From: jfine@engin.umich.edu (Jonathan Fine)
Subject: Unique MUD themes!  (and some "need sites")
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 06:10:46 EDT
Organization: The Church of Suicidal
Summary: themes
Keywords: themes

LPmuds are now flooded with fantasy-themed muds (nothing new ;) and
there are many players out there who are tired of the same fantasy
stereotypes in muds.  But despite the demands, there aren't that many
non-fantasy themed muds out there, in relation.

So a friend and I decided to come up with a list of mostly non-fantasy
themed muds which would be really cool to see implemented.  These themes
are unique, playable, and most importantly, would be fun.  We hope these
spark some interest and ideas...

(Note: I've also listed muds that I know of which *do* use various of
these unique themes, and also muds which use these ideas but are looking
for a site.  This is to point players to those unique muds already opened,
and to hopefully point people with sites to those unique muds still looking
for one.)


 1.  Western - players are cowboys, cowgirls, or bandits.  They could have
     such skills like pistol, rifle, quick-draw, horse-riding, safe-cracking.
     Players can shoot it out at high noon, stop train robberies, mosey on
     down to the local saloon, or rob banks.  Fun quests!


 2.  Prehistoric - players are cavemen and cavewomen, and would need skills
     such as fire-making, stone-chiseling, spear, club, etc..  They would
     have to get food by hunting dinosaurs, defend their tribe from rivals,
     and maybe develop technologies.  Challenging quests, if done right.


 3.  Super-hero - self-explainatory.  Admin would have to choose
     between a four-color theme ("POW!  BAM!" like Batman TV shows),
     a "dark" theme (like _The Dark Knight_ and "Batman" movies),
     and other such possible subgenres, and perhaps even choose in
     favoring DC, Marvel, Comico, et al.

     * There was the old Hero LPmud, and Hero II is approaching finish.
       While this mud currently has a site, it could really use a faster
       site.  The current machine is too slow for the 300+ players eagerly
       awaiting this sequel; obviously it's not expected that these 300+
       players all play at the same time, but it'd be nice to accomodate
       20-40 of them at a time, instead of the current maximum 10-ish
       playtesters. ;)


 4.  Futuristic - the admin would have to choose a subgenre here:
     science ficition, cyberpunk, nuclear war, etc.  Trick here is to
     really make the mud *futuristic* and not just another fantasy
     mud with different names.

     * Currently these LPmuds (that I know of) offer these themes:
       Abacus, Cyberworld, Kobra, Star Raiders.


 5.  Evolutionary - this one is tricky.  Players would begin as a
     unicellular lifeform, and depending on what they do for survival,
     they can evolve into various forms (not necessarily "human"...)
     Probably a different environment (i.e., game world) would have to
     be made for each evolutionary form (i.e, "level") to simulate
     the world around the player evolving.


 6.  TOON - the world of cartoon brought to life on the internet!
     Lots of flying pies and falling anvils.  Lots of violence.
     Players shouldn't die.  Hilarious quests.

     * There is a TOON MUD in the works, which is looking for a site.
       This is a very non-LPmud LPmud, i.e. standard LPmud goals aren't
       used to such a degree (when used at all).  The social and
       role-playing aspect of muds are stressed, along with going out
       with a bang, and the bottom line is fun.  :)


 7.  Amber - based on Roger Zelazny's Amber series.  (Yes, we realize
     that there is already a MU* based on this, but not an LPmud.)
     This one would also be tricky, since there would have to be a
     system for allowing characters to walk through shadows of their
     imagining, and rules for how items can be transferred between
     shadows.  Even trickier yet, how actions and objects in one
     shadow affect other shadows.  But this would be a damn fun
     LPmud.  Don't forget to ask for permission here!


 8.  "Seven Cities of Gold" - much like the computer game of said
     name.  Players take the role of "Christopher Columbus"
     (hopefully not as racist) and explore new worlds.  Through the
     actions of the players, natives of new-found lands can change
     their reactions, from worship to utter hatred.  A cool navigation
     system would have to be implemented, for sailing across the
     oceans and finding new lands, and "wizards" would have to be
     willing to always be at work, to create new lands to that
     the game retains its "wonderful discovery" feel.  Quests
     would be really interesting.


 9.  Asian - "ancient" Asian setting.  (Yes, I remember (and loved)
     the old, original Tsunami, but, no criticsm meant, the current
     Tsunami ain't the same thing.)  Players could have "honor points"
     along with alignments.  This would best be handled by admin who
     understand Asian culture/folklore.

     If a more Japanese-based theme were taken, characters could join
     classes like: samurai, ronin, ninja, etc. and learn skills such as
     kendo, karate, aikido, etc.

     If a more Chinese-based theme were taken, characters could go join
     "guilds" like the White Lotus Society, master various weapon forms,
     and study various wushu.  (If a more cinematic and super-hero-like
     approach were taken, players could gain and train powers like "Fatal
     Ice", the Iron Robe, "Absorbing Hands", "Lightning Palms", etc.)


10.  Mythological - a mud based on actual mythologies, such as Greek/
     Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, etc.  (Cthulhu fans, see #15. ;)

     * Currently Akropolis has this theme (although it's down now?).


11.  American Colonial - two approaches, either a settler approach,
     where players can be Davie Crockett-like explorers, or the
     setting could be circa Revolutionary War.  Either way, rich in
     history and high in adventure.  Could have really informative
     quests if done right.


12.  Swashbuckling - Errol Flynn and Zorro, here we come!  Players could
     be swordsmen, pirates, etc. with skills ranging from cutlass and
     rope-swinging, to piloting.  And of course, charming members of the
     opposite sex.  ;)


13.  Diplomacy - any mud involving player politics.  In a fantasy
     setting, players could be kings, hirelings, peasants; in a
     modern setting, world leaders, politicians, citizens.  Players
     should be able to make policies, advance in the political
     arena, make alliances with other countries/parties, and the
     occasional war, and even invade other countries.  Would have
     to take serious thought as how to be implemented, but would
     certainly add a *huge* dimension to the mud if done right.


14.  Economics - any mud involving mud-wide economics.  (Yes, I
     realize their are muds with player-owned shops, but I mean
     *mud-wide* economics.  With recessions, inflation, etc.)
     Would work with most any other theme.  Like "Diplomacy",
     would have to take serious thought for implementation, but
     again, would also add a new dimension if done right.


15.  Horror - self-explainatory.  The admin would have to choose which
     subgenre of horror to go with: classic, gothic, slasher, etc.
     The trick is keeping the horror-theme in mind, or else it merely
     degenerates into a fantasy mud with different names.  And another
     trick here is scaring the *players*, not just the characters.

     * For horror fans, and more specifically H.P. Lovecraft fans, a
       Cthulhu LPmud is indeed in the works.  The trick is making the
       mud in theme with Lovecraft's style, *and* making the mud fun
       and playable at the same time.  LPmud players are just too used
       to becoming invulnerable fighting machines.  (Of course, like
       everyone else, Cthulhu LPmud needs a site.)


16.  Game-oriented - a mud completely devoted to mud game(s), none
     of the standard hack-n-slash.  For example, Grid Wars, Mechwarrior,
     poker, etc. not just mere player-killing, boxing/sparring, and/or
     "assassin".  I believe there is a project to do something like
     this already, but probably not LPmud?

     For those unfamiliar with Grid Wars, it is a combination of laser
     tag and capture the flag.  It was originally written by Tree of
     ex-Shadow World LPmud, and brought over to various other LPmuds.
     Hero II currently has an improved Grid Wars; the code is all original
     by Ayeser, the idea-using approved by Tree years ago.  Guile also
     wrote a "Grid Wars" on TMI, based on Ayeser's Grid Wars.  (It is
     heavily-modified enough to be considered a new game, and not a
     "real" Grid Wars.)

     For those unfamiliar with Mechwarrior, it is a game which allows
     players to enter huge, mechanical military robots and battle it
     out.  Several attempts have been made on this on various LPmuds,
     there was even a Mechwarrior LPmud in the making, but so far I
     have yet to see a succesful implementation.

     Those are just a few LPmud games which I'm familiar with and
     have had the chance to play, I know there are plenty others,
     and obviously the possibilities are endless for creating new ones.
     (Obviously, a completely game-devoted mud wouldn't be the best
     theme for an LPmud (which are adventure-based by nature), but
     so many of us are familiar with LPmud and LPC.)


17.  Time travel - self-explainatory.  The trick here is coming up
     with rules for time-travel, and rules for bringing objects back
     and forth through time.  Even trickier would be how actions in
     one time period affect other periods.

     * Currently End of the Line implements an idea similar to this.
       The LPmud Dreamshadow uses this idea, and has even implemented
       rules for the transferring of items between time zones.  It too
       is looking for a site.


Well, these are just a few ideas we came up with.  Hope it sparked
your imagination and creativity.  (And if anyone happens to use any
of these ideas, I only ask you notify me when it's up, so I can
play it. :)  Here's to hoping we see a bunch of quality, unique,
non-fantasy LPmuds soon.  :)


// Shadowjack


PS:  If any of the "muds looking for a site" above interested you, and
     you have a possible site, please notify me.  I am can relay the news
     to the admin(s) in charge of those respective LPmuds.


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----------                                                         ___
Jonathan H. Fine                   The University of Michigan,    (o o)
sinister.stairs@um.cc.umich.edu    Ann Arbor  "Let's Go Blue!"     |||

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Newsgroups: rec.games.mud.lp