[MUD-Dev] Alternatives to PvP for sustainable fiction?

[Sean Kelly]

From: "Matt Mihaly" <the_logos at achaea.com>

>> When I first heard about how UO was going to have an ecology I
>> thought "wow... a band of orcs in the woods will need to find
>> food to eat... say that takes them into a nearby
>> village... instant quest!"  But for various reasons this never
>> came about.  I'd love to see more NPCs in game, a better
>> interaction model, and another attempt at an ecology and closed
>> resource system.  It's a definate step towards emergent behavior.

> It didn't happen because who cares if the dragon acts real. The
> dragon is always dead anyway.

If you could keep the world from being hunted to extinction in a
matter of days, it might be a feature worth having :)

>> True.  But then there's also the possibility of rebellion if the
>> ruling group is evil, and the introduction of a new opposition if
>> it is not.  Middle Earth was quite peaceful until Sauron started
>> gathering his forces (though there were opposing kingdoms).  The
>> designers could easily take a hand to make sure that either the
>> conflict stays fairly balanced or to create a new one.  And I
>> think that even left alone a well-modeled world could support a
>> self-styled Alexander for only so long before his nation
>> crumbled.

> Middle Earth is a fictional book. These worlds are real. You don't
> get to tell players how to act. Further, I can tell you right now
> that when designers take a hand, the players discover it and are
> _not_ happy about it. Even when the designers don't take a hand,
> the losing players often suspect that it was rigged against
> them. If they find _any_ evidence that it was, expect a ton of
> them to leave.

Hrm.  I think if done right, the players might appreciate having
something new to do.  And if the changes began subtly it would give
the designers time to determine whether the players liked the
emerging theme and shape it accordingly.  I guess alternately, it
could be left all up to the players.  Or the designers could just
supply the rebels with weapons, much like the US does when it wants
to destabalize a nation :)

Sean

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