[MUD-Dev] Playing catch-up with levels

[Kwon J. Ekstrom]

Matt Chatterley wrote:

> Its an idea which has been kicking around in my head for quite
> some time. I began work on a client/server architecture intended
> to turn into this concept a couple of years ago, but abandoned the
> project due to lack of time - now, I've restarted the idea, using
> the web as a delivery method (something like this need not be
> real-time, and is infact better suited to turn-based gameplay in
> my mind) - one key advantage is that there are no client installs,
> and the only system requirements are that certain browser features
> be enabled. Asking someone to have JavaScript + Cookies turned on
> isn't excessive to me - many websites ask for far more.

> The players main base of operations will be in a fixed location (a
> 'space station' of sorts), but their craft will be able to roam
> far and wide, either making deliveries or collections along set
> flight plans, or exploring new areas, making offensive strikes,
> defensive patrols, and so on.

> In part the idea was inspired by the many web-based strategy games
> out there (there was one in particular called Earth 2010 - or
> something similar, which I played years ago, although to me, it
> had horrible balance problems).

Yeah, TW2002 was very addicting and entertaining.

However as written for the BBS didn't work well for a MUD.

Balance between ships was handled by the rate it consumed turns per
move.  Along with other measurements.

So what I thought was your ship was really just a "chassis", and
everything else was a "component".

Each component took up a fair amount of space and energy.  So you
could get a freighter with alot of space, but a small power-plant so
it couldn't support alot of weapon/defensive systems.

Finally to handle "time-based" travel, a ship would "build up"
energy to a maximum based on the output of it's power-plant over the
total energy used by components.  The engine would use up a certain
number of units per sector travelled.  If you think of energy as MP,
with a regen every 5 minutes or so... it worked out nicely.

Finally, depending on the configuration of your ship, you could use
the same chassis for a wide-variety of tasks.  The only thing a
chassis dictates is the power rating and the number of component
slots.  So by installing a bigger engine you have a lower
energy/sector rate (simulated increased speed).  You could store
less holds, but it'd allow you to move around faster.

-- Kwon J. Ekstrom
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