[MUD-Dev] Re: Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when.

[J C Lawrence]

On Thu, 14 Jan 1999 20:30:23 +0000 (GMT) 
Marian Griffith<gryphon at iaehv.nl> wrote:

> In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Thu 14 Jan, Koster, Raph wrote:
> hmm. How about putting a fire underneath the rubber sheet, at a
> nice safe distance of course. However as soon as more people head
> for the same hole in that sheet their marbles will stretch the
> rubber sheet, getting closer to the fire, until it gets really
> uncomfortable there and they must find other things to do?  Maybe
> it is not the same but could this not work as well?

A common model of this:

  Spells (for example) are powerful in proportion to their rate of
use across the entire game world.  Thus, as long as very few to no
people ever cast "fireball" you get fireballs that reduce Tiamat's
to grease spots in an instant.  Once the fireball spell becomes
popularly used, they are barely able to warm a tin cup, let alone
light a candle.

Another variation has the effectiveness vary based on population
(the more people who know, the less its worth), but this creates
problems with having enough spells (or whatever) to satisfy a large
population.  Of course the potentially unpredictable variations in
effectiveness as players log in and out of the game can also be
considered a bonus as it forces characters to be widely skilled so
that they'l always have *something* effective (even if they're
mediocre at everything).

>> BTW, one factor that is overlooked here is the "mule"
>> phenomenon--it's rampant on UO, perhaps because of this very
>> design concept. I had never heard the term before Meridian 59,
>> but I am sure it must have existed before. This is where players
>> simply make alternate characters to make use of the lesser-used
>> skills. Your "main" character fits a stereotypical ubercharacter
>> ideal, but you make alternates for those occasions when you want
>> the secondary skills. In UO, that is generally for the crafting
>> skills.

> *grin* This sounds like an excellent business opportunity to me :)
> You could always charge players for secondary characters...

I've oft seen mules used as income sources for other characters.
Bubba has a mule healer as well as his normal warrior.  He then
leads parties in dangerous pursuits and then charges them for access
to his healer...

--
J C Lawrence                              Internet: claw at kanga.nu
(Contractor)                             Internet: coder at kanga.nu
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