[MUD-Dev] Mass Creation OLC Functions (idea from Elder Games)

[Martin C Sweitzer]

Excerpts from mud-dev: 17-Mar-99 Re: [MUD-Dev] Mass Creation.. by
Brandon A Downey at sprynet 
> Of course, for any explorer worth his salt, the experience of slogging
> through randomly described rooms is rarely edifying. Even if you throw in 
> random encounters, these are seldom, if ever, any more challenging than 
> mobiles situated
> in strategic places, and more often at best a nuisance, and at worst an
> irritant.  Contrast exploring a dungeon that's _planned_ with a randomly
> generated one. I would stipulate there is far less enjoyment in making
> it to the 200th randomly generated "forest path" by hacking through your 
> 35th random

Ever played angband?  Or any of its derivatives?  Totally random except
for the artifacts and major mobs.   And it is LOTS of fun!!!!


> wandering kobold than in outwitting the fiendishly planted traps in the
> diabolical dungeon, filled with the pent up rage of caged implementors,
> maddened by long exposure to hordes of newbies.  Imagine if they made AD&D
> modules by
> random description generators -- now imagine this is basically what
> you're doing  with a randomly generated world.
>  

In the first edition of the AD&D DM's guide there is a radnom dungeon
generator at the end of the book.   I had quite a few wonderful kick ass
session with my first DM and that random generator!


Nothing like going around the corner and seeing the giant scorpion!!!  AIIEEE

>  
> Maybe I could pose this in rule form:
>  
> It's always more enjoyable to outwit an (equal) intelligenece, as
> opposed to a
> random number generator.
>  
> Random number generators might be fun, but they ain't people.


I think this is 100% true but at the same time making an area that is
awesome and running quests is really really time consuming.  And I would
argue, does not really scale that well.  (ie you get to save the world
or city for the Nth time and it is silly or kill the evil black knight
for the 100th time gets boring).


Having a world that is hand designed can be totally kick ass.  Well
thought out.  Have nice quests and devious traps and you get to have
that one or two times exploring that dungeon.  Afterwards that dungeon
is just:  4n,3e, open crack, 6n, kill mob, rest  continue.


Having the ETERNAL CAVES OF DOOM that is a randomly generated seems
pretty neat for those adventurers that have seen it all.  Just head into
the caves and you get an angband type of thing where you go deaper and
deaper and it gets harder and harder.  Then there are tales to tell of
the things you found this time down.


I also think that randomly generated rooms/areas can be used for either
place holders or go betweens.


ie


hand                                      hand
designed ------  random zone ------------ designed
zone                                        zone


every journy is a new one through the wilderness to The Sacred Jeweled
River Valley of Or.


Building a city or huge area takes A LOT of work and time and proofing
and typing.   Why not have a code generated zone be a place holder until
the real zone can be put in?




msew 



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