[MUD-Dev] Geometric content generation

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

Dave Rickey wrote:
> From: Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag at ifi.uio.no>

> Don't assume that the players will pursue a group interest that
> conflicts with personal interest.  They generally won't.

Depends on cultural and other issues I think, but well...

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

> In LARPing or a passion play, maybe.

Not only there.  Fighting in many MUDs are boring, but then a group
of players go to take out more dangerous creatures even if there are
easier and better ways to gain XP.  Why?  Because they like to get
the kick of barely surviving.

>> What is the reward in Myst?

> Solving puzzles?

Not for me. Getting access to new sensations and tapping into the
mystery and myths... Puzzles are more like the stuff that prevents
fast consumption of new content in MUDs.  Puzzles are locks, opening
a door to the unexpected provides excitement, contrast, change.

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

> Most people seemed to want to uncover the meaning, what is all
> this widgetry here for?

What widgetry?

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

> The self-realization as a means of growing in power and influence
> within the game context, yes.  The problem is, right now most of
> our mechanics for doing so in an MMOG center on rather simple,
> linear systems.

Could also be "earning the trust of other people so they let me
comfort them when they are having a bad day", "running a small
exclusive fashion shop", "organizing a church", "being a
politician", "being a clown, being perceived as funny" etc.

> Maybe.  Problem is, technical limitations trump all, if the
> hardware can't handle it, you can't do it.

Well, I am in the lucky position that I don't have to realize any
designs. It is sufficient if the theory makes sense :).

> I had a great deal of fun playing 10-Six, mostly centering on
> trying to create better defensive layouts given limited resources.
> But the concept didn't scale well.

Another game I never got to play. :-/

>>> 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?

> Written on what it was trying to accomplish, or on what it
> actually did?

On what it actually did, or some perspectives on that (user
accounts, or whatever). I'll be most grateful for any links or
references.

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

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