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

[quzah]

From: Koster, Raph <rkoster at origin.ea.com> on Friday, September 04, 1998 8:19 AM

>> From: quzah [mailto:quzah at geocities.com]
>> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 1998 9:07 PM
>> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
>> Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun 

>Any ambush scenario is. Does that mean you discard all ambush scenarios
>from your mud? They are extremely useful for numerous reasons. It's
>worth noting that for a full year and a half, the vampire was also the
>ultimate test of an advanced character's capability. The first day when
>someone "soloed the vamp" was actually a day of great celebration on the
>mud, it was broadcast live over the global channels, and the character
>who did it has become a legend on the mud, and was even immortalized as
>a mob in a "Hall of Legends" subsection of the mud. (Nowadays, the
>achievement is commonplace, once the method was demonstrated, and the
>vamp is no longer the icon of invincibility it once was. But the OOC
>gift shop still sells vampy dolls :)

No, I like ambush scenarios. It can provide a great deal of amusment.
Take for example the boring old 'etheral knight' out in some swamps
in a stock diku area. The first time I had it "poof" into existance,
and gate in two vampires... well let's just say it was a surprise to
me.

On Pirate, they had the hmm.. 'black marble slayer' and 'white marble
(something or other)', and they were like that I think... something
that only a few had soloed. A great goal to have done I think.


>In other words, it was a case where something that was actually of
>immense value to the mud was also exploited to the deteriment of the mud
>by unscrupulous players. I'd argue that ALL your worst exploits are
>going to be of highly desirable features. That's what makes them the
>worst.


I really wish there was some way to be able to set up scenarios like
the vampire where OOC information wouldn't spoil the treat. I guess
it's like taking the time to develope one massive maze, and have the
first person through it sell off their map to everyone, or post it
on a web page. It makes it hard/is very discouraging when you are
trying for some neat effect, and people just rip through it without
any second thought.

>It wasn't a death trap, as noted. Just a very very difficult
>situation...

Nod.
-Q-