[MUD-Dev] Bay Area Press re: UO, the good the bad and the Ugly.

[Raph Koster]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu [mailto:mud-dev-admin at kanga.nu]On Behalf Of
> F. Randall Farmer
> Sent: Friday, June 02, 2000 11:20 AM
> To: Mud-Dev
> Subject: [MUD-Dev] Bay Area Press re: UO, the good the bad and the Ugly.
>
>
>
> http://www.metroactive.com/metro/cover/onlinegames1-0022.html
>
> I just read these.
>
> If you haven't seen them, you should.

start quote--->
"I guess a society is mature when organized crime shows up," explains
Koster, who is 28 years old and has an M.F.A. in creative writing.
<---end quote

There's a "ruefully" qualifier missing from that quote. :) As in, I wasn't
exactly wildly enthusiastic about it, though it is interesting.

start quote--->
 "As long as it's not impossible to resist them, it's an interesting
dynamic." Koster's goal is to provide an accurate simulation of a
mythological world, complete with lasting consequences and random outcomes.
He shares the belief of some of Ultima's fanatic devotees that the ability
to execute another player makes the game vital, exciting and more like real
life.
<---end quote

Er, a bit of an oversimplification there, but that's the press for ya.

start quote--->
"I know," he said. "It's just that I don't want to feel like I've wasted my
time. I've got so much shit ... and I've got friends there ..."

"Seriously, man," I said, "either way, you've wasted your time. They've got
you trapped."

"Yeah, they do," Tyson finally admitted. "That's what really pisses me off.
The designers are geniuses."
<---end quote

Ordinarily I'd appreciate the compliment, but this guy needs help and I
don't think I want his compliment. He's way off the curve for UO players,
btw, who average 1/4 of that much time (average of 20 hours a week for both
UO and EQ players, give or take an hour or two. I don't have figures for
Asheron's Call. Anyone track this for their muds?). A major goal for me is
how to broaden the audience of these games (which means pushing the playtime
down) without losing the longterm retention. I don't like this sort of
serious addiction. :P

Did this just come out? Because I haven't been "lead designer of UO" for oh,
almost a year.

-Raph




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