[MUD-Dev] Maintaining fiction.

[Michael Tresca]

Alex Kay posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2001 8:55 AM

> It's interesting. I remember when I started playing EQ and there was
> alot of talk on whineplay to show all the numbers. I was in favour
> of this at the time, finding some of the vagueness annoying, and
> falling into the trap of playing the stats game.

> After a year or so I tried AC and found the stats overwhelming, it
> took the numbers game to the extreme. I quickly found I didn't like
> this much at all and had a new appreciation for Verant's stance on
> not showing the numbers (which has lately been relaxed it seems,
> though I 'quit' a few months back).

> Now, I would welcome a game that hid all that. I have little doubt
> that this would reduce/eliminate the power gamers and l33t dudes and
> encourage roleplay.

> I also agree with the idea of using metaphors to increase immersion,
> but wonder at it's practicality. At the moment the market is (in
> general) trying to appeal to the mass market, and hence publishers
> want to minimise the barriers to entry.

Speaking of which, look closely at what's happened the Third Edition
Dungeons & Dragons.  There are now articles in Dragon magazine that
tell players how to "maximize their characters."  That is, abuse the
hell out of the system to be killing machines, be the most powerful in
a fight, and generally, be what Dungeon Masters DON'T want.

In the new supplement, "Sword and Fist", the book goes into detail
about combat tactics.  Not, "A fighter should keep his weak hand away
from his opponent," but details on how much damage each attack does,
which weapons should be used to inflict the most damage, etc.

In other words, the originator of a lot of our gaming fantasy is now
specifically catering to min/maxers who, apparently, the largest
market of gamers.  Alas, the era of fluffy-bearded wise old gamers
like Gary Gygax are on the wane, and is being replaced by a younger
generation -- the ones who want to play Diablo in D&D.

This is going to only lower the tolerance level for the concept of
role-playing.  It used to be min/maxing was a bad thing.  Now on
WOTC's site: "Min/Max Your Convention Experience!"

  http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20010518x

Mike "Talien" Tresca
RetroMUD Administrator
http://www.retromud.org

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