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Phelan · 10-19-2011, 05:47 PM

Okay, I'll try to clarify a few points, including why I tried MUDs to find what I'm looking for.

Yes, I know that some vertical advancement is practically necessary. (And, sorry to say, but that eliminates ConQUEST for me - that rearragement system feels too much like an endgame thing where you can't advance anymore in one major area) But, judging from the relatively high popularity of games like EVE Online and Shadowrun, it doesn't have to be a steep powercurve, it can be enough if you only get some 20-40% better, and maybe another 10-20% with a LOT of efford/time/focus. Those games are usually a good bit more complex and don't cater to the instant gratification seekers, but there obviously are still enough players out there who haven't fallen for that or have outgrown it. Possibly for the reason dentin hinted at - if a game's main attraction is the vertical advancement of "kill A so you'll get better and kill B, then kill B so you'll get better and kill C", you'll sooner or later end up at Z, and you'll be done because your main attraction has come to an end.

I'd love to find something even remotely similar to what I'm looking for in 'other areas of life', but the only options are pen-and-paper RP (not a valid option anymore for me sadly) and some form of computer game.
So, going with the latter, I searched and stumbled over several posts in forums about the same ideas, so I know that I'm not the only one. Most posts were about MMO(RP)Gs, and I can fully understand the financial pressure to pull as big a playerbase as possible, meaning exactly all those instant gratification seekers that are fine with grinding away to advance one more level or find that one weapon that'll give them another 5% advantage. Small chance to find a game that costs at least several million and might very well only find a tiny playerbase. That's why I tried MU*es - there are dozens with just some 10-30 regular players and a level of detail that suggests it would just require a slight shift in the focus of the efford to put together a system I'm looking for.
(Oh, and though I've been programming for over a decade now, I know that I'm not one to put together anything like a MUD on my own or as 'project leader', I would at most help out another group with little tasks)

10-19-2011, 05:47 PM	#19
Phelan New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9	Re: LF MUD with 'broadened' powercurve Okay, I'll try to clarify a few points, including why I tried MUDs to find what I'm looking for. Yes, I know that some vertical advancement is practically necessary. (And, sorry to say, but that eliminates ConQUEST for me - that rearragement system feels too much like an endgame thing where you can't advance anymore in one major area) But, judging from the relatively high popularity of games like EVE Online and Shadowrun, it doesn't have to be a steep powercurve, it can be enough if you only get some 20-40% better, and maybe another 10-20% with a LOT of efford/time/focus. Those games are usually a good bit more complex and don't cater to the instant gratification seekers, but there obviously are still enough players out there who haven't fallen for that or have outgrown it. Possibly for the reason dentin hinted at - if a game's main attraction is the vertical advancement of "kill A so you'll get better and kill B, then kill B so you'll get better and kill C", you'll sooner or later end up at Z, and you'll be done because your main attraction has come to an end. I'd love to find something even remotely similar to what I'm looking for in 'other areas of life', but the only options are pen-and-paper RP (not a valid option anymore for me sadly) and some form of computer game. So, going with the latter, I searched and stumbled over several posts in forums about the same ideas, so I know that I'm not the only one. Most posts were about MMO(RP)Gs, and I can fully understand the financial pressure to pull as big a playerbase as possible, meaning exactly all those instant gratification seekers that are fine with grinding away to advance one more level or find that one weapon that'll give them another 5% advantage. Small chance to find a game that costs at least several million and might very well only find a tiny playerbase. That's why I tried MU*es - there are dozens with just some 10-30 regular players and a level of detail that suggests it would just require a slight shift in the focus of the efford to put together a system I'm looking for. (Oh, and though I've been programming for over a decade now, I know that I'm not one to put together anything like a MUD on my own or as 'project leader', I would at most help out another group with little tasks)