[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD Design doc - Combat

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

-----Original Message-----
From: quzah [softhome] <quzah at softhome.net>
To: mud-dev at kanga.nu <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 1:39 PM
Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: MUD Design doc - Combat


>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban at darklock.com>
>Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 12:38 PM
>Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: MUD Design doc - Combat
>
>
>>Thought: This idea comes from MUSH. Whenever you enter a command, you get
>>charged some amount of MUD-money.
>
>What happens once you run out of money? Can you no longer type anything
>and thus obsolete your current character? Or perhaps you automatically
>gain tiny amounts of money over time

This is *precisely* what MUSH does, actually, although I had a different
idea. (I think it should be reasonably obvious that quzah's solution to the
dilemma is self-evident as the quick-and-dirty solution which raises more
problems than it fixes.)

The thought I had was putting a floor on charges, and making them
proportional. In other words, do something like each command costs
(cash>>20) credits. This way, you don't pay anything if you have less than
1048576 credits, but you pay a LOT if you have more. Anyone can enter about
a million commands, which ought to be enough. This would make things tough
for millionaires, without bankrupting them automatically. It also opens the
concept of "command shelters", which is to say that keeping your cash tied
up in other things (commodities, etc.) protects you from some of these
charges. This progressive tax will of course be partially balanced by other
benefits which the rich and powerful can make use of, like big fancy weapons
and armor.

I am, however, not wholly satisfied with this idea. ;)

| Caliban Tiresias Darklock            caliban at darklock.com
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