[MUD-Dev] Histories and Legends

[apollyon]

From: paul.schwanz at sun.com

> If these virtual worlds were more dynamic, if they offered players
> the ability to accomplish things outside of their own character,
> and if those things persisted beyond the life of the character,
> would players be more inclined to accept death as part of their
> character's life?  And without death, can a character truly be
> memorialized or become a legend?

I think that we'll be seeing exactly this sort of development in the
next "generation" of mud design.  Many muds are making
player-created persistent content a vital and pivotal element of
game design.  To offer a counterpoint to Ron Gabbard's example:

Ron Gabbard <rgabbard at swbell.net> wrote:

> One facet of storytelling that seems to go underutilized is that
> of histories and/or legends built around player characters.  I
> recently opened an EQ account again after being gone for quite a
> while and started a character on the server I hadn't played on
> since 1999.  There were only a couple of my friends remaining
> there after all this time as everyone else had either re-rolled
> into anonomymity or left.  But, the most disheartening part about
> it was that there was no evidence that my friends (or my original
> character) had ever existed.  The server really had no history or
> past

What if, during your time in EQ years ago, you had gotten together
with friends and created a player-run city?  You left the game but
someone else took over the reins.  When you logged back in three
years later and looked around, what if that city, under completely
different leadership, still stood today?  Not only stood, but
thrived.  Wouldn't that give you a sense that there is life beyond
your character?  That your character's contribution to the history
of the world will continue beyond the life of your account?  Such a
scenario is becoming possible with this next crop of new MMOs coming
out and I'm expecting to see much more of this focus in future MMOs
if such player-created persistent content creates feelings of
ownership and history that increase player retention and generate
additional revenue.

apollyon

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi

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