[MUD-Dev] expansion packs

[Damion Schubert]

From: Wes Connell

> Playing devil's advocate: Obviously just adding new levels,
> different colored super armor and yet another big monster won't
> cut it for the veteran power gamers who want something different
> to kill.

As a commercial RPG ages, it becomes more and more difficult to add
more features.  Reasons:

  1) The code base gets more fragile, due to rushed ships, previous
  expansions, and fixing mission critical bugs at two AM under fire.
  On Meridian, even the flat file data save format had gotten
  fragile.

  2) The balance gets more fragile.  Once you get it closer to
  right, the team gets really reluctant to, for example, add a new
  class that might devalue another two or three.

  3) The player's patience gets more fragile.  You could add
  something that devalues their class.  Or the time they've already
  expended.  Or you could do it the wrong way.  Or you could choose
  to implement a stupid feature instead of their brilliant one.

  4) The budget shrinks.  As it becomes clear that your population
  isn't going to double or half itself in the immediate future,
  money and staff is often removed from the project and moved to
  other projects, leaving fewer people to not only add new features,
  but also bail water as well.

A new rule perhaps?  As the life of a commercial game increases, the
ratio of new features to cosmetic features (such as art and/or
engine upgrades) and/or pure content will decrease over time.

Trust me, though.  The designers would much rather add new features
than create yet another tropical island with yet another wacky race
of bird people.

--d

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