From: fxmlk@acad3.alaska.edu (KIENENBERGER MIKE L)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.programmer,comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: <None>
Date: 2 Oct 92 14:42:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: acad3.2OCT199206423935
Organization: University of Alaska - Fairbanks
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41.UAC

In article <1992Sep29.155830.711@altair.selu.edu>, pcs$1610@altair.selu.edu writes...
>In article <lv+phlr.fletcher@netcom.com>, fletcher@netcom.com (F. Sullivan Segal) writes:
>>>Since it's going to be networked, how about letting characters steal from
>>>each other? You can't do this in a single-player game (what's the point?--
>>>you play all the characters anyway...), but it would allow for more 
>>>interesting player interaction--especially if you can leave one party to 
>>>join another.  Loyalty and comradeship become very important.
>> 
>> Speaking of networking, just how networked are you planning to be.  Is
>> this going to be run through an IRC'ish server, or a local telephone pool
>> like portal, or a games conference like Genie, or just two players at 
>> a time?
> 
>Good point, maybe I could have avoided a lot of flak on my stealing idea
>if I'd thought to mention it. I'm thinking in terms of a 'virtual world'
>where you aren't really _stuck_ with anyone, there are multiple cities, 
>various establishments, a huge number of non-linear quests, you can go 
>anywhere and do whatever you like.
> 
>Not that I think a game system like this will exist in the near future...


Actually, I'm working a commercial product like this.  As for whether it
will be finished "in the near future" depends on how well my current
database product sells :-)

It's based somewhat on the ideas of the Omega game adapted to a network
environment.

I've given a lot of thought to how players will be able to interact
with one another, but I've still not come up with solutions I like.
In a multiplayer game, a player's character is always at the mercy of the
other players.

Consider Player A and Player B.  Player A has been playing for two weeks
(no more than 8 hours a day, of course :-) and has developed a good character.

Player B comes along and attacks Player A.  There are three likely
possibilities:
        1) A and B are "equal" which takes care of itself.
        2) B has been playing for much longer than A and has no trouble
           wiping out A's character (which he has spent two weeks developing)
        3) B has only be playing a few minutes, but is going to "wear down"
           A by attacking A, dying, generating a new character, attacking A,
           etc.

I wouldn't mind senario 1 too much.  Senario 3 is solved by making new
characters appear in a random starting location (it's a VeryBigMap).

Senario 2 (and thieving to a lesser extent) is more difficult to resolve.

Some ideas I've kicked around are:
        High Level Friends (NPCs) warp in and help A out.
        B is declared an outlaw (not that the declaration helps A)
        Players cannot attack each other unless both agree to the fight. (a
                "safety" mode)
        A dies.

Other pressing problems I'm also considering are:
        The game is not real time, but I want characters to interact and
                be able to form teams.
        How to deal with a player quitting or becoming disconnected.
=============================================================================
-Mike Kienenberger                       FXMLK@ALASKA           (BITNet)
 Academic Computing                      FXMLK@acad3.alaska.edu (Internet)
 University of Alaska-Fairbanks
 "I'm a computer programmer....<link><link><kludge><kludge> say-no-more!"
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games