[MUD-Dev] Exploration Exp (was: Experience System Differences)

[Justin Rogers]

[Rayzam]

> The problem with the idea that the first person gets teh exploration
> experience, is that it is so limiting. It would be the same as
> suggesting that the first person [group] to kill a monster gets the
> experience for it.  Then after that, people know how to kill it, so
> they get less and less, until it's worthless. If you have a game
> that lasts long enough, you'll have overturn of players. These new
> waves of players, the explorers in them at least, will quickly get
> discouraged if most of the world is explored and they get nothing
> out of it. At least in terms of giving experience for exploring. And
> then when a new area is put into the game, whoever is on at the time
> can do it. It becomes a rush and a fight. This isn't an environment
> that beckons for more explorers.

What you need in this instance is the ability to alot points based on
how *fresh* an area is.  If nobody has been to the area for 2 months
(real time), or 1 year of game time then you get the maximum amount of
EXP for exploring it.  As that 1 year of game time progresses the
exploration counter builds up to its full potential again. However, if
someone examines the area again within the 1 year they will get
however many EXP has built up and it will start all over again.

Many games use the idea that a certain amount of real game time has to
elapse before something else can happen.  Asheron's Call uses played
time which kind of sucks since I can log off for 3 days, come back,
cast a spell and not get any EXP if I had cast that spell before
logging off.  Of course it has the added bonus of maintaining
enchantments to someone's skill while they are logged off so if I cast
Leadership VI on myself, I maintain those stats until I log in again.

> IMO, each character should have the same ability to explore and gain
> the same benefits from it. The characters don't know the other
> characters that explored the area the first time it came out 3 years
> ago. Why penalize them?

Don't penalize them over great amounts of time.  But certainly if a
party of characters is exploring rooms (note that passing through and
exploring are two different things) then only the first one who
explored would get the EXP.  The others would have to wait for the
room to rebuild its supply.

Justin Rogers

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