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Sanvean · 10-17-2003, 08:32 PM

I tend to prefer areas that are detailed, because I think they are part of the overall story, and tell the player something as well as providing atmosphere. There's a lot of good writing that I feel is part of our game's experience. We tend to put the most detail in places that people use a lot: the Main Bazaar in Allanak, the Trader's Inn and other bars, busy streets, etc.

I'll throw out some things that we've used to add more details to the world, in the hopes that they might spark ideas for other people:

Individual tracking messages, as well as specialized items "skinned" from mobs, which can be set by race, or by npc. Mount animations as well as the ability to give your mount a name to distinguish it from all the other mottled purplish kanks in the world

Animation echoes that go off randomly - generally I try to err on the side of too slow rather than
too fast on these, because spammy, repetitive mob progs are one of my pet peeves. Some busy rooms have these as well as a few less habited places.

Weather messages and equipment status changing as a result - getting sweaty or dusty from travel, bloody from combat, etc.

Molly includes about a bajillion good ideas - we added various taste/scent/eat messages to Arm and they're fun. Players have enjoyed supplying a lot of them. We also began using dawn/dusk/assorted time checks to echo something to the room

We added a lot of sectors and the objects for which you can search on them vary according to the type of sector: one set for heavy forest, another for silt shallows. You can forage for roots/stones/salt/artifacts. Sector can also affect messages/effects from magick spells, travel messages. etc.

Scripts, scripts and more scripts for items and npcs, including things like:
being able to break bottles and turn them into weapons
being able to battle to be the Giant's Fist Champion of Allanak
the ability to seal a scroll with a signet ring
ability to have pepper-eating contests
npcs that walk regular patrols
Scripts can be written and tested by any staff member and we include web utilities for uploading/downloading them, which encourages people to do a lot of these. I have seen some just plain amazing scripts since we added the javascript capability.

Tattoos and scars that can be gained through the course of play and which can be set on individual NPCs, as well as a talk program that allows builders to set npcs to respond to keywords.

examples of animated npcs:
a snake charmer who dances with her snakes, which are objects that are referenced by her emotes and says
various dancers and jugglers throughout the game
npcs who react to specific events

We are roleplay required - so for most of the players, roleplay comes first and foremost, - they want that atmosphere, that richness of detail, that helps them live the story - it's a vital part for them.

10-17-2003, 08:32 PM	#24
Sanvean Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 99	I tend to prefer areas that are detailed, because I think they are part of the overall story, and tell the player something as well as providing atmosphere. There's a lot of good writing that I feel is part of our game's experience. We tend to put the most detail in places that people use a lot: the Main Bazaar in Allanak, the Trader's Inn and other bars, busy streets, etc. I'll throw out some things that we've used to add more details to the world, in the hopes that they might spark ideas for other people: Individual tracking messages, as well as specialized items "skinned" from mobs, which can be set by race, or by npc. Mount animations as well as the ability to give your mount a name to distinguish it from all the other mottled purplish kanks in the world Animation echoes that go off randomly - generally I try to err on the side of too slow rather than too fast on these, because spammy, repetitive mob progs are one of my pet peeves. Some busy rooms have these as well as a few less habited places. Weather messages and equipment status changing as a result - getting sweaty or dusty from travel, bloody from combat, etc. Molly includes about a bajillion good ideas - we added various taste/scent/eat messages to Arm and they're fun. Players have enjoyed supplying a lot of them. We also began using dawn/dusk/assorted time checks to echo something to the room We added a lot of sectors and the objects for which you can search on them vary according to the type of sector: one set for heavy forest, another for silt shallows. You can forage for roots/stones/salt/artifacts. Sector can also affect messages/effects from magick spells, travel messages. etc. Scripts, scripts and more scripts for items and npcs, including things like: being able to break bottles and turn them into weapons being able to battle to be the Giant's Fist Champion of Allanak the ability to seal a scroll with a signet ring ability to have pepper-eating contests npcs that walk regular patrols Scripts can be written and tested by any staff member and we include web utilities for uploading/downloading them, which encourages people to do a lot of these. I have seen some just plain amazing scripts since we added the javascript capability. Tattoos and scars that can be gained through the course of play and which can be set on individual NPCs, as well as a talk program that allows builders to set npcs to respond to keywords. examples of animated npcs: a snake charmer who dances with her snakes, which are objects that are referenced by her emotes and says various dancers and jugglers throughout the game npcs who react to specific events We are roleplay required - so for most of the players, roleplay comes first and foremost, - they want that atmosphere, that richness of detail, that helps them live the story - it's a vital part for them.