[MUD-Dev] Attractive Grouping (Was: Focus vs. Scope)

[Tasci]

Hulbert, Leland wrote:

> A system where each person receives points for doing something
> new.  Killing an orc gives you XP.  Killing another doesn't,
> because it's not new.

I would raise a question at that.  As anyone undertaking "practice"
at a sport, a trade, or some learnable skill would be able to tell
you, doing the same thing over and over again will get you the most
experienced at the skill you use to do it.  Variety is good, but so
is repetition.  If you don't want your game to model reality in this
manner though, I would be interested to see the game that results by
not rewarding practice.  It might be a lot of fun!

> You'd have to somehow de-couple the XP from combat prowess.  Maybe
> having different buckets for different types of experience.  Orc
> killing is combat XP, sunrises are art XP, and spell casting is
> magic XP.  I don't know.  The implementation seems difficult to
> me, and I have no idea how to do it well.

You should check out some of the "skill based" MUD code, and even
some of the pen-and-paper RPG systems.  (GURPS is skill based, isn't
it?)  The proper, or at least wildly successful thus far,
implementation of what you are talking about is to have "XP" for
every skill that can be performed.  Instead of having one level, you
have a mixture of skills all at different levels.

You have to do it on the skill level because someone who is skilled
at killing Orcs with a sword will not likely be able to be as
skilled killing Orcs with a spear.  One interesting notion, which I
haven't seen much, is to have each skill cascade onto other related
skills, like a person with 40 sword would have +10 to all bladed
weapons, +4 to all melee skills, and so on up the chain.  One must
be careful though, because using my example getting a 40 broad
sword, 40 katana, 40 machete, 40 rapier, such a person would pick up
a curve bladed saber and suddenly find themselves better at it (50)
than any of the other bladed weapons they actually practiced.  ^.^()

This does carry over to non-military type stuff.  A world class
bread maker is going to know how to make decent muffins, probably
can scramble eggs better than most, might know a thing or two about
the spice balance in marinara sauce.  A skilled plumber is going to
run into electric wiring sooner or later.  (Or toadstools.  o.O) A
dragon rider is most likely passable on a horse, ox, or dire wolf
8).  Depending of course, on what you choose to be "related" skills
in your game.

Remember when modeling 'skill' learn well the logarithm.  Better yet
the logistic curve.  The logistic is a function that matches with
the process our brain cells go through when activating.  And the
speed at which we learn is closely modeled by a logarithmic curve.
(Which means, in theory: since the logarithm has no
asymptote... o.O)
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev