[MUD-Dev] Simpson's "In-Game Economics of UO"

[Christopher Allen]

From: "Paul Schwanz - Enterprise Services" <Paul.Schwanz at east.sun.com>:
> I thought so as well.  I was especially fascinated by how the
"improve-by-doing"
> system for gaining skills can throw a wrench in the whole economy.
However, I
> have a suggestion/question.  What if the model were changed slightly to
> "improve-by-failing?"  In other words, what if you only increased skills
by
> taking such risks that the resources were inevitably expended without
producing
> an item.  Also, give the character the opportunity to choose whether they
are
> attempting to increase skill (resources automatically consumed) or
attempting to
> make a saleable item (item created if successful).  Perhaps this slight
> modification would result in characters actually creating only the items
that
> were in demand.  In a sense, perhaps this is just a variation on
> "improve-by-paying" since you "pay" the resources in order to improve
skill, but
> for some reason, I like it better than simply buying skills from someone.

I've seen variations of skills systems that approach this. On DartMud and
Accursed.Org, you only can gain in a skill if it is a challenge. For
instance, with carpentry, you start by carving simple things like batons and
staves, etc. but after a time you are 100% successful with them, but gain no
more skill. It isn't until you try to carve more difficult things like
flutes that you can gain more skill.

This applies to all skills in the game, so if you don't fight things tougher
then you, and take risks, you don't advance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
.. Christopher Allen                                 Skotos Tech Inc. ..
..                           1512 Walnut St., Berkeley, CA 94709-1513 ..
.. <http://www.Skotos.net>               o510/649-4030  f510/649-4034 ..




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