[MUD-Dev] UO rants

[Ryan]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad Wyble" <wyble at wjh.harvard.edu>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2000 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] UO rants


>
> Dan writes
>
> > > Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't seen people discussing the recent
UO
> > > solution to PVP consent, namely by geography.  They have 2 worlds, one
> > > which allows PVP and the other which does not and players can travel
> > > between the two almost at will.  Note that the PVP- area includes
dungeons
> > > and adventure areas, so I'm not just speaking of the
> > > distinction between the safe city and unsafe wilderness which existed
> > > before this solution was implemented.
> > >
> > > This seems identical in many respects to a PVP switch that can
switched on
> > > and off at will but without the potential abuse of using it to escape
a
> > > bad situation, or infiltrate an enemy guild hall while PVP- and then
> > > throwing the switch to assassinate their leader.
> >
> > Ok, what's preventing exactly that sort of abuse?
>
> Well, if the guild hall is in PVP+ land, you can't infiltrate it safely.
> If it's in PVP- land, you can't assassinate them.

I think one possible solution might be incorporating something from the
other major thread right now - circles of trust.  Only allow those in the
guild or who are considered friends of the guild to change a PVP flag.  The
weakness of this is double agents; but if the circle of trust idea makes
joining guilds a bit more difficult (and more based on worth proven by acts
over time) then the art of the spy could make for an great RP experience.
This would also allow some easy division of guilt in PVP cases - i.e. if you
enter an enemy guild as PVP from the beginning, it's your own damn fault if
you get smacked down.  My belief is that players' actions should have
consequences if it's just plain stupid to do.  Making a decision of guilt in
borderline situations is just going to alienate the punished and give rise
to system-abusers.

> > Time delay from last kill to allow warping back?  Certain portal
> > locations?   Steal and run to safety, the ever popular trick.
>
> Not if the PVP- zone is the size of the united states, and you can't
> teleport, or teleport spells have a 10 minute casting time.  I should
> have made this more explicit I guess.  Got any more?

The circle-of-trusts idea also helps this problem - rather than one gigantic
homogenous zone of PVP- or PVP+, we have a bunch of smaller zones where,
depending on your character's affiliations and sub-alignments (and some of
these sub-aligns may be visible to the player, others not immediately
obvious) you may or may not be able to change your PVP switch.  Of course,
if you walk in PVP+ or PVP-, that's still there - you just may not be able
to switch out.  (Also, some of the said subaligns may change with
switching.)

-Ryan "BC|Uller" Myers <borisian at planetquake.com>

An infinite number of monkeys, given an infinite amount of time, will
produce the collected works of Shakespeare.  John Romero's Daikatana was a
five minute, ten monkey job.




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