Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

Lanthum · 06-24-2003, 02:04 PM

I'm not sure I see this as a solution to the whole problem though.

First - this could be abused by anyone who is "tired" of their old character. Don't want to play Bubba the Barbarian, just kill him off and start up Reggie the Ranger. And since all of us game designers know game balance is very hard to attain - imagine a problem in design where certain levels are easier for different classes because of skills and spells. Any Industrious player with a brain will abuse it by "changing" his class at the "required" level to be able to level faster. I know we could code in "safeties" for this ... but it's the principle that lacks I believe.

Second - I don't really think that type of system addresses the issue of permadeath vs. "resurrection" anyways. Permadeath offers finality in it's most extreme. The character is done. The there is no undoing it. The time you spent on him/her/it, while not "lost" perse (based on what you learned and the fun you gained while playing), is over. This character can never be used again. Allowing players to "recreate" based on their last character's level and exp while an inconvenience, doesn't really offer the "loss" that permadeath does. I think the one post in this thread hit it spot on - permadeath "forces" you to care more about the character than any sort of resurrection system.

Now I agree - that spells and a deity system where resurrection CAN happen, but is not guaranteed, is the best. This is what I am coding into my Mud. This allows for a higher caliber of Roleplaying, AND offers a system where dying isn't just an inconvenience.

One last point (in this long ramble), I think it is important to note, that no one system is better than the others. I feel it comes down to which type of player do you want to attrach. "You can't please all the people all the time. But you can please some people most of the time." Which 'people' do you want to please most of the time?

06-24-2003, 02:04 PM	#18
Lanthum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Suburbs of Chicago Posts: 138	I'm not sure I see this as a solution to the whole problem though. First - this could be abused by anyone who is "tired" of their old character. Don't want to play Bubba the Barbarian, just kill him off and start up Reggie the Ranger. And since all of us game designers know game balance is very hard to attain - imagine a problem in design where certain levels are easier for different classes because of skills and spells. Any Industrious player with a brain will abuse it by "changing" his class at the "required" level to be able to level faster. I know we could code in "safeties" for this ... but it's the principle that lacks I believe. Second - I don't really think that type of system addresses the issue of permadeath vs. "resurrection" anyways. Permadeath offers finality in it's most extreme. The character is done. The there is no undoing it. The time you spent on him/her/it, while not "lost" perse (based on what you learned and the fun you gained while playing), is over. This character can never be used again. Allowing players to "recreate" based on their last character's level and exp while an inconvenience, doesn't really offer the "loss" that permadeath does. I think the one post in this thread hit it spot on - permadeath "forces" you to care more about the character than any sort of resurrection system. Now I agree - that spells and a deity system where resurrection CAN happen, but is not guaranteed, is the best. This is what I am coding into my Mud. This allows for a higher caliber of Roleplaying, AND offers a system where dying isn't just an inconvenience. One last point (in this long ramble), I think it is important to note, that no one system is better than the others. I feel it comes down to which type of player do you want to attrach. "You can't please all the people all the time. But you can please some people most of the time." Which 'people' do you want to please most of the time?