[MUD-Dev] narrative

[Dave Rickey]

From: "John Robert Arras" <johna at wam.umd.edu>
> On Tue, 13 Aug 2002, Bruce Mitchener wrote:
>> Dave Rickey wrote:

>>> What we (try to) do is create interesting situations for the
>>> player, and let them resolve them.  When it works, the result
>>> *feels* like an adventure.

>> I think that this is part of the confusion that has lead to a
>> lack of discourse with Brandon on this topic.

> I agree. Perhaps we need another word?

> yrots: Events generated by interactions between players and
> algorithms that give the player interacting with those events a
> sense of having been part of a story.

This is exactly what I'm pursuing these days, trying to figure out
systems that will respond to player activities with actions that
make sense, and that the player can do something about.  The players
establish their Guild hall and make a trading post, which attracts
peasant farmers, who the players can collect taxes from, but if a
bandit-camp gets established nearby the tax income from the farms
drop, and so on.  Right there you have the potential for an
interesting adventure (driving off the bandits so the peasants will
be more productive), without any of it being forced, artificial, or
glaringly repetitive.  The player doesn't find himself asking
"What's my motivation?", or trying to ignore the man behind the
curtain.

Not a new concept, at the core, but I think we (as an industry) have
gotten sidetracked into trying to find a "magic bullet" general
solution (or discouraged by the failures of those who have tried).
It strikes me that for now, we'd be better off to find *specific*
solutions that work the way we want the system as a whole to work,
and try to fill in the gaps to create a general solution.

Just as an example: "Bounty Quests" were a special case solution
that worked: NPC X wants you to kill monsters of type Y and bring
you their Z body part as proof.  It's simple, it's boring from a
story-teller's viewpoint...and the players love it.  They expend
effort doing something for an NPC, and they get a predictable
reward.  DAoC extended that to the "Tasks" system, Guard X wants you
to kill [random number] of [randomly chosen mob type in your level
range], and come back to him for your reward (no body parts needed).
People like them, a lot.  We re-used the concept for "consignments"
to solve the problem of how to have a trade skill advancement system
that requires the creation of large numbers of items no player is
going to buy *without* having UO-style money-pumps.

We're about to take it a step farther, with computer-generated Realm
Missions in the Frontiers, in hopes of making RvR more than
continual deathmatching in Emain Macha, with the occasional keep
raid for Darkness Falls access and the rare Relic raid.  Not because
there's anything *wrong* with deathmatching in Emain Macha, or
taking keeps for DF access, or that Relic raids are such huge
undertakings they can only be arranged once a week or so, but
because there's nothing wrong with having *more* things to do.
Things that are different, that let you play in different ways,
pursuing the same ultimate goal (empowerment) by different means.
Not because you *have* to, but because it's there.

Are these great art?  Rousing stories?  No, not even close.  But
they can be an interesting way to while away a few hours while
hanging out with your friends.

--Dave



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