[MUD-Dev] PvP Systems

[John Buehler]

J C Lawrence writes:

> An approach that has been mentioned on the list a couple times is
> splitting such a game into two levels on opposite sides.  Loosely
> the idea is a standard MUD (say with no PK support) with players
> combatting the maurading hordes of NPCs.  However, the NPCs, rather
> than being controlled by primitve AI or paid handlers, are in fact
> the controlled by the players of a Real Time Strategy game played by
> a different set of players.  Thus, the individual players, at a
> strategic level, are figthing another human player playing an RTS,
> and at a tactical level the normal wimpy AI bumph.  Similarly the
> RTS players combatting the maurading/chaotic (to their eyes) MUD
> players at the strategic level (who generally just appear as
> excessively crazy/individuated opponents)..

Yeah, and I'm obviously suggesting the same thing except that the game
park employees are running the real time strategy game.  This is
essential in my book because of the net result: the game park
employees will only put enough bad guys into the field in order to
entertain the players.  If players are running the RTS, they will take
any opportunity to crush the opposition.  That's why they play the
game, after all.  Given that players come and go, having a
disproportionately large number of RTS players show up means that
somebody is in trouble.

Think of the days of being a dungeonmaster for D&D.  You had to throw
challenges at your players that were commensurate with their levels
and classes.  That's the model that I think a game park would have to
adopt: the wranglers adapt to the numbers of players.  If the script
calls for a certain town to be annihilated, a massive army is brought
to bear.  The players can oppose the army - and they might even win
out and save the day.  But they probably won't because the wranglers
have been dealing with the players for quite a while and they know
what does and does not work.  Further, they can see how many players
show up during invasions, how many players are around at certain times
of the day, etc.

If the players do, in fact, save the town, the story planners must
adapt to the change in the plot line and figure out another way to
provide their entertainment.

This sort of interaction applies to all sets of skills.  If high
quality blacksmithing is taking place in a given town, the wranglers
will send an NPC trade caravan to the town in order to buy the goods.
Or not, depending on how they want to handle things.

JB

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