[MUD-Dev] Too much magic?

[Paul Canniff]

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 07:57 Brian Hook wrote:

> To answer your question, "why do we 'need' super-powerful items",
> I think that's pretty obvious -- a constantly escalating level of
> power between players and a need to objectively assess
> advancement.

I disagree on two counts.  The trivial one is that there are plenty
of non-item ways to reach "constantly escalating power."  The deeper
issue is that I don't think that a virtual world *needs* that kind
of linear (or even higher-order) escalation, especially escalation
of personal combat power.  Yes, the system has proven player
retention, but also tends to flatten player-skill differences, acts
as a substitute for real-world concepts like higher command or
political skill, and tends to make PVP uninteresting except between
nearly identical "level" characters.

Paul Canniff
The opinions above are mine and do not reflect those of my employer.
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