[MUD-Dev2] [Design] [REPOST] Food in MMOs

[Dana V. Baldwin]

Morris Cox wrote:
> On 5/14/07, Lachek Butalek <lachek at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> So, there's my RFC. How can food (supply and production) be implemented
>> best in an MMO/MUD, to encourage realism and prevent all the problems
>> associated with inflated stats, while still providing a fun and playable
>> game? What games currently implement food, in what ways, and how
>> successful are they? Are there any major problems with the whole concept
>> of food in an MMO/MUD?
>
> I've played on quite a few MUDs that required a char to intake food
> and drink periodically. It was a pain. I tended to avoid MUDs that
> required food and drink as it was too much of a hassle to have enough
> food and drink.

Slaving to realism is generally not fun for most people. Sure, players
like shooting the bad guys but marching to the front and sleeping in a
cold ditch aren't real draws. Instancing IMHO should not be considered a
cheat any more than not making players sail for 3 weeks to a deserted
island to attack the fabled cyclops who may or may not be there or even
exist. The reason the island is deserted is no one wants to sail for 3
weeks. The reason the beast is fabled is because no one has yet thought
it would be fun to go for a visit and stay for a cup of tea.

Instancing allows players to experience content in a realistic fashion
by giving them a deserted island that they can explore without Gimli42
of clan BadMofos pestering them as he collects fungus for his crafting
mule.

The premise of the "realism" approach to answers is only valid if you
concede that what you want is the illusion of realism built on mechanics
that are primarily designed to deliver that illusion where it is most
needed for a given experience to be worthwhile to the player.
Simulation, reenactment and realism are primarily self serving.

Food in particular reminds me of recent discussions about the perception
of a system. If you penalize a player because they don't, or you reward
a player because they do, then you have effectively created the same
system. This is why most food systems are buffs these days. "Keep
hydrated and you'll recover from exertion better than if you don't" is
better than "Drink water or you'll pass out and have to have someone
haul you some from the well and drag you to a monestary where you can
recover for a few weeks unless of course you're a poor peasant and then
we'll just leave you there for the beasties to gnaw upon!"