[MUD-Dev] Conventions (was RP thesis)

[Adam Wiggins]

[Chris L:]
>   "Golly gosh gee jumpin' willikers Dr Boffo!  You are right!  That's
> why most planets have moons a lot smaller than their own size..."
> 
> Keeping the same format the following would have commincated well, if
> lost the flavour:
> 
>   <right hand>   10%  damaged
>   <left hand>    10%  damaged
>   <right arm>    25%  damaged
>   <left arm>     25%  damaged
>   <torso>        75%  damaged
> 
> There's no more implicit understanting required other than what the
> effect of the damage may be to the body part's utility.

This is slightly better, but still sucks IMO.  The problem is that I
think of 25% as being pretty cut up, 75% as being smashed up pretty bad,
to the point of being unusable but still healable.
On most muds 25% is more like a few cuts, but nothing much, and 75%
means cut up pretty bad, but still quite usable.  So in this case I
find a description like "has some painful cuts" or "mauled to the point
of disuse" to be much more informative.  Of course, the game should
actually reflect that - I get hit in the "painful cuts" location and I
actually wince as my old wounds are re-opened, and I try to use a mauled
limb and can't.