December 1998
- Hex-grid mapping Matthew R. Sheahan
- Hex-grid mapping Jon Leonard
- Hex-grid mapping James Wilson
- Hex-grid mapping Jon Leonard
- Hex-grid mapping James Wilson
- Hex-grid mapping Par Winzell
- Hex-grid mapping quzah [sotfhome]
- Hex-grid mapping Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping Ling
- Hex-grid mapping Jon A. Lambert
- Hex-grid mapping Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping Alberto Barsella
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Pericolo DiMorte
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) quzah [sotfhome]
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Pericolo DiMorte
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) James Wilson
- ADMIN: Personalities... J C Lawrence
- Hex-grid mapping (fwd) Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping (fwd) J C Lawrence
- Electric Communities' E Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Electric Communities' E Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- mud client development systems greear@cyberhighway.net
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Benjamin D. Wiechel
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems J C Lawrence
- mud client development systems Per Vognsen
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Scatter
- mud client development systems Per Vognsen
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- mud client development systems Jon Leonard
- mud client development systems Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- Stack-Based NPC AI Eli Stevens {KiZurich}
- Stack-Based NPC AI Mark Gritter
- Stack-Based NPC AI Marc Hernandez
- Stack-Based NPC AI Richard Woolcock
- Stack-Based NPC AI Par Winzell
- Stack-Based NPC AI David Bennett
- Stack-Based NPC AI Mik Clarke
- Stack-Based NPC AI Felix A. Croes
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Introduction Adam J. Thornton
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Introduction ApplePiMan@aol.com
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Thought Treasure Adam Wiggins
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Nathan F Yospe
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Adam Wiggins
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) greear@cyberhighway.net
- Error tolerant UDP data streams J C Lawrence
- Error tolerant UDP data streams James Wilson
- Error tolerant UDP data streams J C Lawrence
- Error tolerant UDP data streams Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- ADMIN: (IMPORTNANT) Server down time and possible service interruption J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Error tolerant UDP data streams Darren Henderson
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) Benjamin D. Wiechel
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) Michael Willey
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Ling
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis S. Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc (long) Marian Griffith
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
> From: Emil Eifrem [mailto:emil@prophecy.lu]
> Sent: Friday, January 01, 1999 6:17 PM
> To: mud-dev@kanga.nu
> Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: MUD Design doc (long)
>
> In fact, in my experience, the amount of admin work increases
> exponentially
> to the growth of your player base. Hmmm.. that may even
> qualify as one of
> Raph's laws. "The amount of administrative work increases
> exponentially to
> the growth of your player base."
It is in there already; it's certainly something I believe & have
experienced personally. In UO we went to great lengths to minimize the
amount of direct admin precisely for this reason.
> I think player-driven rule
> enforcement may
> help flatten the curve. On the other hand, maybe it won't --
> it may only
> serve to redistribute the effort to the players, which in the
> end will give
> the problems to the admin staff anyway.
That would depend on whether or not there is a means of recourse to the
admins for the given issue which players are dealing with. I always cite
the classic PK switch as an example of something that scales poorly;
it's generally easily circumvented, and since it is a "rule imposed from
on high" there is a clear path of recourse to the admins. When it is
circumvented, they can legitimately call an admin and say "hey, this guy
cheated." Thus admin overhead rises.
If, however, you have a player-driven system that does not have that
smell of "rule imposed from on high" then they may not feel there is
anyone TO complain to. In which case your admin cost is nil. An example
would be a player-enforced rule on not killing in town. If there is no
admin-provided rule against it, and no code to prevent attacks in town,
but players are rewarded for executing offenders, then when someone gets
away with it, no admin call is generated.
The drawback: you need to monitor the situations in the game to make
sure that the lack of admin-imposed rule is not proving damaging to your
playerbase. In the above example, the danger would be that players not
enforce it sufficiently. You won't get admin calls, but you also might
not have a safe enough town.
> >Yes. Its not necessarily a problem with untimed combat. One of my
> >pet criteria is that any game which can be usefully automated has
> >demonstrated the failure of its design.
Looking at what parts of your game players tend to automate is a great
way to judge which parts of your game are tedious.
> That counts out most of today's muds. Mine certainly. I am
> positive that
> all muds I've played can be successfully automated, at least
> to a certain
> extent. Wasn't there a Raph-law about that? Something like, "whatever
> design decision you do, people *will* find ways to automate
> playing." I'll
> have to look that up.
Eep, how many times are these laws gonna get cited? :)
Yes, it was a law. However, I think it's also a good goal to try to make
it impossible. A good design path might be "make it so that everything
automatable has drawbacks to doing it automatically". In UO a partially
successful method that tackled this problem was in the skill usage
system.
If you have read the original LegendMUD skill trees FAQ, it describes a
skill system whereby you can improve skills by merely using them, and it
includes an "autobalancer" mechanism, whereby the number of usages of a
skill mudwide is tracked in order to arrive at advancement rates for
each skill (each skill's advancement rate is figured off of a ratio of
usages of that skill to total skill tests in the mud). This is so that
skills used more frequently than others have correspondingly slower
advancement rates. It has the nice side effect that automating or
macroing a skill will not provide the dramatically faster advancement
that it could otherwise, since macroing tends to drive up the
URL: ftp://mud.sig.net/pub/Docs/skfaq.txt
You may notice some similarities to UO's system (as one would expect).
However, UO has a few key problems: one, there is no initial expenditure
of accrued points to begin practicing a skill (you can just start
practicing anytime) and two, there is no skill tree in place (although
there are skill-web-like dependencies), so players can move immediately
to practicing the skills perceived as most useful. Lastly, some skills
lend themselves more to automation than others (informational skills are
a good example: doing armslore on an item over and over costs you
basically nothing), and there are also good reasons (because of other
factors in the advancement system) to macro these sorts of skills.
Adding some fairly simple base modifiers to this, such as only tallying
one "usage" for say, five minutes of actual usage, would preserve the
system and reduce the effects of this odd stuff.
Also, I just need to get skill trees into UO. :P
-Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Sunny Gulati
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Benjamin D. Wiechel
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Hex grids. quzah [softhome]
- small dev-mud invite Chris Gray
- small dev-mud invite J C Lawrence
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Jay Carlson
- mud client development systems J C Lawrence
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Jon Leonard
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Mik Clarke
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Alex Oren
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Dan Shiovitz
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Mik Clarke
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Greg Connor
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- Graphic design, client questions Thinus Barnard
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions Jo Dillon
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions Jo Dillon
- Graphic design, client questions Thinus Barnard
- Graphic design, client questions Sunny Gulati
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions Jay Carlson
- Graphic design, client questions Ben Greear
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-to-Peer Koster, Raph
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-to-Peer Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-t o-Peer Koster, Raph
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-t o-Peer J C Lawrence
- More Laws Niklas Elmqvist
- More Laws J C Lawrence
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Michael Willey
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Sunny Gulati
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) quzah [softhome]
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) David Bennett
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) quzah [softhome]
- Some useful links Niklas Elmqvist
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) Chris Gray
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) J C Lawrence
- example custom protocol and its uses Chris Gray
- client stuff... Andrew Wilson
- Developing a MUD for the first time? Alex Oren
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module T. Alexander Popiel
- [DevMUD] Database module Jay Carlson
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module Felix A. Croes
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- [RRE]AAAI 1999 Fall Symposium: Narrative Intelligence Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- (fwd) DESIGN: Proposed topic of Discussion (Injecting Pure Signal) J C Lawrence
- Terragen Vadim Tkachenko
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Bobby Bailey
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Robin Carey
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Bobby Bailey
- META: 1998 Topic Summary Jon A. Lambert
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.02a Bobby Bailey
- ADMIN: New text formatting rule for MUD-Dev J C Lawrence
- More Laws Jon A. Lambert
- More Laws Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc - Combat Jon A. Lambert
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat cynbe@muq.org
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat quzah [softhome]
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat quzah [softhome]
- MUD Design doc - Combat Dr. Cat
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat James Wilson
- MUD Design doc - Combat Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc - Combat James Wilson
- MUD Design doc - Combat Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc - Combat diablo@best.com
- MUD Design doc - Combat Kristen Koster
- MUD Design doc - Combat Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc - Combat Scatter
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Kristen Koster
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Till Eulenspiegel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Travis Casey
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Ling
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Till Eulenspiegel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Justin Robinson
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Alex Oren
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Matt Wallace
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Holly Sommer
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Matt Wallace
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. D. B. Brown
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Vladimir Prelovac
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Nathan F Yospe
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Jon A. Lambert
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Travis S. Casey
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Petri Virkkula