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

[Martin Burke]

On Saturday 05 May 2001 19:04, Auli wrote:
>>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.

> Lets compare this to Everquest.  Everquest has exactly one social
> space, the tunnel opening in the East Commons zone.  This social
> space is entirely economically driven.  It is the convenient,
> central location where all races can come to trade.  It is worth
> visiting simply because it IS the only social space in the game.
> But why is this?  There are inns, and taverns scattered everywhere
> in Norrath.  Most especially in the cities.  They were certainly
> designed to be social spaces, what went wrong?  

It sounds like this is a problem with EQ, not with the desire for
distinct communities.  If there were several places that offered the
same satisfaction as the East Commons zone, and each were as difficult
to travel between as the trip you mention, several distinct
communities would develop.

No idea is bad because it was implemented poorly in EQ.

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