[MUD-Dev] Continuous versus Discrete Functions

[John Buehler]

Andrew Hefford writes:
>> From: John Buehler

>> Balance seems to be half (or more) of what vocal players concern
>> themselves with (i.e. complain about) in these games.  Is it
>> possible that a smart game designer could obviate that entire
>> problem by eliminating the player-versus-player race that forms
>> the absolute backbone of games of this genre?  It would require
>> other

> I don't think this would help much since players will simply start
> complaining about the imbalance of there class with respect to
> what another class can do in the game environment.  It is
> inevitable that players will find fault, it is the Game Developers
> job to make sure they are baseless.

> If you create a level playing field they will complain that the
> game is boring and leave.  If on the other hand the game has bumps
> and troughs then the players will still complain, but find things
> a little more interesting as they strive to find ways to maneuver
> themselves out of one of the troughs and onto one of the bumps.
> The art is making it seem as if there are more bumps than troughs
> and that the player is more often on the bumps.

I'm seeing a generally status-quo-centric attitute here.  That games
are intrinsically about achievement and competition.  That without
them, players will be bored.  Are players only about achievement and
competition?  Given that they've only had multiplayer games about
competition and achievement, it's a pretty hard question to answer.
If anyone has experience with multiplayer entertainment that pursued
other avenues of entertainment, I'd be interested in hearing about
it.

JB

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