[MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)

[coder at ibm.net]

On 03/11/97 at 01:09 AM, Derrick Jones <gunther at online1.magnus1.com> said:
>On Sun, 2 Nov 1997, Sauron wrote:

>not really you missed the beginning of the thread.  Mages aren't
>outlawed. I just don't want to throw in a brute-force solution.  That
>will be transparent and the players will see the town guard for what it
>really is...a group of super-high-level brutes that wouldn't be consisant
>with the world dynamics.  The obvious questions I'd have to answer would
>be: if the guards are the most powerful creatures in the game world, then
>why are they guards?  How can an average town afford to hire a contigent
>of super-powerful beings to protect them?  Who guards the guards?

First thougths:

  Guards are demons, constricted by various magical means, geases, etc.

  Guards are akin to Thomas Covenant's, err, Black Watch (?) (which were
in turn of course based on the British Gurkhas)?

  Successfully serving time as a guard is a requirement for the final
stages of advancement in the Religion of the Great God GooGoo.

  Guards are a hive mind.  Only one guard at any instant is super-tough
(single point of attention/focus), but that focal point can move between
guards very quickly.  Non-focal guards are sorta wimpy.  Ergo, best way to
attack guards is en-masse and operate by attrition (cf regimental chess).

>Also, houses are designed to keep PCs out.  Try to
>imagine a structure where your most determined players find it difficult
>to enter un-invited.  Now design guards that can just waltz in bacause
>they are simply so powerful that the PC defences don't leave a scratch. 
>Now place those guards in an area where they have been relagated to what
>is generally deemed as the servile task of policing a small town.  Now
>design a town that both needs the protection of these guards and hopes to
>control them.

Make your guards demonic, with full demonic powers, and the problem
becomes a little simpler.  You also then have the option of adding all
sorts of campy overtones as the demons bitch and writhe about doing "good"
work.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...