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-   -   Realistic Elements vs. Convenience (http://www.topmudsites.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1454)

Jaregarde 02-18-2005 12:09 AM

First off, let me say that I've never been involved in the making of a MUD, just in playing one. Now, though, I'm sort of considering making my own MUD, so I'd like to hear some of your opinions on this subject(I'm sorry if I'm repeating another topic but to the best of my ability I couldn't find one).

Well, I'll try and phrase this question as best I can. How do you implement realistic elements without just making them an inconvenience? By 'realistic elements' I mean things like permanent character death and other such things that are generally good for RP but potentially annoying for players. I would especially like to point out 'channels', or other means of player communication without a believable IC justification. I can see how decisions for these things would be tricky considering that roleplaying and convenience are two elements that need to be balanced for a good player experience.

Another thing I've noticed that can cause problems is a system in which killing mobs is the only reliable means of gaining experience and power. I recall in Achaea (the only MUD I play) not too long ago, many adventurers were accused by visitors from another plane of hunting innocent villagers. It was a bit difficult to roleplay since nearly everyone hunted one group of mobs or another. (By the way, I don't mean to accuse you of anything, the_logos) But then again, since I haven't really played any other MUDs for very long at all, I don't know how other systems of advancing in power have worked and whether or not they've been successful.

Well, I hope my question was clear enough, and I'll be grateful to hear the opinions of any of you.

02-18-2005 01:14 AM

Don't worry. You are safe here. He cannot harm you here. Besides we'll think of something to accuse him of. ;-)

the_logos 02-18-2005 03:49 AM


Jaregarde 02-18-2005 09:08 PM

Hmm, true, I did notice the Vertani really only accused people who attacked innocent villagers, but another thing I noticed is that I can't really think of an IC reason why I would kill even an evil mob. I mean even though they are 'evil' and my character is good, I can't think of a reason why I would go to the mob's home and slay him/her, especially since there are virtually no mobs in Achaea that will attack adventurers unless the adventurers actually CHOOSE to go to dangerous places. But then again, I can see it must be balanced, for people would be pretty upset, I think, if vampires and goblins actually marched out of their dungeons and starting slaying innocent players.

But yes, I think the Vertani thing you're doing is pretty cool, especially since its forcing players, like you said, to think about their actions towards mobs and and to consider alliances with the villages. The new systems that have been added are nice too. The only other thing that I would worry about though is how many newbies were probably killed when the Vertani marched on Mhaldor and Ashtan...and it must have been frustrating also that totems and other player skills don't work on the Vertani(since they're mobs, technically)...but I think that if you want the Vertani to act as if they're real players then they should have the same vulnerabilities.

Avasyu 02-18-2005 09:34 PM

It would be a daunting task to code a reaction to every possible player skill in a game as complex as Achaea, with a bazillion skills and thousands of different combinations, mobs would either be too easy to kill, to hard to kill, and some poor innocent coder would be spending his entire life constantly tweaking every possible reaction a mob could have from a player attack, defense, movement, etc.

It is nearly impossible for the hardcore PvP players to keep up with player attacks, let alone coding a system that would make all the mobs in the game react in a beliveable way. Not to mention unique way, in order to keep 'bashing' unpredictable.

Personally I think it would totally rock, but in 'reality' coding anything beyond a basic system is a massive task.

Jaregarde 02-18-2005 11:25 PM

Yes, that's true...but I had been under the impression that many of them were being controlled by a real person when they were fighting...of course that can't be true for all of them since there are 400 or so...but it would be nice if at least totems would be effective against them because without them, the cities essentially have no working city defences against them.


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