[MUD-Dev] Affecting the world

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 17 Sep 97 at 23:15, Chris Gray wrote:
> [Jon L:]
> 
> :Why not provide guilds with mud mechanical structures and enforcement
> :mechanisms?  Allow the guild leadership positions to be occuppied by
> :NPCs and PCs with access to those mechanics.
> 
> As a non-role player, I would find it difficult, if not impossible, to
> play successfully in a game where it was entirely up to the players to
> "implement" such things in their imaginations. I'm only human (if that!),
> and forget many things - I *would* make mistakes, lots of them. To me,
> computers and software are helpers, for many things I do, and I suspect
> I would be quite lost if they didn't help me play the game, by keeping
> me in line with the myriad of details, many of which would be unimportant
> to me (or perhaps not even noticed!), but important to other players.
> 

Part of the idea of having positions in my mud is to give those 
holding those positions the ability to execute commands that set up 
or enhance player interactive events.  Some of these have marginal or 
no use in an non-RP game, that is they primarily influence social 
dynamics.  While other commands influence world dynamics within that 
positions' scope and may likely have game influence.  

Consider the following example position given abilities:

position - King of Argos 

These have stronger social/rp influence than game effects:

commands -
PROCLAMATION <string> - when this command is issued, several heralds 
are created which begin to move throughout the city of Argos 
during the next few mud hours proclaiming the <text>.

FEAST - this command brings up a menued dialog in which one might 
select the purpose of the feast, the guest list, the menu, the 
date and time, etc. Messengers are sent out with invitations, 
appropriate NPC activity is begun within the king's palace, several 
NPCs are sent out into Argos shops to purchase random foodstuffs from 
shopkeepers, the king's treasury is depleted to reflect this.

And a position command with strong game influence:

TAX <amount> - when this command is issued several NPC tax collectors 
and guardsmen make the rounds of Argos demanding gold or equivalence 
from every shop or residence within the city.  The booty is carried
back to the palace and placed in the treasury room.  Internal a list 
is made of those who pay and those who do not.  Those who do not 
pay or are "conveniently" absent remain on the visitation list for 
the next mud day.  This continues with increasing rudeness until a
visitation threshold has been reached in which non-payers are 
forcibly imprisoned, warrants issued or property forcibly 
confiscated.  If the tax command's amount is unbearably high or too 
frequent, at thresholds NPC simmobs are likely to be created and 
attempt to attack the palace or otherwise capture the king with 
random side-effects of imprisonment, exile, execution, etc.  These 
rebellions can be thwarted with enough player help/NPC guard help but
will increase in frequency and size.  

Grok well!


--
Jon A. Lambert

If I'd known it was harmless, I would have killed it myself.