[MUD-Dev] Balancing Addicts

[J C Lawrence]

On Mon, 16 Mar 1998 12:07:30 PST8PDT 
Ling <K.L.Lo-94 at student.lboro.ac.uk> wrote:
> On Sun, 15 Mar 1998, Justin McKinnerney wrote: 

> The exp/coinage/equip worth from creatures could be
> lowered according to some formula (even down to zero).  This 'soft'
> enforcement would prompt players to find more worthy pastures.  (I
> have a friend who got to some really high level from killing 3
> different monsters....)

On Shares you earn XP either by killing mobiles or players, or
dropping treasure in the king's room whereupon it disappeard and you
were awarded its value in XP.  

It used to be that the brass key (needed to open the gates to the
city, and thus the only way into the city (then)), was worth 3 points.
It also happened that the brass key was the only object that would not 
be destroyed when dropped in the king's room, but that you were
awarded the 3 points anyway.

It didn't take long for me to run a character from newbie to wizard by
doing *nothing* but spinning on a simple script of repetitively
dropping the brass key in the king's room.

Not fun.  Not good.  The 3 monsters above are merely a longer
variation on this.  Most combat MUDs seem to devolve to a longer
variation of this.

> Note: Addicts have two fold advantage.  Apart from the highly
> advanced characters, also have intimate knowledge of the gameworld
> and contacts in the form of other players.

Bingo!  Thus the question on the value and rewards of such a detailed
knowledge.  

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