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<H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: "Damion Schubert" <<A HREF="mailto:zjiria#texas,net">zjiria#texas,net</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 21:32:36 -0500</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<PRE>
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael.Willey#abnamro,com <Michael.Willey#abnamro,com>
> Why show that information to the players at all?
>
> Theoretically, the point of a 'reputation system' is to
>simulate people acquiring a reputation from the news and
>rumors spread about their actions, right? It makes sense to
>track information regarding their actions somehow in order to
>simulate reactions from NPC characters, but why do players
>need that crutch? Unlike NPCs, they have the ability to
>listen to the rumor mill and make up their own opinions.
This depends a lot on the scope of the game, I suppose.
Meridian 59 vacillates between 60-100 people, and as a
result, if someone starts ripping people off or going on a
murderous rampage, everyone is likely to know very quickly.
However, despite this, players demanded (and we ended
up putting in) a system where you could tell at a glance
whether or not someone was a murderer, an outlaw (any
non-lethal PvP activity), or a law-abiding citizen.
Ultima Online has a larger problem. Since they can have
anywhere from 1000-3000 people online at a time, it's
impossible to keep track of the amount of data flowing
about people ripping other people off. Sure, an 8 hour a
day addict can keep track, but the casual gamer will be
only frustrated. The new reputation system is in on UO
largely because the players have demanded it.
So then we get to having NPCs hand out the information.
The largest problem with this is that there is a certain
class of people who need to be able to get the information
about someone as soon as that person appears on the
screen: newbies. It's quite one thing to say that a newbie
should watch for red names above people's heads. It's
another to tell a newbie to ask an innkeeper about the
legal status of every person who walks across his screen.
Making NPCs aware of PC nefariousness does add to
the realism, and may be worth putting in because it makes
NPCs revolve a bit around the PCs, which is useful. But if
you buy Dr. Cat's argument that "attention is the currency
of the future" (a good argument, i'd add), then you're giving
your murderers and outlaws marquee status inside the game's
framework.
> You may argue that Bernie, at the least, needs to see
>those numbers. I would say that Bernie is the *last* person
>who needs them. He knows what he's been up to lately, and
>can decide for himself whether his actions will have
>consequences.
One would think. =) But one of the things that I've found after
coding several intricate, complicated reputation systems is
that there is usually several really boneheaded ways to
accidentally become an outlaw. If you can kill outlaws with
less punishment (as you can in both Meridian and UO), then
knowing if you've tripped one of these boneheaded ways by
accident becomes very, very, very important. So again,
I'd favor sacrificing realism for playability.
--damion
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00354" HREF="msg00354.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Nathan F Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Sat 25 Jul 1998, 09:22 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00360" HREF="msg00360.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Damion Schubert <a href="mailto:zjiria#texas,net">zjiria#texas,net</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 02:12 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00369" HREF="msg00369.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 08:27 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00375" HREF="msg00375.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Marian Griffith <a href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 18:38 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00361" HREF="msg00361.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Damion Schubert <a href="mailto:zjiria#texas,net">zjiria#texas,net</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 02:29 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00362" HREF="msg00362.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Damion Schubert <a href="mailto:zjiria#texas,net">zjiria#texas,net</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 02:41 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00370" HREF="msg00370.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 08:33 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00377" HREF="msg00377.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Marian Griffith <a href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</a>, Mon 27 Jul 1998, 18:38 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00385" HREF="msg00385.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Tue 28 Jul 1998, 03:06 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
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</UL>
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