[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun

[J C Lawrence]

On Mon, 27 Jul 1998 02:54:22 -0700 
Caliban Tiresias Darklock<caliban at darklock.com> wrote:

> As an example, I've never been bothered by a sun that rose at 6 AM
> and set at 6 PM year round. Not as a player, anyway. As a designer,
> I want the sun to rise and set in a realistic fashion, and I want
> the seasons to change during the game, and I want people to have to
> change their clothes appropriately as time goes by or suffer
> penalties. Because as a designer, I see that as a challenge.

> As a player, I would see it as... a royal pain in the ass. And the
> first couple times I played, I would think it was cool, but then it
> would get old and start to piss me off to no end, and in no time at
> all I'd stop playing the game because all of that was just such a
> NUISANCE. So, as a designer, I don't do that. Because I would like
> it for a while, and then I would hate it. The novelty would wear
> off. And I think it's smarter to avoid the problem than it would be
> to write the season-changing code.

> Although I still have that sunrise and sunset calculator. ;)

Harking back to Sid Meir, changing your clothes is both not fun, and
serves no direct useful/profitable purpose in the game other than
being a regular chore.  What reward is there for changing your clothes 
other than not being penalised?

This is equivalent to a game where you had to bow three times every
minute within 5 seconds of the minute, or be penalised.  There's no
reward for the action other than a lack of a penalty.  Now if it just
so happened that you did those three prayers in just the right
location/whatever you also got a super spiffy reward and then didn't
have to every pray again you might have something (or might not).  Or
if you changed your clothes just right etc etc etc yada yada you win a
fashion award and are given the keys to the city...

The sunrise/sunset comparitively does nothing (significant) to the
player, but does add atmosphere (if its noticed).  Some think such
atmosphere is important, some don't.  Designer's choice.

--
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...