[MUD-Dev] Playing catch-up with levels

[John Buehler]

Threshold RPG writes:
> On 5 May 2004, at 16:01, Sean Howard wrote:

>> You start out doing 5 damage and having 20 hitpoints from the
>> time you start until the time you quit - letting other factors
>> control your pace and power.

> If you always do 5 damage and have 20 hit points, then what's the
> point of finding items, improving skills, etc?

> Useless skills and useless equipment aren't very much fun.

Consider that skills and equipment don't have to contribute to just
one aspect of your character's skills.  Think in terms of strategy
and tactics.

  1. Imagine a skill that aids in disarming an opponent.

  2. Imagine a piece of equipment that enhances your run speed.

  3. Imagine a spell that makes the ground slippery.

  4. Imagine a piece of equipment that enables you to make less
  noise as you move.

  5. Imagine a skill that permits you to jump farther.

None of these alter the amount of damage done to an opponent.  But
they do change the interaction during combat.  Instead of two
character standing in front of each other, slugging it out, they can
alter the way that they approach each other, and the tactics that
they use while they are in each others' vicinity.

Consider that the skills can be like martial arts moves where there
are attacks and counters to those attacks.  Some are ideal, some are
less than ideal, and each time a less-than-ideal counter is used,
some tactical loss develops. The character might be off-balance or
his momentum might be going in the wrong direction, or he might be
in the wrong stance.  All of these things would influence his
ability to attack back.  Items and spells would further complicate
things.

Why would a character use a less-than-ideal counter?  Because they
don't have all skills.  They have to choose between various schools
and various moves.  They have to decide if they're going to go with
heavy armor or light armor.  They have to decide if they're going to
carry other equipment as well, all of which complicates combat.  Can
he dump his pack in the middle of combat and completely change his
style of attack?  Is there a chair or a branch nearby that he can
quickly snatch up and use in an attack or a counter?  Actually
landing a blow for 5 points becomes the least interesting element of
combat at that point.

The 'ablative health model' is only one of many possible approaches
to combat.

JB
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