[MUD-Dev] Player malleable worlds (was expected value and standard deviation)

[Chanur Silvarian]

>From Daniel Harman:

> Oh come off it, the average player is utterly incapable of
> creating content anyone but their mum would be interested in. Even
> professionals frequently get it wrong.

> Enough hand waving, someone show me some compelling auto generated
> content, or compelling player generated content in a commercially
> viable game.

I believe that the key word is "average".  The average player cannot
write a macro in EQ or SWG, but does that mean the capability should
be eliminated?  Just because the "average player" can't create it
does not mean that "players" cannot.

There is a second key word here, "compelling".  Unless you define
"compelling" in some non-subjective way then you already know that
nobody can succeed in your challenge.  What is compelling to one
person may or may not be to another.  I cited a small example of my
own content from UO and its limited tools.  The tools that NWN gave
to players has made for some beautiful content.  Sure, NWN is not an
MMO but it is multiplayer and it is an example of some very
compelling player created content.

The problem is that every major MMO release since UO has had less
and less tools for player created content.  People are now
discussing player generated graphics and such, which if it can be
implemented is great, but if only the five simple tools that UO had
were implemented into a new release it would be leaps and bounds
ahead of its competitors for player content.

Why deny the ability to sit in a chair?  Why deny the ability to put
a plate of cookies on a table and allow people sitting around the
chair to "eat" the cookies?  Why deny the ability to write a few
pages of text in a book that can then be set on a shelf for others
to read later?  Why deny the ability to drop an object (sword, ring,
shirt, whatever) onto the ground and have it actually look like its
title rather than a bag?

Sure, you might not want to play my content or anyone elses, but why
deny these simple tools to create it?  I'm not even talking anything
as grandious as loading in new graphics, I just ask for a text
storage mechanism (a book), or the ability to place an item already
existing in the world onto the ground in a certain location (drop a
sword or shirt or something).  Will that make compelling content?
Maybe, maybe not, but does it really matter?  If the player fails to
create compelling content then you haven't lost anything.  If the
player succeeds, then you have gained an infinite content pool.

You, as a developer, are making a quality judgement on the player's
content creation.  Making such a judgement is akin to saying "the
average player can't PvP worth a crap" and your answer is akin to
saying "I won't put in PvP because the average player can't PvP
worth a crap".  Whether the ability judgement is true or not is
irrelevant since it is not your place to judge the playstyle or
ability of the player.  If the player wants to PvP, even in a crappy
way, then let them.  If the player wants to create content (and many
do), even in a crappy way, then why deny them?

Start small, with things like writing in a book, having dropped
objects look like their title, and some mechanism to program a
conversation on an NPC.  Those are simple things.  If someday the
player generated graphics can be made to work, all the better, but
don't overlook the simple stuff just because the grandious stuff is
difficult/impossible at this time.

- Chanur Silvarian -
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