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

[Mike Rozak]

John Bueler wrote:

> And the question to ask is whether or not choosing one type of
> armor and living with the implications of that choice is
> entertaining to players. Or does it serve as an impediment to the
> experience that you're really trying to give to your players: that
> of getting into combat.  Is getting the equipment matched to the
> challenge all that entertaining?  Or would you rather use one set
> of equipment and try to creatively come up with a solution to
> various problems?

Unlike most MUDs/MMORPGs, I don't intend to make combat the central
experience. (Which may be a mistake as far as market size.)

Besides, if players want a 100% combat experience they can purchase
a fight console game and get infinitely better combat than any
MUD/MMORPG has to offer. I view a virtual world as a collection of
sub-games; by themselves the sub-games are inferior to their
stand-alone counterparts. When the right set of inferior sub-games
are combined into a whole, they produce an experience more valuable
than the sum of the parts... synergy.

Equipment matching being entertaining - Everything in
moderation. I've seen players (including myself) spend a fair amount
of time choosing their kit.

One set of equipment - If you take this to an extreme and get rid of
equipment then you have a scenario like COH where all abilities are
innate. Some people may like it. I'd prefer equipment as well as
innate abilities.

> In realm versus realm there is no denial of service per se.  It is
> the basic game structure that there are multiple realms, and each
> character operates within its one, clearly demarked, realm.  It is
> a structure that is self-consistent, and which permits the
> higher-order entertainment of realm versus realm combat.  Players
> welcome the limits because of the implications.  So the content
> denial is entertaining.  I'd guess that a lot of the acceptance of
> the situation is that the content that can't be accessed also
> can't be seen by those who can't access it.

Maybe some of the issue is nomenclature... "denial of content" is
fine with me.

Personally, I don't find realms to be all that different than a
snow-blocked pass. The both block off content.

If I have a character in WoW's Hoard, it can never experience the
plethora of quests that exist in Alliance territy. It can go to
Alliance territory and undertake some special quests as well as
partake in PvP, but a lot of content is locked away from my Hoard
character.

Likewise, which side of the mountains my character is stuck on is a
choice I make, based on what content is available. You seem to think
that if a player is stuck, they'll be limited to wandering around
the village. I'm not thinking about those sorts of
limitations. Maybe the snow that closes the passes also freezes a
rushing river, making it passable, and allows players to get to
content that they couldn't in the warmer months.

The differences between the two are: Visting another realm can be
done on a whim, but a RvR system will never let a character from one
realm fully experience the other realm. A snow-blocked pass is a
temporary barrier that will be unblocked in 2 weeks... A time period
which may be upsetting to those teenagers and adults with short
attention spans, but seen as an organizational challenge to the
patient ones.

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