[MUD-Dev] Re: PK and my "Mobless MUD" idea

[Marian Griffith]

In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Sat 02 May, Adam Wiggins wrote:

> I had an interesting discussion with a few of my co-workers recently.  One
> of them is a big UO player.  He was showing me his house and I noticed
> several dozen water elementals neatly coraled behind a stack of crates.
> He was more than happy to (proudly) explain his business, which is selling
> people "pets".  Naturally these creatures aren't pets at all, but rather
> punching bags for people to practice on, in the safety of their own
> houses.  Apparently water elementals are particularly desireable because
> they cast spells at you, which raises your resistance to magic, but he
> also sells NPCs which heal or even resurect you (handy to have in your own
> house), or in fact any creature that you'd like.  His method of actually
> getting the creatures is quite an ordeal, usually involving several hours
> of play - first going and finding the creatures (usually in a dungeon),
> then tricking them into running into a gate which leads to a coral of
> crates outside his house, then getting some friends to help him herd them
> into his house and finally set up their prison there.

> Everyone else I worked with thought this was "terrible".  They wondered
> what the hell was the matter with the game designers that you could do
> such a thing.

I think this is the positive proof that the game is more than a silly
collection of cardboard monsters to punch on so you can eventually go
punching on other monsters. If it allows to do other things than that
it shows to me that the game actually is succeding in creating a kind
of economy, and perhaps community.

> The perpitrator of this little scheme, however, thinks that it's some of
> the most fun he's ever had playing a computer game.  Not only that, but
> he feels much more gratified by the results of his actions, because *he*
> figured out how to do something that was never thought of by anyone else,
> including the game designers.  He doesn't jump through pre-made hoops.

*giggle*
Reminds me of a mud I used to play. At one point the imms thought it
would be a good idea  to give the gold the players carried with them
weight. Even if a gold piece weighed less than a grain of salt still
players were bogged down by their amassed hoards.  Most players were
sitting still and refused to move, even if they could, and were com-
plaining bitterly about the change.  I did as did some other players
set up a little trade. I would buy a valuable piece of equipment and
go to the players who where slowed down by the gold they looted from
the various monsters  (and many would carry more gold  than even the
strongest player could lift). Then I would exchange the equipment or
gems for their gold, be teleported back to town and deposit the gold
on the bank.  The exchange rate was not very good for those players,
but then  they had little choice,  being immoble in the middle of an
area chock full of nasty monsters.  And of course  the money runners
where taking a considerable risk going to those dangerous areas.  It
was great fun while it lasted  but unfortunately the imms gave in to
the player's demands and scrapped the entire idea.

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


--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.