[MUD-Dev] Community Goals (was: I Want to Forge Swords.)

[Eli Stevens]

For the reader's information, I do not add a whole lot to the
discussion, the bulk of the message below is quote.  Hate to waste
your time, and all that.  ;)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Schwanz - Enterprise Services" <Paul.Schwanz at Sun.COM>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2001 10:22 AM
Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] Community Goals (was: I Want to Forge Swords.)

> It strikes me that in multi-player games so many of our goals are
> still individualistic.  For the most part, players are encouraged to
> pursue the same kinds of things they would in a single-player game.

...

> The "level-up" your community idea is a perfect way to implement
> community goals.  Imagine adding to the normal individualistic
> pursuits of health, wealth, information, and power the community
> pursuits of security, prosperity, culture, and (technological?)
> advancement.

...

> To make things even more interesting, perhaps you could let each
> community customize their own goals.  Perhaps you have 5 'sliders'
> for security, prosperity, culture, technology, and population.  The
> community can decide what kind of place it would like to be by
> adjusting the sliders, but lowering one requirement automatically
> raises the others.  This way, you could found a sort of 'thieves
> den' if you wanted.  The local constablary tends to look the other
> way, so it is a 'visitor beware' sort of place, but in order to
> advance to the next level, this sort of outpost might have to meet
> much more challenging population goals.

I agree.  This also has the benefit of subtly (or not, perhaps)
herding like players together.  Those who want security band together,
while those who want technology band together, to maximize the
effectiveness of their community.



> Lets take the example of a possible old-style individualistic item
> like a Sword of Titan Strength.  Suppose that the SoTS gives +100
> STR to the person that equips it.  This is a very powerful item, but
> the scope of individuals who are interested in the SoTS is pretty
> small.

...

> What if, instead of the Sword of Titan Strength, you created the
> Statuette of Titan Strength.  Suppose this statuette is too large to
> be lifted or equipped by an individual.  It still gives +100 STR,
> but instead of giving this to one individual who equips it, when the
> statuette is placed in a zone, city, etc., it spreads that +100 STR
> evenly across the area to all friendly characters or citizens.

...

> Community items could target certain sections of the game.  In fact,
> a whole sub-system of the game could be centered around a type of
> community item.  Consider a system for priestly magic that was based
> on community items.  Perhaps each 'spell' is tied to iconoclasts or
> religious relics.  If your faction holds a particular icon in its
> temple, your priests can cast the spell associated with it.  Maybe
> there are 20 icons for a less powerful spell like a 'Lesser Heal,'
> but only 5 'Turn Undead' relics, and only one 'Holy Hand Grenade'
> relic.  The way to increase the number of spells your priests can
> throw now involves questing for these relics, or if all have been
> found, obtaining a relic through negotiation or even war.

I had thought of patron dieties even before I got to this paragraph,
and while slightly different, I think that it would all work in very
well together.  I like this idea.  :)



> Anyway, I've just been thinking a bit lately abut the appeal of
> multi-player games and what makes them unique.  It seems to me that
> more community centered goals could help make multi-player games
> seem more multi-player and less like a congregation of individuals
> playing their own game.  Your post just sort of triggered some of
> these thoughts.

As others have said before, well made posts often elicit no responses
from the list.  I just wanted to buck that trend a little and say that
I enjoyed this post very much.  Very out of the box, IMHO.  :) I know
that I hate when I put forward an idea that I really like and it slips
by quietly (I cannot tell if people like it but don't find anything to
pick apart, think it is a waste of time to even respond to or just
have other interests at the time) (I am guilty of this too).  That's
all.

I know that this post is in danger of degrading the signal-to-noise
ratio somewhat, and if it is not appropriate, I apologize and will
stop.  :)

Thanks,
Eli

--
"Ultimately, if it is possible for a consumer to hear or see protected
 content, then it will be technically possible for the consumer to copy
 that content." -- Dr. Edward Felten




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