<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution --> <!--X-From-R13: pynjerapNphc.uc.pbz --> <!--X-Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 01:28:39 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199708280126.SAA10406#xsvr3,cup.hp.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 199708211911.OAA16855@dfw-ix8.ix.netcom.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.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="msg00787.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00789.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00890.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00801.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00788">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00788">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00788">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</A></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 27 Aug 97 18:02:57 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-to</em>: <A HREF="mailto:claw#null,net">claw#null,net</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> In <<A HREF="msg00704.html">199708211911.OAA16855#dfw-ix8,ix.netcom.com</A>>, on 08/21/97 at 12:22 PM, "Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com> said: >I'm thinking along the lines of familial obligations like >maintenance of lands, livestock, feudal ties, arranged marriages, >political alliances, stewardship, etc. Borrowing money is certainly >a possibility too. This raises a point I've been musing on for a while: The general approach (assumed orthodoxy?) of most of the list is to create a game world which largely resembles or simulates RL in terms of physical mechanics and such, and then attempts to extend it via magic, religion and other similar techniques to add a fantastical entertaining aspect. This bugs me. I don't like the idea that I'm taking an incredibly flexible system and working like crazy to only implement a variation on the world I spend the rest of my waking hours in. Why would I want to recreate RL with a twist? Why not take advantage of the flexibility that is inherent in the system and create a different sort of universe where the base rules *really* are different. A few ideas that have been dropped on the list afore: Magic is actually a fluid which reacts nagatively to gravity. The more magic an object contains, the lighter (or even positive lift) it has. Ergo, Bubba the wielder of the Sword Of Super-Magical WubbaWubba also carries a few tonnes of lead about just to keep his feet on the ground. Make your world ala Clement's Mission into Gravity. For those unfamiliar with the book or world, this was an incredibly dense rapidly spinning frisbee shaped world. The result was that gravitational density was massive near the poles, and not far from null-G out at the equator. Larry Niven's Ring World. Larry Niven's Integral trees (interesting phsyics there). Vinge's "Fire Upon The Deep". Again, for those not familiar with it, it postulates that the base laws of the physical universe vary dependnant on your distance from the galactic core. Thus FTL physically impossible close to the core, or even as far out as Earth. Sentient machines start being possible a little further out as the physical laws of the universe change. Anti-gravity materials can be manufactured out by the rim but fail further out. They work all the way down almost to earth, but can't be manufacutred for most of that distance...etc. Fascinating concept. Change the base defintions of the game goal to be able to survive and even prosper without worldly goods, money, magic, equipment etc. Possible approaches enclude standard western confusions of zen and the old tantrics. There are reasons not to do this. Prime among them learning curve and familiarity. Present a system, world or even an interface which is too far from your player's RL understanding and they will have a hard time understanding or playing in it. -- J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net (Contractor) Internet: coder#ibm,net ---------------(*) Internet: clawrenc#cup,hp.com ...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith... </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="00839" HREF="msg00839.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Adam Wiggins <nightfall#user1,inficad.com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00801" HREF="msg00801.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution [off topic]</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> alexo#bigfoot,com (Alex Oren)</li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00704" HREF="msg00704.html">[MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00787.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] DESIGN: R-Trees (fwd)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00789.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00890.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00801.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution [off topic]</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00788"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00788"><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] Character evolution</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00888" HREF="msg00888.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 31 Aug 1997, 17:08 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00911" HREF="msg00911.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, Jeff Kesselman <a href="mailto:jeffk#tenetwork,com">jeffk#tenetwork,com</a>, Sun 31 Aug 1997, 19:59 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00799" HREF="msg00799.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, Ned Lovely <a href="mailto:njl#ccs,neu.edu">njl#ccs,neu.edu</a>, Thu 28 Aug 1997, 05:06 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00890" HREF="msg00890.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 31 Aug 1997, 17:25 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00788" HREF="msg00788.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Thu 28 Aug 1997, 01:28 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00801" HREF="msg00801.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution [off topic]</A></strong>, Alex Oren <a href="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</a>, Thu 28 Aug 1997, 12:16 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00891" HREF="msg00891.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution [off topic]</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 31 Aug 1997, 17:28 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00999" HREF="msg00999.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution [off topic]</A></strong>, Miroslav Silovic <a href="mailto:silovic#mare,zesoi.fer.hr">silovic#mare,zesoi.fer.hr</a>, Tue 02 Sep 1997, 09:38 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00839" HREF="msg00839.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Character evolution</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Fri 29 Aug 1997, 08:24 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </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>