[MUD-Dev] Quests

[Lovecraft]

[Recently written: Raph and Matt on MMP quest design; Madrona on the value
of an epic; Raph on the challenges of an epic; Erik with an design aftermath
example; Raph on Lee Sheldon's modular storytelling technique; And Eli on
currently-wishful events technology.]

Related to the progressive thought Raph, Matt, Eli, Erik, Madrona, and
others created in this "Quests" thread:

MMP epic's potential fascinates.  *bright-eyed* Experiencing Beowulf- or
Lord of the Rings-proportion legends!

I made a fresh attempt.  I had not done MMP epic design for 10 months, since
a substantial player base didn't yet exist in the new world.  Last August, I
re-started interactive epic design, with a multi-goal design strategy:

1. Synthesis.
I began to design new epic events that include new persistent quests,
realms, items, and culture.
    - An epic event occurs.  The users' collective decision determines the
outcome.  In some cases it was a team struggle (e.g. religion as team), in
other cases it was a global struggle (players vs. evil), and in others,
individual player's contribution.
            - A specific legend awarded to the winners.  Players felt
consequence, and feel it again every time they are seen by other players.
    - During/afterward, part of the event is persistent.  It takes a lot
more initial planning, and it severely limits what kinds of epic events can
occur.  Example: "One Ring" plot device?  That's beyond the time I have to
devote to events.  However, shatter it into 1000 fragments of the "One Ring"
and then it tenably fits the player-base.
    - During/afterward the world expands.  There are new creatures, new
realms, new items, and (my favorite) a new culture.

2. Thread.
I seeded epic events from the past and for the future; thus, more
player-consequence.

3. Timing.
In the same experiments, I combined real-life holidays with game events;
thus, more player-consequence.  For example, I feel extra-mushy on
Valentine's Day, and extra-spooky on Halloween; many do.

4. Massive Multi-brain Design.
For the epic event, there are lots of clues: More clues than I expected a
single user to gather.  I anticipated what the collective base of users is
good at: intelligence gathering, and planned for them to have to do that:
share gathered intelligence.  For extreme example: see "The Pact" (below).

5. Minimal linearity & Exam.
Within the constraints of very limited resources and aforementioned plot, I
programmed short or non-existent linearity.  Minimal _required_ A, then, B
then C.  Instead, there were mini-episodes.  By this, the users can teach
the quest to a new person, without holding hands on the tour through A, then
B, then C.  The player can take on the full role of the NPC: explain the
quest in a useful and fun way.
    The other half is a test.  There is something that amounts to a finale
and final exam rolled into one.  Prior episodes and game-world legend
knowledge, properly assimilated, suggests the proper course of action.  The
actual action is randomized and complicated to avoid players blue-printing.
For example, there may be 4 points of 4 (efficient to code) branches each.
"The Heart", for a different example, has a ritual to perform at the end.
It lists several ways to perform the ritual (e.g. do I put my hands above my
head or at my sides?).  If one knows the game's theology and figures out
what the ritual represents in relation to the theology, the correct ritual
is obvious.

6. Combat is Optional.
I designed low-power player event/quest success potential.  Example: This
quest requires the player to "get from here to there alive".  The player
doesn't have to kill the bad guys, just plan well, run fast, hide, and/or be
lucky enough to survive.



Examples:
[New Event is temporary; new Quest, Realm, and Culture are persistent.]

The Entreaty    September, 1999
http://www1.darkages.com/news/990918.html
Event: a war over an ancient artifact.
    Consequence: Who gets the artifact?  Which player-religion helped the
most?
Quest: study in the library, collection of bits of the artifact, kill enemy,
collect other things.
Realm: Pravat Cave.
Culture: Pravat Grimlok.

The Sacrifice    October, 1999
http://www1.darkages.com/news/991001.html
Event: Sacrifice of children to a dark god
    Consequence: Will the bard's daughter be sacrificed?
Quest: Scout, Rescue children, Summon.
Realm: Astrid (1/4th mile hexagram)
Culture: Astrid Kobolds.

The Pact   Halloween, 1999
http://www1.darkages.com/news/991029.html
Event: discovery of a grand conspiracy and salvation.
    Consequence: Will the councilor's daughter die?
Quest: clogged sewer, bed-chamber, garden, gather intel from the Mukul, find
the garden, pick the flower [flower-picking was easily blue-printed, but the
whole quest is challenging nonetheless], salvation.
Realm: Mehadi Swamp.
Culture: Mehadi Mukul; Loures nobility.

The Heart   Valentine's Day, 2000
http://www1.darkages.com/news/000214.html
Event: Astrological union of God of Debauchery and Goddess of Compassion
    Consequence: Will the imprisoned see his lost love?
Quest: Solving the mystery of the lost love, luring a faerie, Labyrinth to
the Heart, Rite of Conjunction. [has some linearity]
Culture: Labyrinth Dubhaimid; Loures nobility.



Thread Example:
Each example event was caused by the world's legend, history, politics, and
religion.  Each event, in turn, caused the next event and seeds a space of
possible events.
    There's several more links on the example events' content, which
illustrates a secret thread.
http://www1.darkages.com/atavism/news/index.html



Dave Kennerly
Game Director






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