[MUD-Dev] Morphable worlds, Reset based systems revisited

[Matt Mihaly]

On 28 Oct 2002, Edward Glowacki wrote:

> I just started playing Achaea, and at about the same time I also
> had two of my friends join the game so we could all hang out
> together online.
 
> Shortly after finishing the newbie intro, all three of us were
> sitting around playing and we really didn't have any clue what to
> do.  Nobody knew the land, nobody knew the combat system, nobody
> really understood much of anything.  Eventually the other two got
> frustrated and gave up, and probably won't come back until I
> figure out enough to show them around.

All too common unfortunately. The problem in Achaea's case is that
1. The interface kind of sucks, so how to do things can be a case of
searching through rather extensive help files or just asking
randomly for help, and 2. Achaea is more of a world than a
game. You're not really presented with immediate goals the way you
are in the level treadmill games, so after the automated newbie
introduction is over, you're left fairly directionless.
 
> Interpretation 2: "Get into the system" == "Find your way to a
> position of power within the system"
 
> Assuming you wipe the world and give everyone a fresh start, thus
> giving everyone an "equal" chance to build themselves up, the
> hardcore gamers and those that had the power in the old system are
> the most likely to re-establish that power.  They are the ones
> that have all the contacts and the understanding of how things
> work, and I'd bet that in short order you would have the old
> hierarchy overlaid on top of the new world.

Destroying the world continuity that way is really poor from a
players' point of view too, I think.

--matt
"Who is that goat-faced fellow? I like the cut of his jib!" -- Mr. Burns.


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