[MUD-Dev] Players playing NPCs

[Vladimir Prelovac]

There was a thread recently about the possiblity of a player run
dragons in a MUD. Of course subject can be widened to player run any
NPCs on the MUD.

This idea was so magnificent and simple. By allowing players to run
NPCs you can make it more interesting not only to those players but
players that will be up against these, in many ways more
interesting, NPCs.  There are of coruse grounds for abusal so let me
give some of my thoughts.

It is best if you have some kind of two-sided MUD (good against evil
for example) where players start from different locations depending
on their choice (of alignment, race or home city even). The "main
menu" option "Login as NPC" would present a player list of available
NPCs for his level (or power, or any other mud meaning of
representing it). Idea is that a player can not run NPCs that are
higher level then he is. All the NPC's would originate in zones that
are placed around other side's home town, somewhere your character
can not get to very easily, at least on the lower levels. This makes
several things:

  1. You can not abuse the npc's to make leveling your character
  easier (providing some mud policy against multichars on different
  sides is available)

  2. If the division is good/evil, around good town you would have
  areas with evil mobiles (small level goblins, orcs and such
  things). It makes perfect sense for "evil" players to take their
  place. It provides lots of fun for the good players as well as for
  the evil players.

Some exp should be awarded for "properly" playing the NPC. They
should not be able to further equip this NPC's and make them much
more tougher then they are supposed to be.

Anyways, idea sound very cool and I already implemented an
experimental version too see how the things will go.

Vladimir


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