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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</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] Resets, repops and quests</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</A> (Alex Oren)</LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Sun, 01 Jun 1997 13:14:43 GMT</LI>
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<PRE>
[Matt:]
} [Chris G:]
} > [Alex O:]
} >
} > :Hello guys.
} >
} > Welcome back! :-)
}
} <g> Indeedy.
A warm welcome always makes me feel good.
Regretfully, I'll stay on a lurker status since my time management is
piss-poor... I'll try to provide some stimulating thoughts once in a while
though.
} > :Have been a bit busy a bit lately and didn't follow the discussions.
} > :I'm now under a curse compelling me to catch up with the list (~800 messages
} > :worth of backlog... <gulp!>).
Still ~800. They come faster than I read them...
OK, back to the question:
} > :The question that was left unanswered is: How can a mud have a working quest
} > :system without some kind of resets?
My concern is not the mechanics of the resets but the fact that areas/quests do
reset at all.
It seems that I should avoid any kind of resets if I want world consistency and
continuity, but that seems to rule out "repeatable" quests.
Someone (Nathan, I think) suggested the use of separate timelines.
While this is a good and interesting idea, it does not agree with the kind of
setting I have in mind.
And:
[Jeff:]
} >This may seem terribly naive, but couldn't you just associate the status
} >of the quest with the character instead of the mud? That is, the bit
} >flags are in the player structure.
}
} DSO does this... the unfortunate effect here is that you have players in
} "parallel worlds"... Many peopel in their own story line have completed the
} same set of actiosn with the same world result.
}
} On a global level, it makes no sense and thus is injurious to roleplay and
} encourages an individual-focus to the game which doesn't do much to help
} socail interraction.
I agree. It creates more problem than it solves.
[ChrisG:]
} [Alex O:]
}
} :I can think of several quests that seem to be immune to most scenarios:
} :* Guild initiation rites.
} :* Teleporting a player into an extra-dimentional dungeon.
} :Etcetera.
}
} Those are good. It's more work, but how about something more like the
} traditional storytelling quest - find something? If your world is large
} and generated, you can pick somewhere out in the boonies and plant some
} special object. Then, you have to plant rumors, hints, etc. all over the
} place, so that players have some clue as to where to go.
This is similar to what I had in mind. Although in the case of Guild
Initiation, instructions from a guildmember NPC will be given instead of rumors.
} With enough
} generated stuff, you might even be able to generate entire towns and
} populations, for which the special object is part of the folklore. The
} same could be done for a special bad monster. This sort of thing could
} be done indefinitely. Throw in differing local populations, vastly
} different terrain, perhaps some rivers or lakes to cross, etc.
So, the idea is to have a Random Quest Generator, right? Hmmm...
I don't think that generating whole background (towns, populations) for the sake
of each quest is a good idea. It will lead to object inflation.
} The
} quests would be boring for those who had been involved in lots of them,
} but they would keep the new players happy. A more experienced player
} could take on the challenge of being the one to solve it, rather than
} one of the many who *tried* to solve it.
Yep.
[ChrisG:]
}[Raz:]
}:This sort of thing makes for nicely atmospheric quests, which are
}:satisfying to complete, *but*, immensely frustrating to *know* you're in
}:the right place, but someone beat you to the prize.
}
} True enough. That suggests that it would be proper to start propagating
} rumours, etc. of the completion of the quest, both to give fame to whoever
} did it, and to warn off other attempters as soon as possible. To me, it
} would be kind of kewl to arrive just after the quest had been done, and
} see the afteraffects of it. Frustrating, yes, but then you just have to
} try harder on the next one!
Yep!!!
Combined with the rumor propagation/decay ideas (discussed in other threads) it
has great potential.
Have fun,
Alex.
</PRE>
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="00895" HREF="msg00895.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Matt Chatterley <root#mpc,dyn.ml.org></LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Levels and Goals [was Alright..IF your gonan do</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01158" HREF="msg01158.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Levels and Goals [was Alright..IF your gonan do</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1970, 07:51 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01183" HREF="msg01183.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Levels and Goals [was Alright..IF your gonan do</A></strong>,
Jeff Kesselman <a href="mailto:jeffk#tenetwork,com">jeffk#tenetwork,com</a>, Thu 05 Jun 1997, 12:28 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00894" HREF="msg00894.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Wed 28 May 1997, 21:47 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00895" HREF="msg00895.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 28 May 1997, 23:19 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01012" HREF="msg01012.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Alex Oren <a href="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</a>, Sun 01 Jun 1997, 20:15 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00943" HREF="msg00943.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Raz <a href="mailto:muddyraz#mushroom,demon.co.uk">muddyraz#mushroom,demon.co.uk</a>, Fri 30 May 1997, 07:26 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00945" HREF="msg00945.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Todd Lair <a href="mailto:tlair#mailzone,com">tlair#mailzone,com</a>, Fri 30 May 1997, 08:55 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
<UL>
<li><Possible follow-up(s)><br>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00920" HREF="msg00920.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Thu 29 May 1997, 12:54 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00942" HREF="msg00942.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Resets, repops and quests</A></strong>,
Raz <a href="mailto:muddyraz#mushroom,demon.co.uk">muddyraz#mushroom,demon.co.uk</a>, Fri 30 May 1997, 07:09 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
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</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
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