<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs --> <!--X-From-R13: Znmnehf <ynmnehfNbhecynpr.bet> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 19:33:19 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.LNX.3.95.991012174628.652B-100000#mud,ourplace.org --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:lazarus#ourplace,org"> </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="msg00040.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00041.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00041.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00043.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00042">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00042">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00042">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: Mud Development Mailing List <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Lazarus <<A HREF="mailto:lazarus#ourplace,org">lazarus#ourplace,org</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 17:49:40 -0700 (PDT)</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> I recently ran into a rather interesting RPG tool for generating a tavern full of NPC's. Clicking on <A HREF="http://www.irony.com/mktavern.html">http://www.irony.com/mktavern.html</A> lets you build a basic tavern and <A HREF="http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/npcmaker/default.stm">http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/npcmaker/default.stm</A> will create mobiles for it. This got me to thinking about using a name generator to give names to all the cannon fodder mobs commonly used in a hack and slash mud. I think I need to start off with some background perspective for this question. This question is posed in the context of a hack and slash mud where mobs repopulate every 'tick'. Players achieve advancement in this mud by killing large numbers of these 'mobs'. I realize that many members of this forum find such limitless supply of mobs unrealistic but this does form the background of this question. Given a hack and slash mud with unlimited supplies of mobs to kill, what is the psychological impact of giving these mobs 'unique names'? Is hacking a mob known only as "a guard" with your sword or demolishing them with a blast of acid any less psychotic than slaying the same mob known as "Gdeuviugr"? Is there any noticable difference in the psychological impact on our young players between "You thrash the dwarven guard with your sword" and "You thrash Gdwuviugr with your sword"? Does personalizing the opponent (or impersonalizing them) make any significant difference? Giving the mobs unique names is a cheesy way to address the unrealistic nature of unlimited mobs. One could say that there is a huge area that players can not enter full of hard working mobs who come to town to drink in the tavern. You may kill "Gdwuviugr" tonight but he will be replace by his brother "Rhoofr" tomorrow. Thus you can realistically explain the virtually unlimited supply of cannon fodder. The question still remains. How does personalizing the abstract opponent of a players aggression affect their psychological development? This is particularly important when we consider that most mudders are teen age males. _______________________________________________ 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> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00050" HREF="msg00050.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Colin Coghill <C.Coghill#auckland,ac.nz></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00043" HREF="msg00043.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</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--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00040.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Algorithms for an Infinite Universe</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00041.html">[MUD-Dev] Coolmud</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00041.html">[MUD-Dev] Coolmud</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00043.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00042"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00042"><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>Re: [MUD-Dev] The Relationship between pkers and monster AI?</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00064" HREF="msg00064.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Relationship between pkers and monster AI?</A></strong>, Greg Miller <a href="mailto:gmiller#classic-games,com">gmiller#classic-games,com</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 21:29 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00065" HREF="msg00065.html">[MUD-Dev] Pueblo</A></strong>, Mik Clarke <a href="mailto:mikclrk#attglobal,net">mikclrk#attglobal,net</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 21:58 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00067" HREF="msg00067.html">[MUD-Dev] Pueblo</A></strong>, Par Winzell <a href="mailto:zell#alyx,com">zell#alyx,com</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 22:33 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00041" HREF="msg00041.html">[MUD-Dev] Coolmud</A></strong>, Ilya, Game Commandos <a href="mailto:Ilya#gamecommandos,com">Ilya#gamecommandos,com</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 02:33 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00042" HREF="msg00042.html">[MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong>, Lazarus <a href="mailto:lazarus#ourplace,org">lazarus#ourplace,org</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 02:33 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00043" HREF="msg00043.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 04:10 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00047" HREF="msg00047.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 18:07 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00071" HREF="msg00071.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong>, Chris Turner <a href="mailto:christ#rd,bbc.co.uk">christ#rd,bbc.co.uk</a>, Fri 15 Oct 1999, 17:32 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00050" HREF="msg00050.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Affect of personalizing cannon fodder mobs</A></strong>, Colin Coghill <a href="mailto:C.Coghill#auckland,ac.nz">C.Coghill#auckland,ac.nz</a>, Thu 14 Oct 1999, 18:07 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>