[MUD-Dev] Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server

[Dubious Advocate]

From: "Rayzam" <rayzam at travellingbard.com>
> From: "Dubious Advocate" <dubiousadvocate at hotmail.com>
>> "Michael Tresca" <talien at toast.net> wrote:

>>> That's right. That makes you a self-contained system.  If
>>> there's a party system, and presumably there is, it's purpose is
>>> for you to play with other people.  If the purpose of MMORPGs
>>> was to have a bunch of single-player folks running around by
>>> themselves, why bother having other people on it at all?

>> But it's a critical flaw for a commercial product. I'm not in
>> favor of being forced into a very rigid and specific playstyle
>> simply because a developer somewhere deems it desirable and
>> therefore mandatory.

> So you should be able to use an F-16 in Everquest, say? It's a bit
> unrealistic to suggest that a developer shouldn't set
> boundaries. They do.  Or that boundaries don't exist. They do.

I don't think I was suggesting there be NO boundries, and I
apologize if I somehow gave that impression.  Please... no F16s in
Everquest!  :-P

But I think it's also a stretch to say that since there is a party
system it must be used.  When a world is populated primarily by BAF
MOBs that require a "balanced group" than we've moved beyond a game
where parties are encouraged into one where they are basically
required.

> There's a difference between forcing co-dependence, and bypassing
> class and balance restrictions by having all the abilities in your
> pocket. That's my distinction from your point here. If everybody
> should have every ability, then the game could be designed that
> way from the start. But games aren't and haven't been built that
> way.

I think you're taking a polar stance - again I apologize if I
somehow implied "all abilities".  UO, and AC2 for that matter,
demonstrate that players can have the ability to mix and match
abilities.  If I want to craft a hybrid (e.g. a soloist template)
I'm not going to be the best of the best in everything but I can
manage and still be a valuable addition to a group.

That's my point.  Crafting advancement, race/class verticals, and
MOB behavior so that only uber templates need play simply saps the
life out of the world.  The negative impact is compounded when
players can be the "best of the best" adventurer template, and also
be unrestrained from other spheres of skillsets like crafting.

The trend I'm seeing now is middling and lower end MOBs now BAF,
call for help, run off at triple speed to heal at triple rate...

I think underlying the discussion is the fear that only
socialization = retention.  I assert that is not a true
relationship.

-----
Dave Scheffer
"Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself"
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