<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online --> <!--X-From-R13: pynjerapNphc.uc.pbz --> <!--X-Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 23:38:07 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199708122336.QAA13016#xsvr3,cup.hp.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 3.0.2.32.19970805193345.00b30700#mail,tenetwork.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</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="msg00502.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00504.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00405.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00515.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00503">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00503">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00503">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</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] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</A></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 12 Aug 97 16:15:58 -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="msg00405.html">3.0.2.32.19970805193345.00b30700#mail,tenetwork.com</A>>, on 08/05/97 at 07:36 PM, Jeff Kesselman <jeffk#tenetwork,com> said: >At 07:17 PM 8/5/97 PST8PDT, you wrote: >Plot elements can also be considered a respource, as can puzzle >answers and such. Ultimately there is a general type of resource >caslled "information". Absolutely. >Unfrotunately players share info way to ofreely as a rule... for >example the Guttenburg Project at the UO vault that already has the >text of every book you gusy ptu into the game... >How do you prevent or control the cheapening of such info resources?? There are several parts to this problem: Exact solutions -- To get by the Demon Wroth do X, Y and Z as follows and yada yada. I consider these signs of greviously poor game design. That's the sort of bumph I expect in single player Infocom games, its not suited at all to MP games. Character solutions -- To get by the Demon Wroth you're going to have to either scare it away from the drawbridge, or lure it away. So far the DW seems to be attracted to curvaceous virgins in too-small bikinis from the local villages, and somewhat scared of Cerebus. I've managed to get by him twice with the bimbos (got killed three more times trying that same trick tho), and just got past him again getting Cerbus to chase me and then running straight at DW. Of Cerebus keeps catching me just the other side of the drawbridge which is another problem. In an MP environment rote solutions to problems, puzzles are a flim flam game. They're not worth the effort to code. Its somewhat like relying on a a maze to make getting somehwere difficult and assuming that no player will map the maze and then pass on his maps. Another part could be called, "secrets". The classic example is perhaps the various World of Darkness MUSHes where, properly done, nobody who is not a vampire has any idea that vampires even exist. Secrets in games are useful. They can provide a sense of pacing and drama. They allow for the carefully crafted "Ahh ha!" reaction, and the sudden flash of insight. Simple example: The underworld is ruled by the streetsweeper who wanders about the one of the main cities of the land, innocuously chatting with the inhabitants, picking up trash, and generally acting the harmless old fogey. Broadly disseminating this fact destroys some of the mystery implicit in the world construct. Played properly players would only find this particular fact out thru incredible insight (more kudos to them!), or after significant investigation and play, which process would have already immersed them in the world and given them a stake. Newbie players would have no idea -- there is no evidence the streetsweeper is anything but a harmless old fool. I have no idea how to protect this sort of information. I do however think it can be done. The change that seems to be required is to alter the game structure where the fact that the streetsweeper is really the lord of the underworld is both meaningless and valueless to those who don't have the experience and world knowledge to evaluate that data. Its then just an, "Oh, yeah," thing. The real bindings and *real* interest comes in later when the investigation of the world is already far advanced and the key points are, "What does the fact taht the fogey is the Lord of The Underworld mean?", "What can he really do?", and "What is he really doing? Is he really as harmless as he looks on the surface?". Now the secret data is not the actual datum, but the relation of that datum to other data. I have played games where that distinction was accomplished. I knew all the base answers up front and yet still had the sense of suspense and insight flash on upon finding data *relations* when I played. Wish I could give more on this one. -- 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="00515" HREF="msg00515.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Matt Chatterley <root#mpc,dyn.ml.org></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00405" HREF="msg00405.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Jeff Kesselman <jeffk#tenetwork,com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00502.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00504.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] PirateMUD and CSL</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00405.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00515.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00503"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00503"><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] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00531" HREF="msg00531.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Thu 14 Aug 1997, 00:37 GMT </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00319" HREF="msg00319.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user2,inficad.com">nightfall#user2,inficad.com</a>, Fri 01 Aug 1997, 01:54 GMT </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00399" HREF="msg00399.html">[MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Wed 06 Aug 1997, 01:49 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00405" HREF="msg00405.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Jeff Kesselman <a href="mailto:jeffk#tenetwork,com">jeffk#tenetwork,com</a>, Wed 06 Aug 1997, 09:31 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00503" HREF="msg00503.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Tue 12 Aug 1997, 23:38 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00515" HREF="msg00515.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 13 Aug 1997, 06:30 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00541" HREF="msg00541.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user2,inficad.com">nightfall#user2,inficad.com</a>, Thu 14 Aug 1997, 03:25 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00710" HREF="msg00710.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Alex Oren <a href="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</a>, Sun 24 Aug 1997, 10:53 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00409" HREF="msg00409.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Graphic MUDS/Ultima Online</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 06 Aug 1997, 13:28 GMT </LI> </UL> </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>