[MUD-Dev] No Exp? (was: Exploration Exp)

[Travis Casey]

Thursday, January 18, 2001, 1:23:33 AM, Corey Crawford
<myrddin at seventh.net> wrote:

> How do we justify the time an adventurer spends EXPLORING the world?
> For the player himself: sure he gets the see the world, see what's
> in it, know what's where, etc.. but the character? How can we reward
> the character for exploring? John says knowledge of geography,
> wildlife, and the world itself (etc.).. but how does that
> "knowledge" reflect in the game? How does the game know how versed
> the character is in the ways of the world?

Through skills?  A lot of paper RPGs have a group of skills called
"area knowledge" skills, which measure how much a character knows
about a particular area.  Time spent roaming around the Adri forest
might go into improving a character's "Area Knowledge - Adri forest"
skill.

Of course, once you have those skills, you need ways for them to be
used.  In a standard mud environment, learning your way around
consists of the *player* learning landmarks, paths, etc.  With an area
knowledge skill, it can become possible for *characters* to know these
things.  Thus, on a text mud, you might make it possible for someone
to type "go to <landmark name>" and have a check on their area
knowledge skill determine whether or not they can get there.

Another method to reflect area knowledge might be to give extra info
to the player.  For example, in a graphical mud, the distance that a
character can "see" around him/herself might be greater for those with
higher area knowledge skill.  This would make it easier for those
players to find landmarks, notice "unusual" things in the area, etc.

Still another idea might be to borrow mapping principles from the
Roguelike games:  give the player access to an overhead map which
shows areas that he/she has visited fairly recently.

An "area knowledge" skill could also give a bonus when using other
skills within that area -- for example, when trying to track someone
or something through an area, it could be of use.

Other type of "knowledge" skills could exist, and could be raised by
contact with their subjects.  For example, someone who wanders in the
forest might have their "plant lore" skill slowly improved, and become
more likely to be able to find or recognize particular types of
plants.

> Isn't that the same thing as having an int with the name
> 'explorer_exp' and displaying the explorers prowess either through the
> value of 'explorer_exp' itself or some predefined string?

> Everything is eventually broken down into numbers anyway, so would
> there truly be any difference if the information was displayed to the
> character in another fashion? We could say that because the player has
> X amount in 'explorer_exp' he is more inclined to learn and speak new
> languages.. but really, is that much different than letting the player
> take that same 'explorer_exp' variable and assigning it to his
> language skills? Or automatically modifying a language skill by some
> percentage of that exp?

The old "learn by doing" skill improvement system would automatically
handle some of these sorts of things.  A character who goes to a
foreign city and tries to speak with people there will improve his/her
skill in that language.

--
       |\      _,,,---,,_    Travis S. Casey  <efindel at earthlink.net>
 ZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_   No one agrees with me.  Not even me.
      |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'
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