[MUD-Dev] AI not worth doing in our games?

[Damion Schubert]

>From Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com

> Each time a developer streamlines an MMO, they keep prunning off
> whole branches of decision trees. Then they wonder why people find
> them boring?

This statement is very, very succinct.  I found that AC2 lost me
because they removed the need to sell items at all.

But beyond that we differ.  Example:

> Its fun running out of food as a troll in a good area, you have to
> interact with other players to buy food from them.

No.  It's a problem.  It's annoying.  Especially if you're higher
level and food has long not been an issue for you - players just
don't like being forced back down Maslow's heirarchy, losing their
place in the group, having to annoy everyone in the area until you
find someone who has food, meet him, and then avoid wandering guards
on the way there.

Normally I favor character interdependance.  There's a fine line
between that, though, and petty, annoying tasks.  Much like
obscenity, I can't clearly define the two, but I think I know it
when I see it.

It's interesting to the designer, sure, but one must be careful to
make a game and not an ant farm for one's own amusement.

> Hell, even if its not fun, at least it engages the brain a little
> more than hitting combine/autoattack and watching Southpark.

Fair enough.  Your trolls are now all staying in their zone, never
going more than another zone away and intermingling with other
players, as its no longer the shortest way to the cheese.  Is this
good?  Up to you.  I personally would rather see well-mixed parties,
have players feel the freedom to choose an avatar that expresses
themselves, and not let any system get in the way of their social
interactions.

> Anyway, theres no rule stating that every shop in town has to be
> shut an night. Perhaps theres a 24 hour store that's known for its
> poor prices.  Great, we've just added another decision - hang
> around till morning for more money, or sell it now and get back to
> what you were doing. Or perhaps drop it off in your appartment and
> sell it later? So many possible choices are removed by having
> shops open 24x7. Sure they aren't big choices, but they are more
> engaging than no choices - especially as they are the kind of
> choices that don't have one correct answer that's always the same.

This is in fact what I would recommend as well.  The choice of sell
something now for less or sell something later for more is an
interesting choice - far more interesting, I might add, than "crap,
I have to play another 40 minutes just so I can ditch this stuff?"

--d

_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev