[MUD-Dev] I Want to Forge Swords. [Another letter to game designers]

[S. Patrick Gallaty]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Auli" <auli at bellsouth.net>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2001 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] I Want to Forge Swords. [Another letter to game
designers]

> From Sie Ming's essay "I Want to Forge Swords

>>     Where are the resources? Location, Location, Location... First
>>     of all, make locations meaningful. If movement between two
>>     locations is quick and easy, then they are --for all intents--
>>     the same location. We would prefer that you have distinct
>>     locations in your game. We would like to be known as the best
>>     bronze smith in Three Creeks, or the only certified droid tech
>>     on Revoli Seven. If popping from location to location is too
>>     easy, then people will not settle down and call one location
>>     home.

> I must say this is one thing I completely disagree with.  I'll take
> two games I have both played and moderated to explain.  

Sticking to the point originally made - which I don't feel you have
really addressed, is that trade skills are enhanced by localization.
You may disagree with localization for other reasons, but that doesn't
change the fact that it enhances trade skills this way.  As with other
complex elements of mmog, some goals are (partially) contradictory.
Some needs are exclusive.

Given your own constraints, I would suggest that the 'travel tedium'
element so prevalent in everquest does not categorically need to be a
component in any localization designed to enhance tradeskills.  One
can localize resources in some other way, plenty of ideas come to mind
without really thinking hard about it.

- nox


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