From: pcs$1610@altair.selu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.programmer,comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: <None>
Date: 2 Oct 92 10:52:43 -0600
Organization: Southeastern Louisiana University

> 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.

I've got some opinions. They're mine alone, and are subject to change,
but here they are. I _am_not_ criticising anyone here.

> 
> 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.

OK.

>         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)

Well, that's to be expected. More experienced fighters generally whip up on
less experienced ones.

>         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.
> 

That's bad. Maybe a time requirement before new characters can enter the game?

> 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).

OK, that works, too. :)

> 
> 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.

Although the Greeks espoused it, I think 'deus ex machina' is a cheap solution
to problems.

>         B is declared an outlaw (not that the declaration helps A)

This might work, though. If B is going to be killed if he kills A, he might
not do it. I think this is the idea behind our system today.

>         Players cannot attack each other unless both agree to the fight. (a
>                 "safety" mode)

How about "Run Away! Run Away!" (sorry, I couldn't resist :)


>         A dies.

Seems logical if B kills him. Maybe you should suggest low-level characters 
hang around together for mutual proctection? Or do a handicapping system, where 
exp. points are determined by experience, but character advancement has
a multiplier based on the number of hours a week someone plays (but it would
have to be enforced, and this isn't fair, either).

> 
> 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.

I've got no clue about this one.

>         How to deal with a player quitting or becoming disconnected.

Maybe just put his character in an Inn, a la Bard's Tale.

> =============================================================================
> -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!"

Scott