[MUD-Dev] Re: Room descriptions, was Re: Roleplaying

[John Bertoglio]

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Woolcock <KaVir at dial.pipex.com>
To: mud-dev at kanga.nu <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Date: Sunday, April 26, 1998 9:52 AM
Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: Room descriptions, was Re: Roleplaying


>John Bertoglio wrote:
>>

<CUT my brilliant prose about an alternate way to handle parties>
>
>Very interesting!  One of my many 'things to do' in my WoD-based mud is
>a level 5 Sanguinus power - Coagulate Enemy - which will allow a group
>leader to literally absorb his group into his body, forming a huge meto-
>character.  Of course, the individuals within this creature wouldn't be
>able to act independantly, although they *could* strive for control.
>
But what if the Pink Power Ranger isn't playing? Seriously, this in a great
variant on parties. My method potentiates the "breadth" of the party.
Richard's creates a character with "depth". This is a reasonable IC way to
deal with mega creatures. I wondered how it would make much of a difference
if 10 little guy (of who cares how much skill) are fighting a huge
creature. One step and messy feet (hoofs, paws, etc.). This would probably
work best as a very limited duration thing as the non-controling members of
the party would become spectators.

>> Because of the shared strength and pooling of skills this "meta
character"
>> is quite useful compared to the powers of its members. The party can
>> portage a small boat, haul logs for building a stockade and other feats
>> impossible for even the most capable individual. Of course, each player
>> controls his on character in combat, takes damage, changs weapons, etc.
>
>You could use this system to represent units in a large-scale war as well.
>
Cool idea. And also for the purpose I got the idea from in the first place,
modeling large groups with like merchants in a square, npc's milling about,
etc.

>> I'm sure this has been done before, but here is the new (?) wrinkle:
What
>> if a given leader's party character was not deleted when the leader
>> disbanded the party? What if the party "character" continued its
existance.
>> The party could gain experience, fame, auras and other characteristics.
>
>Definitly!  This could be incorporated into player-recognition as well:
>
I believe strongly in limiting information to what has been learned IC.

>   Four tall, black-armoured figures ride in from the north.
>   The leader of the four announces, "We are the Four Horsemen of the
>   Apocolypse".
>   The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse ride south.
>
>Thus a player might become better known as a member of the Four Horsemen
>rather than as an individual.


Yes. A cool thing about the system is the Four Horsemen might only have
three members tonight because Death has finals tommorow...but the
reputation would follow. If these guys were known trouble, the mere sight
of their standard would send some PC's fleeing for their lives. The reverse
is also true. If the Four Horsemen were a bunch of newbies whose
charismatic leader (RL skill) had managed to recruit some major bad dude
PC's or NPC's for the evening, they could surpise a lot of people.

>
>> While the the meta character would not actually perform any actions, it
>> would provide bonuses for anyone in it. The RP justification would be
the
>> leader's ability to coordinate the team around him (or her) to get the
job
>> done. When you fight along side Cyrano, you are a better swordman. When
you
>> slink with the grey mouser, you are a better slinker, and so on. It also
>> represents the parties ability to improve the plans of even a skilled
>> character.
>
>Improved fighting, yes - you should get a moral bonus for fighting beside
>the invincible Cyrano.  I'm not sure about increased other skills,
although
>it could be assumed that the Grey Mouser was pointing out the most stealty
>route to follow.  I think this would add a very interesting element to the
>mud, particularly if each player had very different skills (groups would
>then be formed to include all the skills necessary to do their job).
>
>> The party character would be represented by a standard, sash, pendant or
>> some other object. It would only have value to and could only be wielded
by
>
>Or a tattoo, ritual scar, particular face paint...
>
>> the leader character. When you viewed the party you would see a
description
>> written by the leader (or generated by the server if the leader declines
to
>> enter the text). It might say: You see a party of hearty adventurers led
by
>> a powerful elf carrying a green standard with a red diagonal slash.
Click
>> on the party and you are presented with a short display of the members
>> which can in turn be drilled down to detailed view of each member.
>
>Definitely.
>
>> Now, if your dealing with the green-red group in the past had led to
>> problems, it might be time to run!
>>
>> As the party (or members of the party) performed actions, the same
>> mechanism which improves individual skills would work (at a reduced
level)
>> on the party stats. Take the ambush skill. Since the ambush is assumed
to
>> being organized by the person in the group with the highest ambush
skill,
>

>But it could only be organised by the person in the group with the highest
>leadership skill ;)  You might well have a great group, but with no clear
>leader you're not going to get anywhere.
>
A small disagreement. The strength of the leadership skill would control
the size and availablility of skill bonuses. Without a great leader, great
bonuses do not happen. But anyone can organize a party for any purpose. A
person without leadership skill could not name the party (the game would
provide a random description based on the composition of the group) or
derive any party bonuses, but could still carry a boat or a log. The party
would be volatile and disappear from the world when it disbanded. There
would be a chance (small chance) a leader of such a party would gain a
basis in the Leadership skill and be able to form non-volatile parties. I
would also think a party leader could designate someone in the party as
second-in-command and increase the chance this player would gain the
leadership skill or increase the existing skill. I intend to make
Leadership a very expensive skill, one that is probably only *affordable*
during character creation by using a "skill bundle" which is associated
with a certain life history. Aquiring it during game play will be very
difficult.

>> that skill is used to calculate the success. A successful ambush has the
>> possibility of increasing the lead ambusher's skill as well as the
parties
>> skill. All party skills start at 0 and are used as adds to party-based
>> attempts. So a party with an ambush skill of 7 would simply add 7 to the
>> score of the character leading the ambush. Of course, it is also
possible
>> that characters in the party without the ambush skill could gain an
initial
>> value in this skill if they participate in enough of them. But that is a
>> subject for another post.
>>
>> I have roughed out some code I will add to my server in the second round
of
>> improvements unless some wiser head persuades me as to the goofiness of
>> this idea.
>
>Go for it!
>
Another thought on the subject: The skills data table will have be expanded
to include a flag for how the skill reacts in a party enviroment. Many
skills would be best one in party is uses. Others would be derived from a
party average. If the group was trying to enter the Shrine of Pork Rinds,
the gatekeeper might say. You look like a group of nerdy intelectuals,
fortunately Brother Bubba is among you and you may enter. Brother Bubba is
a major follower of the Pork God and his piety brings up the parties'
average. If Brother Bubba used his leadership skill to lead many parties to
the Shrine, he would add his party bonus to each member and increase the
number of people. This could make Bubba quite popular IC.

This concept could eliminate the artificial "thieves only" room flag. A
party of goody-goodies lead by a master thief could go slummning in the
thieves quarter as long as they were lead. Of course a master thief who
abandonded his charges in the middle of the casba would be a pretty nasty
dude. But you did hire a thief after all!

>KaVir.
>
>--
>MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.
>

Note to all: I have some of my work available to laugh at at
www.paper.net/mud/ . Just a screen shot and some other materials. But you
can get a peek into my twisted mind there.

John Bertoglio



--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.