September 1997
- META: Archive report coder@ibm.net
- Virtual World Theory Jon A. Lambert
- Virtual World Theory Jeff Kesselman
- Virtual World Theory Jon A. Lambert
- Virtual World Theory Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Virtual World Theory Nathan Yospe
- Virtual World Theory Jeff Kesselman
- Virtual World Theory Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Psychology, psychiatry, and other such coder@ibm.net
- Psychology, psychiatry, and other such Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- OT: Attributions Shawn Halpenny
- OT: Attributions Jeff Kesselman
- OT: Attributions Chris Gray
- OT: Attributions S001GMU@nova.wright.edu
- GURPS v Hero v RuneQuest clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- combat and hit points clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects S001GMU@nova.wright.edu
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Travis Casey
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Shawn Halpenny
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Miroslav Silovic
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects S001GMU@nova.wright.edu
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Miroslav Silovic
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects Chris Gray
- Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects S001GMU@nova.wright.edu
- Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.. [was AI and NPCs] Matt Chatterley
- Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.. [was AI and NPCs] Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.. [was AI and NPCs] Matt Chatterley
- Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting.. [was AI and NPCs] Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Everybody was African fighting.. Jeff Kesselman
- MUD Design Fundamentals (Was: Looking for clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Critical Hits clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Critical Hits Jeff Kesselman
- MAGE 2 MAGE Spell System clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- MAGE 2 MAGE Spell System Travis Casey
- ramblings on resets and other random things Travis Casey
- ramblings on resets and other random things Adam Wiggins
- Porn threads clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Porn threads Jeff Kesselman
- Porn threads Nathan Yospe
- Invitation to mudlist, a mailinglist for concepts in mud design Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Mud Games Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Marian Griffith
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world ##Make Nylander
- Affecting the world Miroslav Silovic
- Affecting the world Maddy
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Marian Griffith
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world Nathan Yospe
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Affecting the world Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Affecting the world clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world Adam Wiggins
- Affecting the world Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Affecting the world clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Affecting the world Matt Chatterley
- Affecting the world clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Affecting the world Marian Griffith
- Affecting the world clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Affecting the world Chris Gray
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Chris Gray
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- Affecting the world Marian Griffith
- Affecting the world Derrick Jones
- Affecting the world coder@ibm.net
- Affecting the world Jon A. Lambert
- MUD Development Digest Matthew R. Sheahan
- NPC AI and Learning. Michael Hohensee
- NPC AI and Learning. Travis S. Casey
- NPC AI and Learning. Michael Hohensee
- NPC AI and Learning. Alex Oren
- Getting players to cooperate (was Modeling spells/skills as collections of affects) Maddy
- Problems with admin thru consensus (long) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Problems with admin thru consensus (long) Jon A. Lambert
- Mud Games (fwd) Make Nylander
- Resource management Felix A. Croes
- Resource management clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Marian Griffith
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Adam Wiggins
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Nathan Yospe
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Chris Gray
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Jon A. Lambert
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Matt Chatterley
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Marian Griffith
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Matt Chatterley
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Maddy
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Jon A. Lambert
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Marian Griffith
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- PK again (was: Character evolution) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Adam Wiggins
- PK again (was: Character evolution) Jon A. Lambert
- (subject missing) HALE2 Root
- (subject missing) HALE2 Root
- (subject missing) HALE2 Root
- (subject missing) HALE2 Root
- (subject missing) HALE2 Root
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Maddy
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Miroslav Silovic
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Miroslav Silovic
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Nathan Yospe
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to coder@ibm.net
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Maddy
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be playing, anyway? ##Make Nylander
- Something complete different Marian Griffith
- Something complete different Brandon J. Rickman
- Something complete different Marian Griffith
- Something complete different Brandon J. Rickman
- Something complete different Marian Griffith
- Something complete different Brandon J. Rickman
- Something complete different Matt Chatterley
- Something complete different Jon A. Lambert
- Something complete different clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Something complete different Travis S. Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Nathan Yospe
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Maddy
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Todd Lair
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Nathan Yospe
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Shawn Halpenny
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Maddy
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Brandon J. Rickman
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Brandon J. Rickman
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Michael Hohensee
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Miroslav Silovic
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo coder@ibm.net
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Maddy
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo Travis Casey
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Michael Hohensee
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Marian Griffith
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Adam Wiggins
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Marian Griffith
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Adam Wiggins
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Jon A. Lambert
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Marian Griffith
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Marian Griffith
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Marian Griffith
- games gender bias (Affecting the world) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Travis Casey
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Travis Casey
- Usability and interface Alex Oren
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Dan Shiovitz
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Nathan Yospe
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Broly
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Shawn Halpenny
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Shawn Halpenny
- Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface Koster, Raph
- Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface Chris Gray
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface Travis Casey
- Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface Broly
- Usability and interface Nathan Yospe
- Usability and interface Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface Broly
- Usability and interface Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface Broly
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Broly
- Usability and interface coder@ibm.net
- Usability and interface Jon Leonard
- Usability and interface Chris Gray
- Usability and interface Todd Lair
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Maddy
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface Koster, Raph
- Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface Chris Gray
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Chris Gray
- Types of game Matt Chatterley
- Types of game Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Types of game Koster, Raph
- Types of game Marian Griffith
- Types of game Matt Chatterley
- Types of game Adam Wiggins
- Types of game Travis Casey
- Types of game Travis Casey
- Types of game Marian Griffith
- Types of game coder@ibm.net
- Types of game Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Types of game clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Nathan Yospe
- To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Adam Wiggins
- META: To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) coder@ibm.net
- (fwd) Avios 1.2.0 clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be Maddy
- META: To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- META: To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- META: To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- META: To flame or not to flame (was: Usability and ...) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Koster, Raph
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Chris Gray
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Miroslav Silovic
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Broly
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Adam Wiggins
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- (fwd) Key, new server code in Java coder@ibm.net
- A place of my own Jon A. Lambert
- A place of my own Shawn Halpenny
- A place of my own Maddy
- A place of my own clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- A place of my own Koster, Raph
- A place of my own Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- A place of my own Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- A place of my own Marian Griffith
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- OT: Usability and interface Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Usability and interface clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Brandon J. Rickman
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Brandon J. Rickman
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Matt Chatterley
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Matt Chatterley
- more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Marian Griffith
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brian Price
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Travis Casey
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Adam Wiggins
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brian Price
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Travis Casey
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Shawn Halpenny
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Adam Wiggins
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Shawn Halpenny
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Adam Wiggins
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Travis Casey
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Broly
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques coder@ibm.net
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Marian Griffith
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brian Price
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Travis Casey
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Adam Wiggins
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brian Price
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brandon J. Rickman
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brandon J. Rickman
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Travis Casey
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Brian Price
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Maddy
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques Maddy
- UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques coder@ibm.net
- UI Issues: Dealing with Lag Brian Price
- UI Issues: Dealing with Lag clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Michael Hohensee
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Shawn Halpenny
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to Michael Hohensee
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be playing Shawn Halpenny
- Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be Maddy
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface and Maddy
- War and language (Was: Usability and interface and who Matt Chatterley
- Focus (Was: Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo) Matt Chatterley
- Usability and interface and who the hell is suppon Adam Wiggins
- Balance of Character Power Jon A. Lambert
- Balance of Character Power clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Balance of Character Power Travis Casey
- Balance of Character Power Shawn Halpenny
- What to do with the first summary? Marian Griffith
- NPC AI Brian Price
- Reusable plots for quests Brian Price
- Reusable plots for quests clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Reusable plots for quests Brian Price
- Reusable plots for quests Travis Casey
- Reusable plots for quests Brian Price
- Reusable plots for quests Travis Casey
- Reusable plots for quests Brandon J. Rickman
- Reusable plots for quests Travis Casey
- Reusable plots for quests Adam Wiggins
- Reusable plots for quests coder@ibm.net
- Reusable plots for quests Travis S. Casey
- Reusable plots for quests coder@ibm.net
- Reusable plots for quests Adam Wiggins
- Reusable plots for quests coder@ibm.net
- Reusable plots for quests Travis S. Casey
On Sat, 25 Oct 1997 coder@ibm.net wrote:
> On 24/10/97 at 08:44 PM, "Travis S. Casey" <efindel@io.com> said: >On Thu,
> >Most games aren't going to allow the
> >players to change the "laws of nature" of the setting, and I'd definitely
> >say that they *shouldn't* allow the players to do that.
>
> Agreed, the examples I gave were overly extreme. However, going back to
> the Rebel Alliance, the problem remains of what happens to the game when
> the Empire or Rebels are utterly defeated? The game must change, and that
> requires redefining the problem which the game players are attempting to
> solve (ie the goal in in the mesh of goals, barriers and freedoms that
> define any game). One approach is to make a cyclic goal series:
>
> Rebel vs Empire -> One wins -> Fight for control of winner -> One wins ->
> Rebels vs Winnder -> Repeat.
That's possible. Another possibility is for someone/something to choose
a new "goal" for the game -- preferably something that will seem to
naturally arise from the changed circumstances that result from the
achievement of the old goal.
A third, but IMHO less satisfying, possibility is to "fast forward" the
game universe. By this, I mean moving the game universe forward to a
time when there is another interesting goal to be achieved. Naturally,
this will mean that player's characters will have to be changed -- they'll
either be older or be dead.
This third way is basically the same as the second, but it has the
advantage of allowing the mud's admins to choose their new story with
more freedom. The disadvantage is in the required changes to the
characters. While many paper gamers will happily go along with this
sort of thing, I have a feeling that far fewer mudders would.
> >The game will definitely change over time, but the parameters within
> >which that change can be made don't have to be infinitely broad.
>
> True, but even minor changes can have large side effects. Consider what
> really happens to any world and its culture when the base currency of that
> world is devalued? Take your standard fantasy game with its rationed
> prices based on gold and silver, and suddenly dump several hundred tonnes
> of gold in there from a few dragon hoards, or a super-lucky alchemist who
> finally did make gold out of lead,
>
> I've been throwing massive change tokens in here deliberately as they are
> much easier to manipulate in a discussion than more minor stuff with its
> more measily and indeterminate side effects.
To use an overused phrase, it's all in how you look at things. To me,
coming from a paper RPG background, a role-playing game is something that
requires constant involvement from the game master. Thus, I don't have
a problem with having to change things to take into account unexpected
side effects of player actions. I'm not saying that you do have a problem
with it, but I think there's some difference in perspective -- to me the
effects you're talking about seem more like features than problems. :-)
> >That's what I meant by not having a steady state -- not that *nothing*
> >should be constant, but that the players should be able to do things
> >which have lasting effects. (In contrast to most muds today, where
> >almost nothing that players do has a lasting effect.)
>
> Capiche. What this really results in hwoever are cahnges in detail, not
> real changes in game-state.
That's up to the creators of the game, really. Changes in detail are the
easiest to allow and handle, but I have no problem with allowing changes
in game state, with the realization that this means the game admins will
have to be constantly involved with "tuning" the game. Even there,
however, you still have choices as to the level of change that the
characters can make -- to put it in terms of our SW example, you don't
have to let the Rebellion succeed until and unless you're ready.
> The other problem here, is that you have created a system with sufficient
> fluidity that it is going to require continuous admin maintenance,
> tweaking and cajoling, to keep the thing working. You are going to have
> to have a continupus feed of Admins who are very literally married to the
> game.
To extend the marriage point, the key is to find the right game. I
wouldn't want to do this kind of maintenance on a game based on a book
or movie -- as you say, you're bound to wander away from the theme of
the original. I'd rather create my own setting, and see the process as
a cooperative storytelling between the players and the admins. The
admins supply potential themes, and the players choose which ones to pick
up and develop.
> >There's no reason we major theme of a mud couldn't change over time. In
> >the case of our example, once the Empire is defeated, the rebels still
> >have to try to put together a government, deal with any other forces that
> >try to step into the power vacuum left, and possibly perform "mopping-up"
> >actions against any organized pockets of resistance that might be left.
>
> Yup, but this is an entirely different game really. It also requires the
> game and the plaeyrs to constantly re-invent the game as it progresses, as
> the base fundaments of the game will be changing over time. This is not a
> Bad Thing, its just very expensivce in time and Admins. The really really
> nice aspects of this, are that game history suddenly starts having real
> import. Who what where and when within the game world is now of actual and
> real importance as these are player made and driven changes, with lessons
> to be learned and used again in the curent state.
Yep. That's what I'd really like -- the same sort of effect that you get
in a long running paper RPG campaign, but able to do it in less time
because of having more people involved.
Of course, this kind of thing isn't for everyone -- the level of
involvement required is huge. For me, it's more of a dream than anything
else now -- during the time that I had enough free time to really be able
to run something like this, I didn't have the expertise to do it. If I
ever win the lottery, though, expect to see a kick-ass mud come up a year
or so after that. :-)
--
|\ _,,,---,,_ Travis S. Casey <efindel@io.com>
ZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ No one agrees with me. Not even me.
|,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' Keeper of the rec.games.design FAQ:
'---''(_/--' `-'\_) http://www.io.com/~efindel/design.html - Reusable plots for quests coder@ibm.net
- Reusable plots for quests Derrick Jones
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface and Maddy
- Stranger in a Strange Land Adam Wiggins
- Stranger in a Strange Land clawrenc@cup.hp.com
- Stranger in a Strange Land Adam Wiggins
- Stranger in a Strange Land coder@ibm.net
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Adam Wiggins
- Dupes coder@ibm.net
- Stranger in a Strange Land (was Usability and interface Ola Fosheim Grøstad