[MUD-Dev] Removing access to entertainment

[John Buehler]

Jeff Crane writes:
> From: John Buehler

>> I'm not attempting to eliminate challenges AS entertainment.  I'm
>> trying to eliminate barriers TO entertainment.  I offered
>> mesmerization as a prime example because it eliminates
>> essentially all entertainment from the game experience for a
>> period of time.  The only entertainment remaining is to watch
>> what is going on in front of the character.

> So you're suggesting that if a designer wished to implement
> leveling as a measure of success or power, it should be trivial to
> improve (no barrier to entertainment). i.e. For every "monster"
> you kill you gain 1 level until you plateau, thereby removing the
> barrier to gaining power. After you slay 100 monsters, you are a
> master monster slayer. Yay. What I haven't seen discussed here is
> what happens when you give all the players everything they
> want...which is different than giving them a GM toolkit (a la
> NWN). If you remove leveling as a real obstacle, the next
> challenge is? If that challenge can be mastered in an hour, the
> next challenge available is? etc. Can someone describe a system
> that can survive without using time as a barrier (leveling,
> gradual achievement, etc)?

I quote: "I'm not attempting to eliminate challenges AS
entertainment."

I find it ironic to read posts like this because I'm arguing FOR
games that predicate their entertainment on killing 10,000 monsters
in the virtual rise to 'power'.  I'm trying to argue against things
that get in the way of your ability to kill those 10,000 monsters.
And I don't mean by turning all 10,000 into bunnies.  I'm not trying
to get you to level 50 faster.  I'm trying to let you experience
getting to level 50 instead of staring at a spellbook for 30 minutes
out of every 8 hours.  I want to remove the shackles the are
preventing you from even engaging those 10,000 orcs, dragons and
super sneaky ninjas.

I'm just trying to present it in the form of a design principle.

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