<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 -->
<!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun -->
<!--X-From-R13: X Q Znjerapr <pynjNhaqre.rate.ftv.pbz> -->
<!--X-Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 12:50:04 -0700 -->
<!--X-Message-Id: 199808031946.MAA00904#under,engr.sgi.com -->
<!--X-Content-Type: text/plain -->
<!--X-Reference: 01a201bdab61$a1626700$3250f5cc#vulture,acclaim.com -->
<!--X-Head-End-->
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</title>
<!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" -->
<link rev="made" href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">
</head>
<body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff"
text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000">
<font size="+4" color="#804040">
<strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong>
</font>
<br>
[ <a href="../">Other Periods</a>
| <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a>
| <a href="/search.php3">Search</a>
]
<br clear=all><hr>
<!--X-Body-Begin-->
<!--X-User-Header-->
<!--X-User-Header-End-->
<!--X-TopPNI-->
Date:
[ <a href="msg00459.html">Previous</a>
| <a href="msg00461.html">Next</a>
]
Thread:
[ <a href="msg00137.html">Previous</a>
| <a href="msg00125.html">Next</a>
]
Index:
[ <A HREF="author.html#00460">Author</A>
| <A HREF="#00460">Date</A>
| <A HREF="thread.html#00460">Thread</A>
]
<!--X-TopPNI-End-->
<!--X-MsgBody-->
<!--X-Subject-Header-Begin-->
<H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</H1>
<HR>
<!--X-Subject-Header-End-->
<!--X-Head-of-Message-->
<UL>
<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>: J C Lawrence <<A HREF="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Mon, 03 Aug 1998 12:46:40 -0700</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
</UL>
<!--X-Head-of-Message-End-->
<!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin-->
<HR>
<!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End-->
<!--X-Body-of-Message-->
<PRE>
On Thu, 9 Jul 1998 10:47:23 -0700
Till Eulenspiegel<choke#sirius,com> wrote:
> Systems with generic classless skill systems find they must curtail
> the effectiveness of skills in general since their players will
> min/max each skill and be overwhelmingly effective in combat.
A more typical approach is to use accellerated skill decay along with
balance limits to ensure the "jack of all trades, master of none".
One standard variation of which is that XP translates to skill points
which are then spent on a selected balance of kills, with the costings
and gain rates set to encourage universal mediocrity or specialised
excellance (eg have the curves asymptotic to infinity). There are
many translations of this model, from the very simple one above, to
explicit practice/train/use techniques which hide or virtualise the
skill points while maintaining the curves.
> The second curtailment is of course non-anonymity and 'newbie
> gantlet' which both lead to the building of community. 'Newbie
> gantlet' is the effort that it takes to bring a newbie to average
> playing effectiveness. This should be large and long enough to
> discourage making trashcharacters. The restriction on making new
> characters should be also curtailed by a review process or time
> delay.
> The goal here is that the player should feel the cost of exclusion
> from the _player community_.
You have just institutionalised politics.
A point which is often concentrated on with great thought and planning
is ensuring that MUDs and other social venues allow social contexts
for players to be very easily and quickly created. Find friends, make
friends, keep track of friends, talk to friends, help friends, be a
buddy. This maps directly to and supports Cat's assertion on
attention economies. The aspect which is little dealt with outside of
astracism mechanics (GAT, @TOAD et al) are the negative controls: how
to avoid or escape an already defined or created social context, how
to attack or subvert a existant social context, how to define and
maintain a closed social context (ie support for exclusion), etc.
--
J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net
(Contractor) Internet: coder#ibm,net
---------(*) Internet: claw#under,engr.sgi.com
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...
</PRE>
<!--X-Body-of-Message-End-->
<!--X-MsgBody-End-->
<!--X-Follow-Ups-->
<HR>
<!--X-Follow-Ups-End-->
<!--X-References-->
<UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>:
<UL>
<LI><STRONG><A NAME="00114" HREF="msg00114.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Till Eulenspiegel" <choke#sirius,com></LI></UL></LI>
</UL></LI></UL>
<!--X-References-End-->
<!--X-BotPNI-->
<UL>
<LI>Prev by Date:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00459.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Ansii color, needing some specs and or pointer</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Next by Date:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00461.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Prev by thread:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00137.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Next by thread:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00125.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Index(es):
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="index.html#00460"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="thread.html#00460"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
<!--X-BotPNI-End-->
<!--X-User-Footer-->
<!--X-User-Footer-End-->
<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Support for remote NPCs</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00136" HREF="msg00136.html">[MUD-Dev] Support for remote NPCs</A></strong>,
Joel Kelso <a href="mailto:joel#ee,uwa.edu.au">joel#ee,uwa.edu.au</a>, Fri 10 Jul 1998, 02:56 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00160" HREF="msg00160.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Support for remote NPCs</A></strong>,
Nathan F Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Sat 11 Jul 1998, 03:07 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00114" HREF="msg00114.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Till Eulenspiegel <a href="mailto:choke#sirius,com">choke#sirius,com</a>, Thu 09 Jul 1998, 17:48 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00137" HREF="msg00137.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Fri 10 Jul 1998, 03:04 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00460" HREF="msg00460.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Mon 03 Aug 1998, 19:50 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00125" HREF="msg00125.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
S. Patrick Gallaty <a href="mailto:choke#sirius,com">choke#sirius,com</a>, Thu 09 Jul 1998, 19:56 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00128" HREF="msg00128.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Michael.Willey <a href="mailto:Michael.Willey#abnamro,com">Michael.Willey#abnamro,com</a>, Thu 09 Jul 1998, 20:43 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00130" HREF="msg00130.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
S. Patrick Gallaty <a href="mailto:choke#sirius,com">choke#sirius,com</a>, Thu 09 Jul 1998, 22:28 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00152" HREF="msg00152.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun</A></strong>,
Michael.Willey <a href="mailto:Michael.Willey#abnamro,com">Michael.Willey#abnamro,com</a>, Fri 10 Jul 1998, 17:03 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
</ul>
<hr>
<center>
[ <a href="../">Other Periods</a>
| <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a>
| <a href="/search.php3">Search</a>
]
</center>
<hr>
</body>
</html>