Advanced MUD Concepts

Shane · 05-06-2006, 10:41 AM

One of the ongoing difficulties I have had in either finding my fantasy "perfect mud" or seeing a way foreward to creating or helping to create it is making the game rules themselves. My favorite RPG has always been GURPS. Well, not always, but since the moment I discovered it.

Anyhow, as MUD's have progressed and different engines become available, and I can see a way foreward now to make my own game while still keeping licensing issues straight and so forth, it now comes to the forefront of my attention that SJ Games has a fairly strict no-MUD's clause to the fair use of their product which they include in an FAQ on their site.

There is however a system called "the Action". It is distributed under Wizards of the Coast's Open Game License.

Has anyone used it before? What does anyone know about it?

http://www.goldrushgames.com/actionsystemcore.html

Looks cool. The minute I am off my work kick I am going to find out more, but since all I have time for this red hot minute is dashing off the occasional email or message, I thought I would troll around here for anyone who has further information on how this system works.

Information on the Open Game License is found on Wizards of the Coast's web site. Computer related stuff is

here.

Shane · 05-06-2006, 10:55 AM

Free Rules!

I am now officially salivating all over my sneakers.

Sombalance · 05-06-2006, 11:42 AM

I've played around a bit with the Action! System rules and I didn't have any problem with them. The lack of magic support in the rules has turned some people off.

Its a skill based system, not a level based one.

The XP/Skill advancement system doesn't really work well for a mud, but most games designed for table top play don't port directly to the computer and this can be worked around with a little planning.

I think if you like the GURPS rules (or original L5R or 7th Seas rules, it will probably be pretty easy to pick up.

The Gunslinger rule set is a worth getting (sorry, you do have to buy that) if you want to see how the rules have been applied.

One other thing to point out is that Mark Arsenault, the President of GRG, has constantly impressed with me with the way he deals with people. During the early days of the A!S rules he had his share of flames on the GRG mailing lists, and he always handled them calmly and professionally.

Sombalance

DagdaMor · 05-06-2006, 11:50 AM

GURPS is just a system, you cannot patent a system, you can copyright the expression of that system, but ulitmately if you wanted to use their mechanics exactly there is nothing to stop you doing it. I am not a lawyer, I am not your lawyer, but I am an RPG writer with experience of this kind of situation.

Shane · 05-06-2006, 12:34 PM

Thanks Som. Magic is easy to implement using those rules, and I could probably port a complete @$$load of skills and spells from Coffeemud to boot.

Nice to meet you Dagda. I am going to avoid messing with SJ's stuff until and unless they give an open invitation. I would prefer to make my own before borrowing theirs adversely. It's just my personality type. Thanks for the advice though.

the_logos · 05-06-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Shane @ May 06 2006,13:34)

Nice to meet you Dagda. I am going to avoid messing with SJ's stuff until and unless they give an open invitation. I would prefer to make my own before borrowing theirs adversely. It's just my personality type. Thanks for the advice though.

If it's adverse to use parts of other people's game systems, everyone with 'health' and 'mana' better be worried.

--matt

Shane · 05-06-2006, 01:26 PM

Using 3d6 to get a bell curve going is GURPS-esque as well, and yet Action uses it. I've always sort of fancied using some number of d1000 for computers... give things a sort of a baseball feel in stats.

But anyhow....

I am just saying that for me, going with something that is out there openly offering itself as something to be used freely bypasses a lot of headaches. Possibly someone else already paid the price in headaches before, but from my perspective coming into it now, it saves ME headaches.

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05-06-2006, 10:41 AM	#1
Shane Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 159	One of the ongoing difficulties I have had in either finding my fantasy "perfect mud" or seeing a way foreward to creating or helping to create it is making the game rules themselves. My favorite RPG has always been GURPS. Well, not always, but since the moment I discovered it. Anyhow, as MUD's have progressed and different engines become available, and I can see a way foreward now to make my own game while still keeping licensing issues straight and so forth, it now comes to the forefront of my attention that SJ Games has a fairly strict no-MUD's clause to the fair use of their product which they include in an FAQ on their site. There is however a system called "the Action". It is distributed under Wizards of the Coast's Open Game License. Has anyone used it before? What does anyone know about it? http://www.goldrushgames.com/actionsystemcore.html Looks cool. The minute I am off my work kick I am going to find out more, but since all I have time for this red hot minute is dashing off the occasional email or message, I thought I would troll around here for anyone who has further information on how this system works. Information on the Open Game License is found on Wizards of the Coast's web site. Computer related stuff is here.

05-06-2006, 10:55 AM	#2
Shane Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 159	Free Rules! I am now officially salivating all over my sneakers.

05-06-2006, 11:42 AM	#3
Sombalance New Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 20	I've played around a bit with the Action! System rules and I didn't have any problem with them. The lack of magic support in the rules has turned some people off. Its a skill based system, not a level based one. The XP/Skill advancement system doesn't really work well for a mud, but most games designed for table top play don't port directly to the computer and this can be worked around with a little planning. I think if you like the GURPS rules (or original L5R or 7th Seas rules, it will probably be pretty easy to pick up. The Gunslinger rule set is a worth getting (sorry, you do have to buy that) if you want to see how the rules have been applied. One other thing to point out is that Mark Arsenault, the President of GRG, has constantly impressed with me with the way he deals with people. During the early days of the A!S rules he had his share of flames on the GRG mailing lists, and he always handled them calmly and professionally. Sombalance

05-06-2006, 11:50 AM	#4
DagdaMor New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7	GURPS is just a system, you cannot patent a system, you can copyright the expression of that system, but ulitmately if you wanted to use their mechanics exactly there is nothing to stop you doing it. I am not a lawyer, I am not your lawyer, but I am an RPG writer with experience of this kind of situation.

05-06-2006, 12:34 PM	#5
Shane Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 159	Thanks Som. Magic is easy to implement using those rules, and I could probably port a complete @$$load of skills and spells from Coffeemud to boot. Nice to meet you Dagda. I am going to avoid messing with SJ's stuff until and unless they give an open invitation. I would prefer to make my own before borrowing theirs adversely. It's just my personality type. Thanks for the advice though.

05-06-2006, 01:26 PM	#7
Shane Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 159	Using 3d6 to get a bell curve going is GURPS-esque as well, and yet Action uses it. I've always sort of fancied using some number of d1000 for computers... give things a sort of a baseball feel in stats. But anyhow.... I am just saying that for me, going with something that is out there openly offering itself as something to be used freely bypasses a lot of headaches. Possibly someone else already paid the price in headaches before, but from my perspective coming into it now, it saves ME headaches.