the herbs he needs.  A
doctor has to learn different kinds of anatomies, try to keep her tools
clean (or even FIND any descent tools), etc.  A cleric is a whole other
ball of wax...trying to stay in their god's favor, making pilgramages,
watching out for those that aren't too kind to their religion (namely,
clerics of their god's enemies).  So 'risk' becomes less about just
death.  It's a matter of surmounting the obstacles which present themselves
in attempting to achieve whatever your goal is.  If your goal is to be
the best swordsman in the land -- well, that's quite a tall order.  If
your goal is to be a barfly who sits in the tavern playing cards, drinking
ale, and bullshitting with anyone who will lend an ear - well, sure it's
easy!  You're not asking for much!  I suspect most players will land
somewhere inbetween; trying to be the best herbalist they can by wandering
the land looking for rare plants, teachers and books who can give them
more knowledge...which in turn means they need supplies or whatever, and
so will probably perform services for other players in order to make a living
(as well as give themselves yet more practical knowledge).  Or even more
likely, they'll just know they are in search of adventure - along the
way they will learn various skills, gain favor with kingdoms and gods,
etc etc.  The goals are broader, more vague - but they are still goals,
and IMO better, more compelling ones.