<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem --> <!--X-From-R13: Fenivf Qnfrl <rsvaqryNcbynevf.arg> --> <!--X-Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 20:09:36 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 10962.980825#io,com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 199808182155.PAA03985#darklock,com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:efindel#polaris,net"> </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="msg00844.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00846.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00773.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00848.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00845">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00845">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00845">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: Caliban Tiresias Darklock <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Travis Casey <<A HREF="mailto:efindel#polaris,net">efindel#polaris,net</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 23:05:51 -0400</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 18 August 1998, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote: A few random thoughts... > Another problem I see in MUDs is that they're often presented as being > computer RPGs. With RPG style gaming on computers, you have an annoying > problem. There are three major RPG pursuits -- roleplaying, problem > solving, and combat. Roleplaying is impossible to code, Roleplaying is impossible to code -- however, it is possible to encourage or discourage roleplaying through both world background and what you code. Of course, opinions on this depend to a great extent on what you think of as roleplaying. As I've said before, my definition of roleplaying is playing a character as if it were a real being existing in a real world, instead of simply a playing piece in a game. Thus, from my point of view, increasing the "realism" of the game automatically encourages roleplaying. A mud's designers can also seek to ensure that player characters are going to have to interact with each other, can give the characters things to be concerned about within the game world, and can create social structures inside the game world. None of these things will *force* anyone to roleplay, and none of them truly *create* roleplaying... but they can encourage it. > and *ongoing* > problem solving is very difficult to code. Think about a game like "The > Seventh Guest" -- lots of problem solving and puzzles, but after you play > it once or twice, you're done. Possibly. No one's done it yet (that I've seen, at least), but that doesn't mean it can't be done. The subject of building a mud in which new puzzles are automatically or semi-automatically created has been discussed here before, and I think that some of the ideas that have been bounced around would probably prove to be workable. There are other ways to create problems to solve on a regular basis -- the other players can *be* the problem, or contribute to it. An example of this would be the idea that was recently raised of having two muds in one, with the PCs on one being the NPCs on the other. > Combat, however, can be run effectively by > the computer... so we worry mainly about creating "good" combat systems. > Except those systems are *still* tedious and unchallenging. So we apply > them to other players. Combat, to me, is a subclass of problem solving -- killing something is simply a way of solving some problems. > I think much of the problem with MUDs comes from the "all things to all > people" mentality. We want it all. That's natural. But the old axiom of > being nothing to no one applies; if you try to do everything, you'll do it > badly. A small, well-defined set of goals can prevent the game from > becoming overly difficult to code and play. I'd agree with that. Limiting the scope of what you're doing always makes it easier -- the trick is in knowing what's broad enough to stay interesting for a good length of time while still being small enough to be easy to implement. -- |\ _,,,---,,_ Travis S. Casey <efindel#io,com> ZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ No one agrees with me. Not even me. |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' '---''(_/--' `-'\_) </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00848" HREF="msg00848.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00771" HREF="msg00771.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00844.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Modular MUD [Was:Finer points of Telnet programming ...]</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00846.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: UBE/high: Re: FW: UBE/high: Re: W IRED: Kilers</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00773.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00848.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00845"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00845"><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] Re: UBE/high: Re: UBE/high: Re: FW: UBE/high: Re: W IRED: Kilers</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00764" HREF="msg00764.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: UBE/high: Re: UBE/high: Re: FW: UBE/high: Re: W IRED: Kilers</A></strong>, Dr. Cat <a href="mailto:cat#bga,com">cat#bga,com</a>, Tue 18 Aug 1998, 07:26 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00765" HREF="msg00765.html">[MUD-Dev] Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, s001gmu <a href="mailto:s001gmu#nova,wright.edu">s001gmu#nova,wright.edu</a>, Tue 18 Aug 1998, 14:05 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00771" HREF="msg00771.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Tue 18 Aug 1998, 21:55 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00773" HREF="msg00773.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, jwilson <a href="mailto:jwilson#rochester,rr.com">jwilson#rochester,rr.com</a>, Tue 18 Aug 1998, 23:39 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00845" HREF="msg00845.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Travis Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#polaris,net">efindel#polaris,net</a>, Wed 26 Aug 1998, 03:09 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00848" HREF="msg00848.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Wed 26 Aug 1998, 03:47 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00854" HREF="msg00854.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Wed 26 Aug 1998, 04:43 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00861" HREF="msg00861.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Wed 26 Aug 1998, 13:19 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00796" HREF="msg00796.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Marion's Tailor Problem</A></strong>, Jynx (Wyrm / Tygr / Myth) Ryn <a href="mailto:jynx_ryn#mindless,com">jynx_ryn#mindless,com</a>, Fri 21 Aug 1998, 07:36 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> </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>