[MUD-Dev] Mountaineering and Athletics

[Poe]

I'm forwarding this for programmer friend of mine who is a pretty
experienced rock climber.

John Buehler wrote:

> Or, ask a mountaineer how he or she thinks about the task of
> climbing.

I've been hiking up mountains for about 20 years, and doing
technical climbing (that which requires ropes and specific skills)
for about 12.

> What are the thinking and experiential elements to mountaineering
> for those who actually do it?  (Apart from the senses that the
> computer can't present to a player)

Adventure - traveling to locales that are otherwise inaccessible

Risk assessment - weighing the various factors in a specific
"encounter" with a climbing route.  There are a number of hazards:
storms, falling rock, poor quality rock that may crumble, inadequate
places for securing the rope, avalanches, etc.  Then there is the
commitment level. A route may be quite easy, technically, but if it
is really long, it becomes dangerous because the exposure to the
above hazards lasts for a long time. Can the climber finish the
route in a day? If not, what are the options for a bivouac. And of
course technical difficulty. Does the climber have adequate
equipment, fitness and experience?

Improvement - just like any other skill. Keep at it, and you get
better.

> Can mountaineering be involved, such as combat is?  Is the
> selection of the route up the mountain a critical point?  Are
> there chancier and easier routes?  Are there many skills, such as
> basic climbing, belaying, ice climbing all the way up to free
> climbing - changing the routes that are available, as well as the
> speed at which those routes can be taken?

Yes.  Selection of a route would tie into the risk assessment
mentioned above. There is also a specific skill called
route-finding. This comes into play once the climbing party is
committed to a route. It can be really bad if the climber lacks the
experience to spot the correct path up the mountain or cliff.

  Belaying: group skill. If your belay skill isn't high enough, you
  kill your partner ;).

  General ropework: increases speed of ascent.

  Rock climbing and ice climbing skills: affect the available
  routes, minimize chance of falling

  Equipment quality: minimize chance of falling, minimize injury if
  the climber does fall

  Gear proficiency: This measures how well the climber can find
  places to secure the rope etc

I higher level climber can take a group up a route, but having lower
level members decreases speed and increases hazard. All members
should at least have maxed belay skills.

> Is mountaineering tied into the other skills and activities in the
> game world such that it can make a difference in the tactics and
> strategies employed in those skills?

In my opinion, climbing skills are generally useless outside of the
activity (that's of course real world, not game world). However,
mountaineering/climbing depend heavily on other basic
stats. Strength, stamina and dex are easy to see. But there's also a
whole mental side. How quickly do you learn the rope/gear systems
(int?)? How well do you balance the natural hazards with your skill
(wis?)? How do you manage fear... I guess that might be some sort of
fortitude, but that's harder to imagine in a game world.

> Each skill has the potential to be a complete game, interwoven
> with the other skill games.  As an expert of the skill that you
> plan on implementing and find out why they derive so much from
> using that skill.

I was just forwarded the message, so I'm not sure you were actually
looking for answers, but I like to talk about climbing :) I'd have
to say that what I derive from the activity is difficult to present
within a game or on a screen, but certainly the mechanics of the
sport can be distilled to an interesting skill-based system.

Amanda





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