[MUD-Dev] Character skill amplifying player skill

[Brian Hook]

PREFACE:

One of the key differentiators between RPGs and other games, for me,
is that in an RPG your character's attributes and equipment are the
determining factors for success at various actions.  This is the
appeal of RPGs to many, in fact, because it downplays our own
limitations and allows us to feel powerful and successful through
perseverance and thoughtful play (instead of having the lowest ping
or fastest reflexes).  I don't consider this a fundamental rule, but
it's something that I use to gauge how "RPG-like" a particular game
may be for me.

This can be broken in different ways, for example if a crafting
system is statically recipe based, then player knowledge now affects
character skill since they can do a Google for "components to make
this item" and be ready to rock.  (The simple, obvious solution is
that characters only learn how to craft certain items in-game,
i.e. they have to be "taught" or they have to "learn" how to make an
enchanted sword).

To a large degree, player knowledge and overall competence will
always dilute the effect of character attributes (we saw this back
in PnP days when smart players would often fail to act stupid when
their human fighter had a low Intelligence attribute), so I'm not
saying this is something that must be squashed entirely, since I
don't think that's feasible.

IDEA:

The particular combat mechanic I'm using right now is actually
reflex based, so it breaks my own rule =) Specifically, it's a
top-down, Asteroids (or Subspace) style of play.  Your ship has
performance characteristics that contribute significantly to your
odds of success, e.g. acceleration, turn rate, weapon damage, etc.
But, given two equally matched ships, player skill will end up being
the deciding factor -- and, in cases of "reasonably" close character
skill, it's possible a very skilled player will beat a moderate
skilled player using a weaker character.

One idea I've had is to allow your character skill to amplify your
ship's actual real-time performance characteristics.

For example, two fighters are engaged in combat, both with turning
rates of 180 degrees/second and acceleration of 6 Gs.  Equipment is
identical, but the players may have different levels of dog fighting
skill.  If character attributes aren't a factor, then it comes down
solely to equipment and player skill.

So, let's factor in character attributes by allowing it to actually
amplify or modulate the effects of player skill.  (Note, following
numbers are pulled out of thin air, they're just examples).  So say
you have a Piloting skill attribute that ranges from -100% to +100%.

Character A has a Piloting skill of -60%, so now his ship has a
turning radius of 72 degrees/second.  Character B has a Piloting
skill of +10%, so his ship now has a turning radius of 198
degress/second.  Same thing applies to acceleration -- 2.4G
acceleration vs 6.6G acceleration.  And weapon damage can be
adjusted by your Tactical rating, etc. etc.

Player skill is still involved in the arcade element, but now
character skill is used as a handicap or benenfit.  Missiles and
cannon are still manually aimed and fired, ships are still manually
steered, but now you're looking at a vastly different outcome
(that's still not necessarily pre-ordained) solely because of
character attributes, but without removing the real-time arcade like
nature of the game.

Likewise, character skill could be used to compensate for equipment
differences -- a shuttle with a turn rate of 90 degrees/second vs. a
fighter with a turn rate of 180 degress/second can be its match when
flown by a VERY good pilot (+100%) vs. an average one (0%).

I like this because it still makes the game feel action oriented,
but at the same time character attributes and equipment still play a
major part and a Level 4 LPB isn't going to automatically toast a
Level 14 HPB.

The closest analog to this I've seen are level limits on equipment
to prevent buffing, or the "aiming reticle" used in games like Rogue
Spear where your movement and selection of weapon determine the hit
bubble.  Not sure if this is common or uncommon, and in the case of
the latter, if it's for a reason.  I doubt this has been
investigated TOO much simply because with a pure text game it's
often irrelevant since there's no arcade element.

But maybe other graphical games have introduced this (Deus Ex also
comes to mind, but it had a woefully flawed implementation that only
diminished innate player skill instead of amplifying poor player
skill -- not having Rifle skill only hurt you, but having it didn't
help you other than by removing a penalty).

-Hook


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