[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] NPC-oriented gameplay and XP model:GURPS/EveOnline vs. D&D/Diku

[Mike Rozak]

John Buehler wrote:
> What is the purpose of having experience points in the game?

See my reply to Lachek Butalek.

>  Doesn't a
> successful interaction with an NPC produce the same effect as experience
> points?

Kind of. As in RL, social connections open up doors and cause things to 
happen. XP affect skills, which affect your own character, and relationships 
only indirectly (for example: Speaking to elves in elvish produces a better 
result).

> Explorers are sated by the
> constantly-changing topology of NPC interactions (by getting friendly
> with *this* NPC, I've damaged my connection to *that* NPC, perhaps
> making it harder to rent a boat to get to the island to meet a third
> NPC).

Totally agree. What do achievers need? Do I care?

> I'm also not sure what it means to have "slow" players in
> non-achievement entertainment.  I could imagine a player getting stuck
> and being unable to figure out how to get the dockmaster to rent a boat.
> In that case, features in the game to let a player cheat their way
> through an interaction would seem to be desirable.

Yup, which is how I was planning on using XP given at a fixed rate, for 
example.