[MUD-Dev] Planes of existance

[Greg Munt]

> [Quzah]
>
> While talking of death and what to do with folk when they
> expire, I thought of implementing planes of existance and
> thought some of you folk may like to kick the idea around
> a bit.

Don't do this without thinking for a while. The above implies that not
having anywhere for dead players to 'go' is a problem. It's not. Dead is
dead. Is dead, is dead. The end. (Don't even *think* about getting me
started on how instantaneous reincarnation can kill a well thought-out
world. This is a perfect example of the players wants' being the opposite of
the mud's needs. I'm sure Mr Mihaly will correct my flawed logic, however...
*grin*)

OTOH...

> I was thinking it would be fun to implement planes by use
> of a plane_of_existance variable on everything.

I think you need to avoid thinking in terms of how to implement this thing.
The first thing you need to do is to decide if your reason for wanting
multiple existence planes is a Good Thing(tm).
For example, 'because the players don't like having to start all over again
when they die', 'it would be, like.. COOL, man' and 'it would be fun to
code' are all BAD reasons. (No, this *isn't* flamebait. Really! *koff*)

So, what's a good reason? Simple: enrichment of the world. Of course, this
will indirectly make the players ok with dying, it would make the mud 'cool'
to some, and you bet it would be fun to code. Something with this much
impact on your entire game universe needs to be thought about long and hard;
that's a given. Add it for the cool factor, and your world (and hence, your
game) will suffer. Add it because it will improve your world, offering more
possibilities for player/world interaction, and you have made heaven
(perhaps, literally).

So you want planes of existence? Rule number one: do they fit in with the
laws of your world? If not, could the laws be modified (or added to), to
allow their *seamless* (this is important - nothing spoils the immersion
more than a new, obviously 'bolted-on' feature) introduction? If not, you
need to think a bit more about whether you really want them. If you are
still sure you can pull it off (well), consider what could have happened to
break or distort the laws of nature for your world. Magic (if your world's
laws allow for its existence) could do it, but remember that laws of nature
aren't broken every day - it would require great, *powerful* magic... Rare
(important) magic, especially. And magic that is now lost forever. (Or until
you need to change your world's laws again, anyway...) But magic cannot be
allowed to become an easy fix when you have a problem that your laws of
nature won't allow. If it does, you may as well bring in the Coolness
Brothers: same result.

You don't want to use magic? What else could cause such damage? How were
these planes of existence found? Did we break in, or did they break out?
Non-magical solutions are more likely to be more creative - and interesting.
(If you didn't know already, this is a good thing.)

> This would
> include objects, creatures and locations. You could modify
> creation and destruction sequences so that when a[n] O/C/L
> (Object/Creature/Location) was created or destroyed it is
> shifted up or down a plane (or more).

This all depends on how similar your game world is to the real world. (Try
not to ignore a problem, because it doesn't fit in with what you want to
do.) In the real world, nothing can be destroyed (basic physics, law of
energy conservation) - burn a chair, and you get smoke, fire, ashes, burnt
and charred wood. Think about how things are different in each plane. Major
world religions tell us that our physical essence is part of the world
itself (we are made from dust, and to dust we will return), and it is that
that is unseen (that can never be seen, on our current plane of existence)
which migrates to other planes. Returning to our plane is known as
reincarnation. Do all planes have a method of transport for the 'unseen'
parts of us? Or only the lower levels? On higher planes, are our spirits
more free? Many religions indicate that this is true. (Yes, involve world
religions in this - they are a good source of information and inspiration.)

> You could modify the functionality of objects, locations
> and even creatures so that when they shifted they may or
> may not function entirely different.

How does your world explain ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the
night? Is one plane a source of evil (eg hell), and another of good (eg
heaven)?

> ...
>
> Anyway it would be interesting to see it in action and
> so I thought I'd toss it out for you all to mull over.
> You could also have a bunch of nifty abilities (spells
> and what not) to shift planes, force people to shift
> planes and all sorts of fun things like that. Planer
> travel, gate, summon and so on.

You need to be very careful in how you use magic. Avoid the coolness factor,
and go for what your world laws feasibly permit. Can you explain it, or does
it happen, just 'because'? The success or failure of a world begins and ends
in its design.

Greg, who is forgetting how to lurk - this may, or may not, be a good
thing...



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