[MUD-Dev] Geometric content generation

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag@ifi.uio.no>]

Dave Rickey wrote:

> theory (which is related).  Make any game design assumptions that
> do not carry the implicit assumption that the players will pursue
> their own interests and rewards above all else, and you're
> guaranteed to end up disappointed.

Not really sure what you meant by this in this context.

> Not from what I've seen.  People roleplay when roleplay is a means
> to a desired goal, period.  Oh, you always get abberations, but
> when

This is not true.  Drama is a goal in itself.

What is the reward in Myst?

Drama and sensations I'd say. To some extent it is progress, but
that is not what drives me most of the time anyway.

Heck, I prefer games with unlimited everything cheats, such hacks
proved to be extremely popular when I was in my teens.

> the system does not reward them, that's all they are.  In a small
> group with a dedicated GM, it is possible to make RP a rewarded
> activity, and you can get a lot more of it.

I don't view "get a lot more of it" as something that is necessarily
desirable. I view self-realization as something desirable.

> Most of the problem comes from recognizing the behaviour, a
> computer can only reward what it can measure.

Explicitly maybe, implicitly...  I don't think so.  You can make
roleacting rewarding for those that care by making lots and lots of
costumes and other props and suitable mechanisms available.  A good
tool makes any activity rewarding.

> more precisely, can only be manipulated in desired ways).  It's
> much more difficult for an automated system to measure and reward
> social activity, or building activity, or other internalized
> activity, in a way that is not subject to manipulation that is
> more focused on tricking the measuring system than actually
> pursuing the activity.

Yes, but I doubt that you have to reward building, it is an
intrinsically motivating activity, and the result is indeed a reward
by itself.  The same goes for social activity. However if those
explicit power-up scoring systems become too visible, unidimensional
and effective, then I believe you will see other areas
suffer. I.e. the uni-dimensional social status, "reason for living"
or whatever, becomes prevalent.

> So our systems *don't* for the most part.  AC's allegiance system
> was a primitive attempt to measure and reward social activity, The

Anyone seen anything written on that?

--
Ola  -  http://folk.uio.no/olag/

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