[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Excellent commentary on Vanguard's diplomacysystem

[Raph Koster]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mud-dev2-bounces at lists.mud-dev.com [mailto:mud-dev2-
> bounces at lists.mud-dev.com] On Behalf Of cruise
> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 3:35 AM
> To: mud-dev2 at lists.mud-dev.com
> Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Excellent commentary on Vanguard's
> diplomacysystem
> 
> I agree we need more in games than combat, I really do. But games are
> inherently about competition in some form, in that they present a series
> of challenges which you must overcome.

"Presenting a series of challenges" does not equate to "competition" unless
you mean competing with yourself... 

In the past I have presented a model wherein we have 

- symmetric games (where each contestant is playing the same game with the
same resources on the same field with the same goals: tennis, chess)

- asymmetric games (where they are not: fox & geese, most player-vs-computer
games such as Space Invaders)

- parallel games (where contestants are competing by playing symmetric or
asymmetric games, and measuring their success rates against each other:
footraces, high score tables)

-Raph