[MUD-Dev] distributed objects

[Charles Hughes]

Eli Stevens wrote:
> It brings up an interesting question: what happens when the meta-game is
> harder than cracking the game (even when you have cracked the game and are
> "cheating")?  The game designer almost says, "Cheat all you want, you
> still cannot win."  What would happen then?  Is such a system possible?

In a normal game, such a system ("cheat all you want...") is not possible.

Of course, let me suggest an abnormal system which just happens to neatly
fit in with what people really want, imho of course.  I've been DMing
since 1980 and from the two hundred or so players that I've run a game 
for, the games they like the most tend to be the ones in which they are
treated the worst but manage to "win" anyway.  The sense of accomplishment
is that much greater for having beaten the bad guys at their own game.

In an online game with computer based moderation, the computer would have
to keep track of how successful/lucky the player is.  If the player is 
unlucky, the computer would give hidden bonuses to the player until he 
has a more normal luck distribution.  The converse is also true.  Really 
lucky players would start getting hidden penalties.  Now, what does this 
have to do with cheating?  Since most people will cheat to better 
themselves, the game will simply work against their 'phenomenal' run of 
luck - the harder they cheat, the worse it will be for them.

Of course, *I* have never done anything like this in my games, and I'll 
deny having written this if any of my players ever finds out. :)




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