[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface

[Marian Griffith]

On Tue 30 Sep, Matt Chatterley wrote:

> On Mon, 29 Sep 1997, Marian Griffith wrote:

> > In most cases I'm in favour of making such things happen automatically.
> > E.g. the moment you cross the towngates  the guards order you to remove
> > your weapon and you simply immediately do so.  What is the point of re-
> > fusing after all?  You want to enter town for trading or something like
> > that,  not to take on all guards at the gate  (who should realistically
> > win any fight).

> This is where you can hit problems - what if someone doesn't want to
> remove a weapon? Its all these 'what if?'s that are troublesome! Mind you,
> I am in an environment where someone may well want to directly attack the
> guards (although it'd still be a bit of a daft thing to do). And guards
> should not really 'realistically' win any fight, unless something
> thematically depicts so. Infact, I'd put them at a disadvantage against
> anyone with a greater reason than being paid some money, to fight! Just
> for arguments sake, anyway. ;)

My thinking is that one guard would not necessarily fight and win automa-
tically  but there are six or so of them.  With that many opponents there
is no hope of winning. And they ought to be smart enough to allow no more
potential enemies in the gates  than they can defeat.  The worls is after
all dangerous and that trade caravan could easily be bandits in disguise.

How to avoid that things happen automatically I have no idea. That is the
kind of thing you have to work out :) Something like having the guard is-
sue an order that is obeyed unless you refuse within a certain timelimit.
Depending on the nature of the order  the guard may attack or run for re-
inforcements after that.

Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey