[MUD-Dev] Dynamic muds

[Mik Clarke]

Justin Lockshaw wrote:
> 
> :: [Ryan]
> :: Are truly dynamic
> :: rooms, in your opinion, worth spending the extra
> :: effort? In dynamic, I mean that the description changes with
> 
> As a simple example I was attempting to reward players who actually
> continued to read the room descriptions by putting 'subtle'(sometimes
> far less than) clues in the room descriptions. I took this a bit too
> far apparently in one area. I had a small courtyard outside of a
> temple with a recall room high above a fountain that sat in the
> center. Unbeknownst to me I had forgotten to make the exit gate
> visible to the exit list. When I eventually opened the area for
> testing it didn't take long before I was bombarded with tells asking
> how to get out of the courtyard even though the room descriptions
> explicitly stated that there was a gate to the west which opened to
> the rest of the city. Unfortunately most of the 'subtle' hints
> that pointed to the majority of more in depth aspects of my area
> were, I must assume, never read and continue to go unnoticed,
> undiscovered, and in all other ways unused.

I think they might have trouble on CthulhuMud.  I have added dynamic
weather descriptions (more for the sense of atmosphere - weather
should be more than an occasional message saying it's raining).  We
also have a variety of tricks for dynamic rooms (and objects),
including ones that change by time and light.  Most interesting
are the ones that change by viewer - either by level, skill or
deed.  Some people can just see more than others.  These are mainly
intended for use as clues, so I hope we'll end up with a lot of
exploring players.  We also have rooms that can come in pairs and
tripples, moving players between them as night/dawn/day/dusk pass.
They can have different exits and we also have exits that may
change destination depending upon the parson who walks through them.
 
> Atmosphere is important and even if players no longer read the
> descriptions, it may bring the initial 'feel' to the mud which is
> everlasting.

Indeed so.  Any hints beyond dynamic descriptions on how to get
good atmosphere?  I'm specifically thinking of a dark/brooding
atmosphere.

Mik

CthulhuMud 7.1.3 from http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/2260
CthulhuMud server: 212.17.96.215 port 9999



_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev maillist  -  MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev