Damaging items was RE: [MUD-Dev] New Bartle article

[John Buehler]

msew writes:

> At 22:02 02/25/2001 -0800, Brian Hook wrote:

>> This is simply a balancing issue.  Just because the obvious items
>> will be damaged/need repair doesn't mean that casters can't have a
>> similar drain placed upon them.  Just as melee classes have a
>> constant money drain (repair), casters could have something similar
>> (magic enhancing items wear out and need to be recharged, etc.).
>> The item dependency issue of casters vs. non-casters is exaggerated
>> quite a bit in Everquest.  This can be solved reasonably trivially
>> without too much hassle if it's made a goal early on by the
>> designers.

> I agree in theory with that :-) but from the muds I have played on
> they tried and tried to get it "balanced", with either holy symbols
> that cost $$ and had structure and components for the magic using
> classes.  Even with those drains in, the tanks would also have more of
> a burden on them.

> Now I fully agree it is just solving some equations and some
> integrals and maybe those folks didn't have those skillsets.
> *shrug*

> I raised this question like 2 years ago I think and will raise it
> again now :-) (as not many answers were put forth)

> What tools, mechanisms, strategies, do people use for balancing
> their games?  Which benchmarks?  How to implement changes in the
> game: Bottom up?  Top down?  Massive spreadsheets?

1. Let the game autobalance.  Let all characters accumulate all
skills.

2. Let there be more than one goal in the game.  Actually, ensure that
many goals are available.  Without multiple games, characters become
identical because there is only one best combination of skills for the
single goal in the world.

3. Keep power levels down.  This includes magic.  Magic must be as
mundane as swords and armor.  Muffling spells, minor levitation
spells, fire starting spells.  Many of the things that people commonly
associate with cantrips.

Games that use artificial separation and a single world goal (usually
accumulation of power) result in a bunch of groups arguing over the
usual class pros and cons.  Stop feeding your players reasons to hate
you.  Level the playing field.  The kicker is you have to give them
multiple goals in the game world, not just gaining power pointlessly.

JB


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