[MUD-Dev] Balancing issues (renamed)

[Marian Griffith]

On Tue 24 Aug, Greg Miller wrote:
> Marian Griffith wrote:

I hate to quote the entire post but I did not see how I could snip it
without losing context.

> > Do -NOT- give in to player demands in this!  Multi-classing are the root
> > of all evil!

> Having classes in the first place is the root of all evil.

That is, of course, a matter of taste. Classes have their advantages
as well. (In terms of recognisability, same as with levels)

> > Seriously,  multi-classing is a bad idea because it makes the individual
> > players more self sufficient.  It detracts from  the cooperative aspects
> > of a mud  and in the end promotes selfish behaviour.  I have seen a 

> You're assuming that the cooperative aspects are a good thing. I've seen
> a lot of work put into reducing group sizes on organized PK muds, for
> example, so it's not always a good thing. You also seem to be assuming
> that there are no drawbacks, tradeoffs, etc for multiclassing.

Ah,  but I was talking about social behaviour,  not so much about
'beating the game'. Not having played them my guess would be that
PK muds are an entirely different type of games from the ordinary
mud. The fact that they use the same foundation only confuses the
matter.

> > The other problem with it  is that it is near impossible  to balance the
> > game once you allow multi-classing. You have, after all, low level char-
> > acters running around with top-level equipment.

> That's only a problem if you have ridiculously overpower equipment. If a
> player's power comes from his character rather than his stuff, equipment
> is a nonissue.

I was talking about a fairly standard mud setup of course. Where the
equipment is what makes or brakes a character.

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




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