[MUD-Dev] Playing catch-up with levels

[Amanda Walker]

On Apr 21, 2004, at 4:53 AM, Ben Hawes wrote:

> In general, I really think the old level-up, rigid-class RPG has
> had it's day. It was fine for pen-and-paper RPG's, which naturally
> have to limit their game mechanics somewhat to make them playable
> by people without a degree in mathematics. Now we have computers
> doing the sums, there are better ways, IMHO.

Well, I don't know if I'd throw the baby out completely with the
bathwater here, despite being on record as thinking the level grind
is properly viewed as a bug :-).

d20 games are fun.  An entire publishing industry grew up around
them.

I played hours and hours of them in high school and college, and my
friends and I had a blast with them.  Capturing some of that fun on
a computer is a fine and worthy goal--and it's one that several
games (notably Everquest) have managed to do impressively well.  EQ
is for all practical purposes "D&D for the next generation."  More
power to it, and to spinoffs aimed at the same general audience (as
D&D had as well).  The main piece of d20 mechanics that I think
MMOd20s miss is the ability to bring in a new player midstream.
"OK, roll up a level 25 character, give me an equipment list."  "OK,
guys, while you're having your "no shit, there we were" session at
the tavern, so-and-so comes up to you and says "I couldn't help
overhearing..." and going from there.

That one ability, with no other changes to game mechanics, would
probably have kept me playing (and paying for) EQ or DAoC, because
it would have preserved the essential "fun-ness" of d20 gaming for
me, namely, spending an evening with friends trading wisecracks and
obscure book and movie references.  In various discussions about
this topic, I've never quite understood why my desire to join a
group of friends in-game should be sacrificed to someone else's
desire to grind.
!
Amanda Walker
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