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

[Marian Griffith]

In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Thu 14 Jan, Adam Wiggins wrote:

> On Wed, 13 Jan 1999, Koster, Raph wrote:

> > BTW, one factor that is overlooked here is the "mule" phenomenon--it's
> > rampant on UO, perhaps because of this very design concept.

> Yes, this is a common problem. 

[snipped lots]

> Another example would be a mage who can surround any target with
> a D&D-style fireshield.  Typically a warrior would want to "bum"
> a fireshield from the mage and then take off to do combat.  If, however,
> the mage has to maintain the spell in order for it to work (that is to
> say, it doesn't just have a fixed duration), and perhaps the spell can
> only be maintained from close range (maybe only in the same room),
> that's a pretty good reason to bring said mage along - and to protect
> them!

> Anyone else have any good examples/ideas of how to make skills which
> work this way without making muling rampant?  I've yet to think of a
> good way to make a object-repair skill work this way, for example.

I once proposed something like this on a mud that I played. You would
have two types of spells,  one expensive  that would offer some bonus
to the target for a (very) limited amount of time. The other would be
cheaper and would not wear off at all,  but it would drain the caster
of its casting cost every game hour, gradually wearing her down.  And
to make things more fun,  it would require another spell to lift such
permanant effects,  and prolonged mana shortage would risk the mage's
mental health.
Players could opt for the traditional system but that meant that some
spells  evaporated at inconvenient moments  (and soon enough that you
really needed the caster with you) or they could go for the safe sys-
tem  but that at least required the mage to be online.  With a strong
policy against playing multiple characters at the same time  and with
summarily removing dual characters that option too had its problems.

Of course nothing ever happened with that idea.

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