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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the</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] more classes (Usability and interface and who the</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</A></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 14 Oct 97 13:19:39 -0700</LI>
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<PRE>
On 01/10/97 at 12:29 PM, "Brian Price" <blprice#bedford,net> said: >[JCL:]
>> The sense of advancement provides attractive goals for players.
>Do you believe a mud can be successful if it puts much less emphasis on
>advancement, and much more on adventuring? Especially if mechanisms are
>in place which mutate the game as it is played?
I won't argue the definition of "success".
Yes. This is essentially equivalent to concentrating on Bartle's
Explorers from his Hearts...Spades, paper. It is essentially selecting a
slightly different public based on their interest in a game.
>Also, what exactly is character advancement? Does not the gaining of
>equipment which makes one more powerful qualify? As well as advanced
>training in exotic skills? The aquisition of wealth? The aquisition of
>power?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Advancement could be defined in two ways:
-- Increased ability to survive (mostly demonstrated as increased
ability to withstand or defeat old dangers).
-- Increased ability to affect the game world.
Both are closely related and often synonymous. I seperate them only to
highlight the concentration of the effect each change has on the
character's abilities.
Another possible split that could be made is:
-- advancement means that the character is now capable of more than it
was.
-- advancement means that the character has different capabilities than
it did.
The former is the old model. Advancement is really a form of aggregation.
Endless accumulation with nothing lost in the process. The latter is the
really interesting one. Characters change as they advance such that their
capabilities and even roles are different to what they were prior to
advancement. This could be extended to the point that characters of
different levels of advancement inhabited the same, but were engaged in
entirely seperate games.
A possible model:
Players start life as something that fairly clsoely resembles a chimp.
Given sufficient work, they mature into an aquatic form which can't
survive out of water. There is a cross-over period where the form can
live in air or water, (poorly in both).
They then mature into a mobile tree-like form which is confined to being
near water.
Niven-esque stage-tree-like the trees blast into orbit.
...etc.
--
J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net
----------(*) Internet: coder#ibm,net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...
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<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Brian Price" <blprice#bedford,net></LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00139" HREF="msg00139.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Wed 22 Oct 1997, 06:07 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00112" HREF="msg00112.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface</A></strong>,
Jon Leonard <a href="mailto:jleonard#divcom,umop-ap.com">jleonard#divcom,umop-ap.com</a>, Tue 14 Oct 1997, 23:35 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00010" HREF="msg00010.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the</A></strong>,
Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Wed 01 Oct 1997, 19:29 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00012" HREF="msg00012.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 01 Oct 1997, 19:54 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00111" HREF="msg00111.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the</A></strong>,
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Tue 14 Oct 1997, 22:34 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00009" HREF="msg00009.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be playing, anyway? (Was: PK Again)</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 01 Oct 1997, 19:07 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00023" HREF="msg00023.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be playing, anyway? (Was: PK Again)</A></strong>,
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Thu 02 Oct 1997, 08:44 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00008" HREF="msg00008.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo)</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 01 Oct 1997, 18:52 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00011" HREF="msg00011.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo)</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 01 Oct 1997, 19:51 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
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