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KaVir · 04-23-2012, 06:29 PM

When I talk about non-repeatable, I mean per character. I'm certainly not proposing that only one player can ever complete each piece of content.

Fair enough, but I never suggested everyone should impose such conditions, I was only disagreeing with the claim that "it's not really possible to entirely eliminate botting".

Once again, I'm not saying that such a solution is appropriate for every mud. All I'm saying is that certain design decisions make it possible to greatly reduce or even eliminate botting. The fact that you personally don't want to implement such solutions doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not it's possible.

If I claimed that mudding on an iPhone wasn't viable, I'm sure you'd disagree. If I pointed out that I had no interest in making my own mud accessable to iPhone clients, that would be fair enough, but it wouldn't have any bearing on the fact that certain design decisions can make it viable to play muds on an iPhone.

Every mud developer has their own goals, and each design decision has its pros and cons. Most problems have solutions, and they're no less valid just because some people don't want to implement them.

I'm using the common definition of character advancement - progression, leveling, learning, improving, whatever you want to call it. By "end-game" I'm referring to activities you perform once you've advanced as far as possible.

As I already said, I don't feel that non-repeatable end-game content is necessary; "If players decide to bot the end-game content, and it doesn't give them any advantage over the other players, then does it really matter?"

Neither do you have to reward them every time they go back to the same place or repeat the same activity. By "non-repeatable" I'm referring to rewards, not actions; it doesn't matter if you kill the goblin king a million times if you only earn exp the first time you do it.

I've not had a problem with players hating me because of diminishing returns. But yes, that solution only reduces botting, it doesn't eliminate it. I consider it a reasonable compromise, but it doesn't answer the question I was responding to.

That's a matter of preference, and it's also sidestepping the actual question of whether or not botting can be eliminated.

04-23-2012, 06:29 PM	#28
KaVir Legend Join Date: Apr 2002 Name: Richard Home MUD: God Wars II Posts: 2,052	Re: Botting - why? When I talk about non-repeatable, I mean per character. I'm certainly not proposing that only one player can ever complete each piece of content. Fair enough, but I never suggested everyone should impose such conditions, I was only disagreeing with the claim that "it's not really possible to entirely eliminate botting". Once again, I'm not saying that such a solution is appropriate for every mud. All I'm saying is that certain design decisions make it possible to greatly reduce or even eliminate botting. The fact that you personally don't want to implement such solutions doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not it's possible. If I claimed that mudding on an iPhone wasn't viable, I'm sure you'd disagree. If I pointed out that I had no interest in making my own mud accessable to iPhone clients, that would be fair enough, but it wouldn't have any bearing on the fact that certain design decisions can make it viable to play muds on an iPhone. Every mud developer has their own goals, and each design decision has its pros and cons. Most problems have solutions, and they're no less valid just because some people don't want to implement them. I'm using the common definition of character advancement - progression, leveling, learning, improving, whatever you want to call it. By "end-game" I'm referring to activities you perform once you've advanced as far as possible. As I already said, I don't feel that non-repeatable end-game content is necessary; "If players decide to bot the end-game content, and it doesn't give them any advantage over the other players, then does it really matter?" Neither do you have to reward them every time they go back to the same place or repeat the same activity. By "non-repeatable" I'm referring to rewards, not actions; it doesn't matter if you kill the goblin king a million times if you only earn exp the first time you do it. I've not had a problem with players hating me because of diminishing returns. But yes, that solution only reduces botting, it doesn't eliminate it. I consider it a reasonable compromise, but it doesn't answer the question I was responding to. That's a matter of preference, and it's also sidestepping the actual question of whether or not botting can be eliminated.