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

[Lee Sheldon]

>From David Cooksey:

> As a player, I absolutely hate when useful numbers are denied
> me. Then again, I'm a person who enjoyed tremendously the
> discussions on the Shaman's Crucible about what kind of effect
> strength-boosting spells had on damage in Everquest.
> Correspondingly, the most frustrating part of my time spent
> playing Everquest was when the Development team reduced the Monk
> class' ability to take damage, yet did not adjust the armor class.
> The displayed armor class became meaningless as a method of
> comparison.  I enjoy advancement, and sheer numbers track that
> much better than words.

There's nothing more easy to track than the scores on a
scoreboard. And for those experiences that try to be nothing more
than games that kind of measurement is fine. I'm more interested in
worlds where those experiencing them are inhabitants, not simply
players. I don't deny your need for measurements. I'm just
suggesting that I could satisfy that need without breaking the
fourth wall with a sledge hammer.

> Now, if there was a game where combat was a very minimal factor,
> then it doesn't matter much to me.  However, if it's a combat
> centered game, numbers please!

The only way to test this would be to direct you to a world with
combat that didn't use public numbers. The first virtual world I
worked on had consistent descriptors similar to those people have
suggested elsewhere in this thread. Its emphasis was heavily on
story and role-playing, but it had its share of combat for those
interested in it, and the testers who wanted to kill stuff became
comfortable with the system very quickly. Unfortunately I don't know
of any of the large commercial worlds today that have tried this.

Lee
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