[MUD-Dev] Alignment

[Brian Green]

Richard Ross wrote:
 
> I've been playing a range of different MUDs for quite a while...  
>
> Instead, I came up with a scaled alignment system.  The basic premise is
> that if you're alignment is down there with Lucifer it's gonna take a lot
> more than a few slain goblins to lift you up to St. Peter's level.  

Heh, I didn't design the system on Meridian, but I can describe it.  It
was actually others on this list that masterminded it.  (So, it's all
their fault!)

Meridian had a system where it took more acts to gain/lose alignment
(called "Karma" in the game) as you got closer to the absolutes.  This
meant that it was hard to get to an absolute, and hard to stay there.

This was tied to the game via some spell schools.  The "good" spell
school which included healing spells required a certain Karma level to
cast.  Higher level of spells required higher levels of Karma. 
Likewise, the "evil" spell school required certain low levels of Karma
to cast.  Again, higher level spells requried lower levels of Karma. 
This also had the benefit of not allowing players to cast both "good"
and "evil" spells at the same time.

So, if you want alignment to be a bit more meaningful, then perhaps you
should tie it to some in-game mechanic (combat or social, depending on
your setting).  Players always take notice of something that affects
gameplay. :)

--
"And I now wait / to shake the hand of fate...."  -"Defender", Manowar
     Brian Green, brian at psychochild.org  aka  Psychochild
       |\      _,,,---,,_      *=* Morpheus, my kitten, says "Hi!" *=*
 ZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_  
      |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'  "Ritalin Cures Next Picasso" 
     '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)               -The_Onion_, August 4th, 1999



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