[MUD-Dev] DGN: Why give the players all the numbers?

[Joshua Uyehara]

Hello all, this is my first post to the list, though I have been
lurking it for a few years.

I'd simply like to offer a short counterargument to the (apparently)
majority opinion that providing raw numbers is better.

Our experience has led us to believe that this is only true when
numbers are the most effective way to convey the data in question.
What constitutes "effective" varies by the context.  In
time-critical contexts, such as player combat, an effective method
of conveying data is one that allows the player to derive useful
information from the data in realtime at the highest rate of
transmission that will typically be achieved.

In graphical MUDs, data may well be best conveyed by carefully
crafted multimedia representations (e.g., visual size, color, and
audio characteristics of a given spell effect, graphical bars
representing stat percentages, etc.), as numbers presented in quick
succession, especially when larger than 2 digits, can quickly become
a meaningless and confusing.  On our text MUD, the complexity of our
internal representation of health has forced us to use short
descriptive phrases which are much more effective at conveying
useful information at the often rapid rate of combat.

Wherever the benefits of the extremely fine-grained resolution of
raw digits are negligible or trivial compared to the negative impact
on the ability of players to derive useful information in a
reasonable (again, defined by context) amount of time, we have not
had any players attempting to reverse-engineer the internal
numerical representations.

Using alternative representations of data when appropriate can, in
fact, improve the player's experience substantially.  If, however,
your reason for hiding the numbers is simply obfuscation and
frustrating min/maxers, you are wasting your time.

--Joshua Uyehara (jiles at dartmud)
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