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

[Vincent Archer]

According to Caliban Darklock:
> On 8/3/07, cruise <cruise at casual-tempest.net> wrote:
> > Thus spake Caliban Darklock...
> >
> > > 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.
...
> > The whole point of the system is reward players for aiming high, and to
> > grant them nothing for performing tasks beneath them.
> 
> But you're not rewarding them, you're punishing them. Each time I go
> up a level, an entire stratum of gameplay becomes worthless to me. If

That's how it works already in all level-based MMOs. They all have
a point where the designers say "killing level 1 mob give you zero xp".

> I do so by performing very difficult tasks, they don't count any more
> than tasks at my level. A level 9 task is only a level 9 task when you
> are level 9. If you're level 5, it's much harder than a level 5 task,
> but it only counts as a level 5 task. If you're level 10, the level 9

Actually no. It counts as a level 5 task, *and* a level 6 task, *and*?
a level 7 task. For the purposes of getting level 6, yes, it does count
exactly the same as doing a level 5 task. However, once you're level 6,
you do not start from zero. You've already done a level 6 (actually 9)
task, so that's one less task you need to do. And one less at level 7,
and one less at level 8, and one less at level 9.

By aiming high, you don't speed up getting thru level 5. You speed up
getting thru level 6, 7, 8 and 9 instead. You don't need to prove
yourself again and again at each level. With XP, you get thru
level 5 faster due to bigger xp from higher level mob... and then, once
you're at 6, you're exactly as advanced as the guy who had killed only
the easiest mobs and done the easiest tasks.

-- 
	Vincent Archer			Email:	archer at frmug.org

All men are mortal.  Socrates was mortal.  Therefore, all men are Socrates.
							(Woody Allen)