[MUD-Dev] The quandry of mob combat in MUDs

[Kwon Ekstrom]

From: "shren" <shren at io.com>

> If you're doing that, if you're aware of what player you are
> filling your encounter for, then you could always try counting the
> number of times the player does the encounter (say, in a byte).
> Then, make each of the first 255 times a player does the encounter
> slightly different.

> The first time you do the encounter, there are 10 kobolds around a
> campfire.  The second time, there are 9 kobolds around the
> campfire and one walking towards the campfire from the north,
> armed with a bow.  The third time there are are 11 kobolds around
> the campfire, and one of them is a healer.  You could store the
> differences between each visit in a table, and probably generate
> the table randomly.  Write 30 different places kobolds could be,
> and 30 different ways each kobold could be slightly tougher
> (healer, archer, shaman), then pick (visit number / 10) + 10 of
> the first and (visit number / 20) of the second.  Thus, each
> situation may not be life threatening, but it's tactically
> different.

I'm not sure if I'd record the number of times a player had an
encounter, although you could get a generic power-level off the
approaching player and some randomization to create a large number
of possible encounters.

Lets say you only have 5 places for the kobolds to stand, 4 types of
kobolds, 3 skill sets per kobold type, and perhaps 3 or 4 different
tasks for the kobolds (standing still, sleeping, peeing in the fire,
I don't know... heh)

That'd generate roughly 240 possible scenarios.  Add another place
for your kobolds to stand, and you've increased to 288 possible
scenarios.

I've done alot of thought on handling things similar to this
(although not this exactly) with creating script and equipment
templates for creatures.  You could create alot of diversity simply
by allowing multiple templates to be applied to a creature when it's
loaded.  That'd create alot of interesting diversity with a minimum
of work for the builders.

I came up with mob templates as a builder tool.  Often in a text mud
(I'm not an MMORPG designer), you run into areas where you have
say... 20 or so guards, and each guard has the same set of eq.  It's
a pain in the (insert various words here)...  By allowing multiple
templates to be applied, either chosen at random when loaded, or
statically can drastically increase the work for your builders and
increase the details for your players.  (Assuming you don't use the
same templates too often).

-- Kwon J. Ekstrom

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