[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Removing the almighty experience point...

[cruise]

Thus spake Caliban Darklock...
> On 8/2/07, cruise <cruise at casual-tempest.net> wrote:
>> Nope. The idea was more like the concept of "credits". Performing a
>> level X task gives you a level X credit.
> 
> This creates a problem.

"You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly 
on our own point of view."

> Imagine two tasks, task A and task B. Task A is sufficient to go from
> level 1 to level 2. Task B is sufficient to go from level 2 to level
> 3. Now imagine that I perform both tasks.

I must be explaining this really badly.

There is no such thing as "a task sufficient to go from level X to level 
X+1" by itself. To get from level 2 to level 3 you would need *2* tasks 
of a difficulty rated *at least* level 2.

The closest to your scenario is Task A is a level 1 task, and Task B is 
a level 2 task. In that case:

> If I perform task A first, I become level 2, and then task B takes me
> to level 3.

Nope. You still need another level 2 task/credit to get to level 3.

> If I perform task B first, I become level 2 and task A accomplishes nothing.

Indeed. But you now still only need another level 2 task/credit to get 
to level 3. Doing B first has saved the time of completing A.

The whole point of the system is reward players for aiming high, and to 
grant them nothing for performing tasks beneath them.

> I don't believe most players in the mass market will accept this idea.
> The experience point works because task B "overflows" into credit for
> level 3, and task A covers the balance.

That overflow is exactly what this system is designed to prevent. 
Players can't get credit for taking the "easy" road, repeating simple 
taks over and over instead of one difficult task.