[MUD-Dev] Maintaining fiction.

[shren]

On Tue, 5 Jun 2001 SavantKnowsAll at cs.com wrote:
> In a message dated 6/4/01 3:57:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> shren at io.com writes:
 
>> I play a game where I can permanently lose my character.  Try not
>> to speak in such broad generalizations when they arn't true.
 
> Which game is that, if I may ask?  What are the total subscribers?
> And what is the fee?

Two games in mind.  First, one you've all heard of before, Ackadia.
It's free but I'd pay for it.  Second, Diablo II, which gets it's
income from box sales and advertisements as far as I can tell.  Make
that three, if you count Angband.

> You can always point to the exception to the rule and say, "Try
> not to speak in such broad generalizations when they aren't true."
> But the exception doesn't discount the rule.

You're summoning your rule out of thin air.  You're saying,
"Perma-death does not work, can not work, and no self-respecting mud
would ever implement it."  There are permadeath games, and thus you
have no rule.  There's potential for more permadeath games, as well,
as balanced permadeath systems emerge.

> The truth of the matter is, people won't pay for lost investments.
> Sure, a very niche market might, but permadeath -- in reality --
> is not a feature you can realistically have - if you want to be a
> profitable venture, that is.

If you want to make sure money, go make a Quake clone.  If you want
to innovate, this is the industry for it.  If no fringe market ever
made it big time, there would be no computer games industry.

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