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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: Richard Woolcock &lt;<A HREF="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</A>&gt;</LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:23:10 -0800</LI>
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<PRE>
Adam Wiggins wrote:
&gt; 
&gt; [Derrick Jones:]
&gt; &gt; One other detail.  I really dislike those descriptions that give you too
&gt; &gt; much information.  For example, 'He wields The Sword of Devistation in his
&gt; &gt; right hand.' gives you the proper name of the object (the sword) of which
&gt; &gt; the character has no knowledge.  Perhaps simular recognition code could be
&gt; &gt; written for objects as well as for people.
&gt; 
&gt; One would assume this would be handled by object inheritence?  Characters,
&gt; locations, and items (swords of devestation) are all objects in most
&gt; systems, after all.
&gt; Note that you'll also need code to implant memory about something you've
&gt; read about if you want this.  Ie:[example object-recognition snipped]

As a 'cheap' alternative, you could use skills for this.  Thus Bob, who has
Survival 0, looks in the room and sees 'a tasty-looking mushroom', 
while Fred - with Survival 5, sees 'a deadly skull-cap toadstool'.  This
is not as 'nice' as learning about each object, but would be less cpu/memory
intensive.  Skills such as 'Occult' could be used for strange artifacts,
whilst 'Melee' might show you 'A finely crafted steel katana' rather than 
'a sword' - perhaps someone with a little Melee might see 'An oriental sword'.

&gt; &gt; Hrm...this has the potential of creating a possible problem.  If player
&gt; &gt; appearances are automatically generated, there comes into possibility the
&gt; &gt; situation where a player receives a character that is a bit too much like
&gt; &gt; their RL description.  The chance is slim, but given enough characters
&gt; &gt; created, it will happen on occasion.  In the cases, the taunts directed
&gt; &gt; at a character with an abnormality (which happens to be shared by its
&gt; &gt; player) will create a potentially hostile environment for the _player_ as
&gt; &gt; well as the character.  Normally, I'd say such a situation is up to the
&gt; &gt; player to deal with, but in today's Politically Correct society, you've
&gt; &gt; almost have to cater to those few who may take offense.(sigh)
&gt; &gt;
&gt; &gt; Is there some mechanism built in for overiding the automatic generation,
&gt; &gt; or the possibility to re-generate should an unplayable character be
&gt; &gt; generated?
&gt; 
&gt; IMO very little should be left to chance.  Otherwise you get people
&gt; making characters over and over in order to get what they want.  If
&gt; you make it difficult to get characters (waiting period, difficult
&gt; application process, one character per e-mail, etc) then you just piss
&gt; people off, since they have to play a character they don't like.  Why
&gt; not just allow them to choose what they want to begin with?

The only random thing I have is name.  You get to chose your primary,
secondary and tertiary 'attributes' out of physical/mental/social, then 
spend a number of points in each of the three attributes within each
catagory (Physical has Strength/Dexterity/Stamina, for example).
Abilities are similar, with Talents, Skills and Knowledges.  Players can
also select virtues, which determine their initial willpower/humanity.
Basically its the WoD char gen system, and it leaves nothing to chance.
As far as appearance goes, players can choose eye/hair colour (and 
Appearance itself is an attribute).

&gt; Note that the randomly generated name thing mentioned earlier in this
&gt; thread doesn't bother me, since I can just tell people that I'm named
&gt; something different if I want.  Which is kind of cool - you get the
&gt; guy who everyone knows as "Slash" getting all embarrassed when someone
&gt; learns that his given name is Otis Squeedlebunk.

Unfortunately I have no coded 'nicknames'.  The main trouble I see is
that players will chose the same nickname every time they die and come
back - so I may as well not bother even generating names.  Of course,
you don't HAVE to introduce yourself - or Otis in the example above
might chose to only give his first name to people (and be suitably
embarrassed when people find out his surname).

&gt; Our character creation is based on attributes, but the player selects
&gt; them instead of randomly generating them.  Now, there are so many attributes
&gt; that we don't present them to the player all at once.  Instead, we choose
&gt; a representative selection - everyone can choose to be especially strong
&gt; or especially tall, but the options to have a big nose or be the seventh
&gt; son of a seventh son will pop up less often.  Anyhow, we just use the
&gt; Ars Magica (I believe) point system.  Each attribute is assigned a number
&gt; of points based on its nature.  For instance, a big nose or nappy hair
&gt; would be worth 1, while a natural talent for bird-watching would be -1.
&gt; More 'imporant' attributes such as especially strong or stunningly
&gt; beautiful would be worth -4, while especially weak or incredibly ugly
&gt; would be worth 4.  When all is said and done the player ends up with a
&gt; score which they must 'pay' for with character creation points from their
&gt; account.  New accounts have no points, so they must end up with 0 or
&gt; less points.  There is also a cap on the number of attributes.  Thus,
&gt; you could make Cyrano at a cost of 4 points (talent for swordsmanship -3,
&gt; charismatic -2, big nose +1), or your average troll for no cost (especially
&gt; strong -4, incredibly ugly +4).

This sounds similar to the Merit/Flaw system used by the WhiteWolf games.
Thats something else I would love to add, if only I can find the time.

KaVir.

</PRE>

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<li><strong><A NAME="00671" HREF="msg00671.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> coder#ibm,net</li></ul>
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="00331" HREF="msg00331.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Adam Wiggins &lt;nightfall#user1,inficad.com&gt;</LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00739" HREF="msg00739.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Fri 12 Dec 1997, 08:53 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00776" HREF="msg00776.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
Derrick Jones <a href="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com">gunther#online1,magnus1.com</a>, Sat 13 Dec 1997, 08:12 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00322" HREF="msg00322.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
Derrick Jones <a href="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com">gunther#online1,magnus1.com</a>, Thu 20 Nov 1997, 07:46 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00331" HREF="msg00331.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Fri 21 Nov 1997, 03:29 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00335" HREF="msg00335.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Fri 21 Nov 1997, 17:16 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00671" HREF="msg00671.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Thu 11 Dec 1997, 05:00 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00673" HREF="msg00673.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Thu 11 Dec 1997, 05:01 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00735" HREF="msg00735.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, 
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Fri 12 Dec 1997, 08:29 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00305" HREF="msg00305.html">Dynamic room descriptions</A></strong>, 
Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.comNOSPAM">KaVir#dial,pipex.comNOSPAM</a>, Sun 16 Nov 1997, 21:16 GMT
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>

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