<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want --> <!--X-From-R13: Qnyvona Fverfvnf Rnexybpx <pnyvonaNqnexybpx.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 23:27:07 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 4.1.19990927150154.00a51340#pop,darklock.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 6B962A1EE646D31193270008C7A4BAB5058798#mail,paymentnet.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:caliban#darklock,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="msg00521.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00523.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00505.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00439.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00522">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00522">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00522">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</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>: RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Caliban Tiresias Darklock <<A HREF="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 23:24:59 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#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 07:00 AM 9/25/1999 -0700, I personally witnessed Justin Lockshaw jumping up to say: > >I have found that players are often annoyed and some even baffled >by the inconstancies. As you both suggest many, if not most simply accept >any inconstancies as game physics and move on. This is the primary key: suspension of disbelief. Those of us who have played "find the verb" games for years think it's just fine for commands to work *here* but not *there*, or on *this* item but not *that* item. Normal people don't. It doesn't make sense to them for "look inside" to work for a bag, but not a box (because you have to "open" the box first, and then just "look"). >As a specific example one of them stated that he likes the game, at least in >theory, but he just can't do the things he would want to. Exactly. This is one reason why roleplaying becomes less useful in online games. In the gem-covered hallway you mention, most thieves *would* try to pry loose a gem. Most GMs would respond with something meaningful. On a MUD, the game responds with nothing. If someone else is in the hall, it may provide atmosphere to try anyway... if the other players will respond meaningfully. Otherwise, it's pretty pointless within the game context. You can emote "Bubba tries to pry a gem loose." all day long, but it will never result in any game effect, and everyone knows that. Personally, I have trouble with the lack of TACTICS. I'm in a mountainous area, and I see a giant in the next room because I was smart enough to look before walking into it. Now, it would be REASONABLE for me to attempt an attack from ambush, which would give me a serious advantage in the ensuing fight. If I can get a good eight foot drop from cover onto the giant's occipital plate with my feet braced on the quillions of my broadsword, there may not BE an ensuing fight. But no! Can I fight smart? Of course not! I have to march brazenly up to the giant and go "AHAAAARRR!!!" as I swing my sword valiantly around his ankles. This is just plain STUPID. And it's not a mob AI problem, it's an interface problem -- the game is just not capable of supporting intelligent combat. And that's why when I want to go out mob-slaughtering, I play Quake. I can fight smart in Quake. I can attack from cover, I can surprise the opponent, I can succeed through intellect and cunning instead of racing around with my guns blazing and hoping the opponent falls before I do. ----- | Caliban Tiresias Darklock caliban#darklock,com | Darklock Communications <A HREF="http://www.darklock.com/">http://www.darklock.com/</A> | U L T I M A T E U N I V E R S E I S N O T D E A D | 774577496C6C6E457645727355626D4974H -=CABAL::3146=- _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </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="00505" HREF="msg00505.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Justin Lockshaw <jlockshaw#signio,com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00521.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] an essay on PK</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00523.html">[MUD-Dev] "Online migration and population mobility"</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00505.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00439.html">[MUD-Dev] Creating a mudlib</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00522"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00522"><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] This is just... STRANGE</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00465" HREF="msg00465.html">[MUD-Dev] This is just... STRANGE</A></strong>, Dundee <a href="mailto:SkeptAck#antisocial,com">SkeptAck#antisocial,com</a>, Wed 22 Sep 1999, 19:20 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00464" HREF="msg00464.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Wed 22 Sep 1999, 19:20 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00467" HREF="msg00467.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></strong>, Ilya, Game Commandos <a href="mailto:Ilya#gamecommandos,com">Ilya#gamecommandos,com</a>, Thu 23 Sep 1999, 00:09 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00505" HREF="msg00505.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></strong>, Justin Lockshaw <a href="mailto:jlockshaw#signio,com">jlockshaw#signio,com</a>, Mon 27 Sep 1999, 16:59 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00522" HREF="msg00522.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] what players want, what I want</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Wed 29 Sep 1999, 06:27 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00439" HREF="msg00439.html">[MUD-Dev] Creating a mudlib</A></strong>, Solmyr of the Azure Star <a href="mailto:solmyr#kolumbus,fi">solmyr#kolumbus,fi</a>, Tue 21 Sep 1999, 23:59 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00436" HREF="msg00436.html">[MUD-Dev] thoughts on 'realism'</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Tue 21 Sep 1999, 23:54 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00428" HREF="msg00428.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Dynamic muds</A></strong>, Ilya, Game Commandos <a href="mailto:Ilya#gamecommandos,com">Ilya#gamecommandos,com</a>, Tue 21 Sep 1999, 00:03 GMT <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="00441" HREF="msg00441.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Dynamic muds</A></strong>, Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Tue 21 Sep 1999, 23:58 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>