From: boserj@netcom.com (Jeffrey Boser)
Subject: Re: How would you like your Mud, Sir?
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 92 04:14:08 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

atk@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Alan Krantz) writes:
>Two points i see worth commenting on here:
>
>1) How does a more intricate combat system make things more interesting
>   if ultimately the player knows that in situation x he is best taking
>   y approach on z mob ?

You are gonna have to try harder than that..  Its easy..  Just make
mobiles random.  Have mobiles change and grow.  In the mud I am designing
the mobiles are stored, and when they are loaded in they are increased
in strength and value.  A PC has no idea how hard a certain mobile
will be.

>2) While i like puzzles a lot - and have spent much time trying to
>   solve puzzles solo (as oppose to asking other players for solutions)
>   ultimately i see two major problems with puzzles - first most players
>   cop out and ask others (i.e, they want the reward without finding a
>   solution) and second there are very few muds that have enough active
>   quaility imps who can constantly add new puzzles. 

Puzzles are one of the biggest mud cop-outs of the century.  (well, since
they were created anyway)  They require the player to spend hours playing
'guess the command' or fighting the same monsters..  They dont change
from person to person, and they are fixed in a world.   In fact, that
all muds the world seems fixed is one of the biggest problems.  Not just
monsters, but shops, guilds, gods, religions..

With a little continuous contribution by the creators, a mud can have
enough going to keep it interesting.  With a little contribution by
the players, nobody gets bored.  (fer example, have a two conflicting
gods give their highest level clerics half a powerful weapon and watch
the entire world flux).

Another big problem with puzzles is that many people have really tough
times figuring out certain facets.  Ive never been so frustrated in my
life than when I spend 3 hours sitting in a room trying to figure out
howto get this @#$#@ gizmo to work.  <shrug>  frustration is not something
I want out of a game.

>So in summary to this confusing posting - i some what disagree that a
>more complex combat system will make things much better (i.e, you might
>get better results by hiding stats of items and having multiple items of
>similar style with different stats) and second while having loads of
>nice puzzles are nice and i like this apporach a lot - it's very
>difficult for an ageing mud to keep a handy supply of new puzzles.

Where did all the game designers around here go?  <sigh>

ok, heres another problem..  most muds have niches that arent supported.
It shouldnt be harder to gain levels as a cleric than a warrior.  There
should be places where a cleric is on top of things and a warrior is
scared stiff..  like a graveyard full of undead.  And mages and healers..
same thing applies.

Its ok to want people to go in groups, but due to the 24-hour nature of
muds individual adventuring is the most applicable.  Support that.

Ok, now, instead of quests (I have never, ever, not once, gone 'questing'
in a roleplaying game) how about spur of the moment things?  Or scheduled
quests..  Like how about a tall-tale nite?  Where everybody meets in a tent
and votes on peoples tall-tales about the land, and the winner gets a prize.
Or how about a evil npc stealing the altar of your god and sending all
the clerics out to get it back?

These are all ideas of how I feel about what a game should be..  full of
fun and color, life and death, fun and jokes from the players and
small areas *only* (I absolutely despise the bounce command).  A tone of
seriousness that makes comic relief just that, and lets players get
serious about the world.

In other words, I think the game mechanics should be invisible, or at
least overlooked.  No 'levels' no 'experience' no 'quests'..  nothing
like that mentioned in the game at all.  Just people or things walking
slithering, or sliding through scumy taverns and slimy sewers.  Just
interacting with the world.

Am I the only person out here thats ever told a love story about two
old dragons and a flying imp?  Or does anybody else out there want
to do these things too?


.....jeff

Newsgroups: rec.games.mud