[MUD-Dev] The Best Guy on the Mud Thing

[Ilya]

On Sat, 11 Sep 1999 20:36:22 +0200, Ola Fosheim Gr stad wrote:

))"Ilya, SCC, Game Commando" wrote:
))
))> I've given some thought to the whole range of play styles (often or rarely,
))> short or long visits).  It seems to me that the desire to make things somehow
))> even for these widely varying groups, though noble, is ultimately hopeless.
))
))Don't give up yet. That would break the spirit of this mailinglist. This isn't the
))discouraging USENET, but the encouraging MUD-Dev. Yes? :9

Ha!  What I mean is, let's direct energies in other ways, to solve problems
where there is a reasonable chance of finding and implementing a solution
that is better than the problem itself!

If you always are going to have some players playing more often, and some
playing less, it seems to me unwise to punish the ones who play more often,
and help the ones who play less, or whatever it is you call it when you
try to "make it more fair."

))Well, the underlying problem is that players should be allowed to freely choose
))their friends and spend time with their friends. That is, people who they are
))"psychologically compatible" with. Some systems make it difficult for low level
))characters to cooperate with high level characters. This is a highly relevant
))design problem, which one ought to consider and not ignore. At least in a
))professional or research context.

I have no problem with that.  Let them associate however they will, without
regard to level or whatever.  I just don't see that people who have radically
different time commitments need some sort of handicapping system to keep them
"even."

))
))> My favorite idea on this was that you just create several instances of
))> your game, each designed for a particular time-line style of play.
))
))But this doesn't solve the basic problem. Providing multiple of your "games"  in
))one could, under the assumption of careful design and balancing in order to avoid a
))"monetary economy". (I'm vague, but I wan't to keep my own ideas for myself for
))now, thank you :)

You are welcome.  I have no idea what you are talking about, but it
doesn't hurt to be pleasant!

As far as I can see, it _does_ avoid the apparent problem that I hear
some people complaining or whining about, or just wanting to fix -- that
it seems somehow "unfair" that jonny can only play 5 hours a week, and
jacquie can play 50 hours a week.  Poor jonny will be passed by evil
get-a-life dweeb jacquie! oh NO!

Well, for poor helpless jonny, I have no argument with his playing
commitment levels.  I just don't want to have to spend the rest of
my life trying to find some mythical "balance" or "fairness" between
him and jacquie.

Instead, if jonny wants to be keeping up, generally speaking, with
people at the same level of time commitment, I give jonny the option
of entering a time-limited game for others like himself.

))
))Make things motivating and fun would be my first goal. If that involves "fair" or
))"even", well, then that would have to be included too.

Agreement is.

Ilya


--
  Ilya, Game Commandos     http://www.gamecommandos.com     





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