Reply to Caliban Re: [MUD-Dev] Star Wars Galaxies: 1 character per server

[CaBil at aol.com]

In response to your CW hypothetical…

Earlier this discussion, the idea of achievement has been bandied
about, and in your hypothetical, the achievement of reaching this
area by the players who did spend the time is taken by the ones who
merely paid the money.

To a certain extent, having zones where no cheats can get you in
would generate more interest that whatever is inside the zone is.

To be able to adventure in a 15th level zone is an 'achievement' of
a sort, which having a non-game shortcut would paralyze.  On the
other hand, if the player's only alternative is to treadmill until
he can get there, I can understand his frustration.  And also, it
presents a problem inside the game structure that only one zone
interests the player, because if/when he gets burned out in that
zone, he has nowhere else to go in the environment.  The hope is
that there is enough variety across a spectrum to zone to engage the
player.

Several other solutions do present themselves, such a zone lock-in.
You trade off being able to explore other zones with that character
in exchange for heading directly to that area.  While it does rob
the achievement of reaching the zone, it also quarantines it, so
that the ease of reaching it is seen as paid off by limiting the
character's geographic movement.  You are locked in that zone until
you have acquired enough 'playing time' to have been able to get
there on your own plus a set amount of 'penalty' time, and the lock
in status falls away and you can advance.  Or experience points, or
whatever other mechanism you care to use.

Or if you want some advancement, so the player can advance at a
slower rate, splitting his currently gained experience in some ratio
between advancing his current rating, and paying off his 'experience
debt.'  There has be some incentive to pay off the debt, either
through interest/penalty, or inability to use certain special
abilities more than your current rank (use skills but not magic,
etc,)

You are still trading time for levels but you are starting at a
level that is interesting for the player to begin at.  And there
will be still status for people to have slogged their way up the
achievement ladder, and in most instances, when they meet another
player of equal rank, they will continue to advance faster since
they have no 'experience debt' to pay off.

Thoughts?

Respectfully,
Bill Aguiar
of The CaBil

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