[MUD-Dev] Why do smart people grind?

[neild-mud at misago.org]

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Original message: http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/2004Q4/msg00078.php

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 22:38:33 -0700
<szii at sziisoft.com> wrote:

> IMO, this is one of the major focal points of the downsides of
> today's games.  They're too easy.  Any numbnut with enough time
> can achieve the upper tiers.  Suddenly your advancement to, in
> your example, Level 50 is tarnished by the plethora of low-skill
> players who've achieved the same thing.  This is even worse if
> you're a part-time player who's strived for, sometimes, years only
> to be on a mountain top full of sheep who've spent enough time to
> muddle through the content.  There is no "bonus" for playing
> smarter.

I would love to see a persistent world game with a play structure
similar to Nethack.  Death forces you to start over from scratch,
but the game can be "won" in a day or two of play.  It'll probably
take you months before you manage to win once, let alone do so
consistently.

A game like this could afford to be casual-friendly.  Since reaching
the highest levels or finding the rarest items is a temporary state,
ending when the character dies or "wins", there's no need to lock
the best rewards behind a long-term grind.

To make it even more interesting, have the world itself follow a
similar pattern--player actions change the world in significant
ways, frequently.  Every once in a while, the world arrives at an
end state and resets.  The end-game for top players is working at
bringing about a desired ending.  Different factions of players
would compete to reach their desired end.

You might call this the Counterstrike of persistent worlds-- play
hard, die fast, and be back in the game in minutes.  Measure success
not in time spent grinding, but in how long you stay alive.

               - Damien
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