[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft

[S. Patrick Gallaty]

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael.Willey at abnamro.com <Michael.Willey at abnamro.com>
To: mud-dev at kanga.nu <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Date: Friday, 25 September, 1998 09:51
Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft


[ ]

>So I'm trying to develop a game system along completely
>different assumptions.  Allowing characters to begin
>with professional level skills, assuming that players

This is a flawed precept, IMO.  Taking away the newbie 
stage has two effects.  One it thrusts the new player into
a complex situation (already developed skills) and secondly
it robs the mud of that initiation phase where new players 
have to struggle and adapt.

>may spend 8 or more hours a day for years advancing
>these abilities, and trying to take the focus away from
>the whole "leveling" concept, as starters.
>

Stop!
The 'leveling' concept amonst adventuring muds is a 
tried and true concept.  You are doing what UO did, imo
which is to confuse playability.  There's a very good reason
why levels and level concepts work, and that simply is 
because it's an unambiguous marker of accomplishment.

Whenever you are thinking of designing a satisfying game
system you have to remember the three elements.  
    1) Suspension of disbelief
    2) Progress related to effort
    3) Goal and reward

We suffer through the design decisions of UO already - no 
need to emulate that.

[ ]

>
>I agree.  For me, character advancement is a means to an
>end, not an end in itself.  I want a world that's fun to
>explore and interact with.  I want the game system to be
>complex and challenging, but not the only goal of the game.
>That's why the DS2 design team's unofficial motto is
>"By Spades, For Spades".  That, or "No Cheese". ;)
>
>

I might make a suggestion here - 
The goal to give players after they have conquered the game
system is to become something more than just a player -
in the old days we made them wizards.  That was the #3 
element.  Now in the days of all these (grrr) Dikumuds players
don't have this objective.  This sort of attitude has bled over into
other muds as well, where there's no 'goal' to advancement.  
This is a failure of game design IMO.  Lack of goal is a major
problem, and screws up the player experience at the top end.

If you don't want to let players become wizards, let them become
something else - let them become in-game demigods or heroes,
through quests and *cooperation of other players.*  
Instead of hard numbers, where the player has to tweak and max
his own character, give him additional powers if he can convince
other players to worship him, thus granting him additional powers
once he has enough followers...

Give these 'demigods' and 'heroes' ways to bless players, raise 
stats, create castles and guilds, teleport, etc.  which should all
use up some of their worship-earned godly power.  

My point is that this is a multi-player game.  Leverage and maximize
that multi-player aspect.. use it to your advantage and you have a 
whole new dimension to pursue.

The solution is not throw away the basic elements of successful game
design.  That won't get you anything but frustrated players and more 
ambiguous problems.



>
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>MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.
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