[MUD-Dev] Homogeneity and choice (Was DESIGN: Why do people like weather in MMORPGs?)

[Mike Rozak]

John Buehler wrote:

> I'd encourage you to think in terms of feathering distinct
> experiences together.

Good point. Instead of having the sub-games change instantly as a PC
moves between neighboring locations, introduce a gradual change.

> I'm gonna need better armor against those bigger orcs. I'm gonna
> need lighter armor in the desert.

You mentioned wanting to make combat more interesting... if the orcs
primarily use clubs, then chainmail armor ends up being
ineffective. Boiled leather or plate would work better. If the orcs
use swords, then chain or plate armors are best. If the orcs are
tall, they're more likely to take swipes at your PC's head, so a
helmet and shield are more important.

However, allowing players to carry 50 tons of equipment defeats this
distinction. If a player can carry around a suit of leather, a suit
of chain, and a suit of plate, then it's very easy to switch suits
when the PC approaches an orc camp. Every player will end up
carrying 3 suits of armor, and equip the most appropriate one right
before combat begins. If they can only carry one, or two with much
effort, then the player has to make a choice when they leave their
base camp. That choice has ramifications.

> A game that is predicated on denial of service just doesn't
> entertain me.  I'm all for challenge as a means of entertaining
> people.  It's a very popular means.  But to impede the player's
> ability to gain access to the entertainment - even if it is
> challenge - is not a good move in my book.

Realm-vs-realm systems, such as DAOC or WOW, have content denial at
their heart. If your character joins side A, the content than what
you would have experienced on side B. Of course, players can create
more than one character, and I have no problem with this.

Classes (if orthogonal enough) are content denial. Magic users in
D&D are a very different experience than fighters, who are very
different from thieves. (Clerics are a bit too close to both
fighters and magic users.) However, magic users in many MMORPGs are
just archerers that shoot fireballs instead of arrows.

Buddying up with NPC faction A, which then causes faction B to
mistrust/dislike your character, is also content denial. I don't
think any MMORPGs do this yet.

> The really hard part is making combat that entertaining.

My approach to more interesting combat is:

  1) To NOT make players engage in combat so often that it becomes
  dull. Familiarity breeds contempt. This means that the core
  activity of the VW is no longer "kill monsters to get loot to kill
  bigger monsters".

  2) To make a more complex physics underneath the combat so that
  players actually have to make decisions (which matter) while
  engaged in combat. This means no auto-attack. (Hit locations and
  the chainmail vs. club issue is one such example of more complex
  physics.)

  3) The more complex physics means that players need better
  feedback about all the details of what's happening. I'm currently
  working on a UI solution for this. Hopefully it will work.

  4) Since players' actions can affect the outcome of combat, and
  since combat is not the norm, I can actually make it
  dangerous... and exciting. Combat is no longer a matter of gaging
  whether your health bar or the enemy's health bar will hit 0
  first. You could be winning, but a poor strategy on your part, or
  just bad luck, and your character will lose.

Mike Rozak
http://www.mxac.com.au
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