Brand Loyalty (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Requirements for MM(wasComplexities of MMOG Servers))

[ceo]

Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:
> From: "adam" <ceo at grexengine.com>
>> Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:
>>> From: <Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com>

>> From a strategic analysis point of view, that really is how to
>> play. In this situation, the optimal solution to "how" to play is
>> to identify key geographical locations, and farm them.

> However, farming *ought* to be a skill. It ought to be something
> that players can be good or bad at doing. Take combat, for
> example; there is a distinct difference between stabbing something
> in the chest till it falls over, and using a club to bash its knee
> into pulp so you can casually find a big rock to drop on its
> head. Most games don't give us options like this.  When they do,
> one of them is clearly superior but no more difficult, and all
> other options are simply discarded.

Of course farming is a skill - you're not happy with it because
you've mastered it (i.e. you've learnt how to pick really good
places, what factors influence a good farming location etc).

But now you're moving on to a different topic w.r.t. how "deep" a
game should be. I am in firm agreement that the strategy & skill
elements of current games is both lop-sided (tends to only have
unequal depth in different areas) and shallow (there isn't much
opportunity for hand-eye co-ordination nor for tactical play). As
indeed I went on to say.

For the rest of your post, I'm changing the topic to "Skill
vs. Knowledge", which I think is more apt a title for that half of
the discussion (and keeps these replies from getting too long).

Adam M


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