[MUD-Dev] Types of game

[Travis Casey]

Matt Chatterley <root at mpc.dyn.ml.org> wrote:

[much snipped for space]

>There are basically three types of game. Or rather, three types of game
>element. Each game is composed of these elements, which places it
>somewhere inbetween all three points, on a sliding scale with three ends
>(a three dimensional model works best if you want to actually draw this).
>
>The three basic types are:
>
>Roleplaying, being those games with a very strict, hardcore roleplaying
>
>Hack'n'Slash, being the other far end of the scale, games which are soley
>
>Adventure, being the third (and often seen as intermeditary type, although

Another way of thinking about it is by what the players do:

Roleplaying - This isn't quite the same as what Matt was talking about.
  This is focusing on the interactions and relations between PCs, and
  possibly between PCs and NPCs as well.  (Note that this is different
  from interactions and relations between players.)

Powergaming - A poor term, since this doesn't really fit with the
traditional
idea of powergaming, but it's the best I can come up with offhand.
  This is using the abilities of one's character to overcome obstacles in
  the game.  Hack'n'slash is one manifestation of this -- using a
character's
  abilities to kill monsters.  Other examples would include a player of a
  thief character using the character's ability to open locks.

Puzzle solving -
  A player using his/her own intelligence to overcome obstacles in the game.
  Traditional mud quests are examples of this activity.  Another example
  would be a player figuring out a way to kill a monster that his/her
  character can't stand up to toe-to-toe.  This sometimes can shade over
  into cheating -- that is, exploitation of bugs that the player knows are
  bugs.

Different muds combine these three activities in different ways.  Some
separate them -- for example, in some muds, the only time that
puzzle-solving
activity is required is during quests.  However, they can't be completely
separated, since the players choose when to do each activity.

Roleplaying can't be eliminated, unless you cut out all ability for
characters
to communicate with each other.  However, without encouragement, roleplaying
doesn't seem to happen often.

Powergaming can be reduced by reducing the level to which players can rely
on the abilities of their characters to overcome obstacles.  For example, in
a system in which all characters have exactly the same abilities, players
must
rely on other methods to make their characters do things others can't.

Puzzle solving can be eliminated by making a game in which players either
can
or can't do things, regardless of *how* they try to do them (in theory, at
least -- this is much easier said than done!).  However, I don't think this
is really desirable.  Encouraging puzzle solving is easy -- simply give
characters things to do that require puzzle solving.  There are, however,
some players who don't like to have to think when they're having fun.
Requiring puzzle solving as part of the game will tend to drive those
players
away.
--
       |\      _,,,---,,_        Travis S. Casey  <efindel at io.com>
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