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

[Matt Mihaly]

On Thu, 14 Jun 2001, Sean Kelly wrote:
> From: "Matt Mihaly" <the_logos at achaea.com>
 
>> 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 :)

Trust me, in a PvP environment, it's all about beating your
opponents in whatever fields of battle the game provides, as well as
whatever ones the players invent. Getting something new to do
doesn't make them feel better if the something new puts them at a
real or perceived disadvantage.

You want to have the system already in existence. In other words, it
needs to be predictable. If I'm a rebel, I can do X under Y
conditions to obtain Z tools. You don't want to just decide "OK,
we'll give the rebels weapons so that they can beat their
oppressors." because the players (rightfully) see this as changing
the rules of the game midstream in a way that disadvantages
them. (in this case, it's the oppressors who would get pissed. The
rebels would likely be unwilling to see the oppressors point of
view, and make up all sorts of "role" reasons why they should get
the weapons. Once the rebels win and the former oppressors are the
rebels, the initial rebels (now the rulers) will decide that if you
do the same thing for the former oppressors, it's not justified, for
whatever ridiculous reason they want to come up with. The point is
that it really pisses them off when the rules do not apply
equally. Sometimes there may be no way around it, or pissing off a
bunch of players may be worth it, but just be aware that they will
definitely get upset. Story takes a backseat to winning in a PvP
game just like story takes a backseat to achieving in a
monster-bashing game.  

--matt

_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev