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Jherlen · 01-07-2004, 04:23 AM

Interesting remarks about your skill system ideas, Mierza - the crafting system I had in mind for my own game was designed to work in much the same way. For other skills, though, I'm requiring a basic prerequisite knowledge: if I have no clue how to fight with a sword, I won't be able to parry someone else's attacks with one, much less do something like counter his blows. Mages just learning basic spells would have no hope of successfully casting something more advanced.

Conversely, someone who's already skilled in a certain type of magic will have better luck learning magic in general than someone who's new to magic completely. Someone who's already mastered the use of three weapons will have an easier learning curve picking up a fourth.

About permadeath - though I don't see how its related to the classless/class based question, I still think it's a good thing to have on a MUD, for most of the reasons already mentioned. Systems which have no consequences for dying lose their sense of reality (and maybe that's the connection to the class vs classless debate, because I don't see class systems as realistic either) and lose the sense of danger and tension while playing.

It all comes down to what you want to do, once again. A class based system lends itself more easily to hack and slash "action" type muds geared towards the Bartle killers and achievers, and probably isn't the best place to have permadeath. A classless system will find more friends in the explorer/socializer crowd, which also seems to be more friendly to permadeath systems.

Permadeath is a good topic for another post, though - someone should create it if they like.

01-07-2004, 04:23 AM	#55
Jherlen Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 47	Interesting remarks about your skill system ideas, Mierza - the crafting system I had in mind for my own game was designed to work in much the same way. For other skills, though, I'm requiring a basic prerequisite knowledge: if I have no clue how to fight with a sword, I won't be able to parry someone else's attacks with one, much less do something like counter his blows. Mages just learning basic spells would have no hope of successfully casting something more advanced. Conversely, someone who's already skilled in a certain type of magic will have better luck learning magic in general than someone who's new to magic completely. Someone who's already mastered the use of three weapons will have an easier learning curve picking up a fourth. About permadeath - though I don't see how its related to the classless/class based question, I still think it's a good thing to have on a MUD, for most of the reasons already mentioned. Systems which have no consequences for dying lose their sense of reality (and maybe that's the connection to the class vs classless debate, because I don't see class systems as realistic either) and lose the sense of danger and tension while playing. It all comes down to what you want to do, once again. A class based system lends itself more easily to hack and slash "action" type muds geared towards the Bartle killers and achievers, and probably isn't the best place to have permadeath. A classless system will find more friends in the explorer/socializer crowd, which also seems to be more friendly to permadeath systems. Permadeath is a good topic for another post, though - someone should create it if they like.