<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook --> <!--X-From-R13: X Q Znjerapr <pynjNxnatn.ah> --> <!--X-Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 12:36:22 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: E0zIHwc-0006sd-00#mail,kanga.nu --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: Pine.SOL.3.96.980913190538.17468B-100000@sun-cc203 --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu"> </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="msg01033.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg01035.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg01033.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg01072.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#01034">Author</A> | <A HREF="#01034">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#01034">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook </LI> <LI><em>From</em>: J C Lawrence <<A HREF="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 12:36:22 -0700</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Sun, 13 Sep 1998 19:22:44 +0100 (BST) Ling <K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk> wrote: > Unlike fantasy muds that can assume some cliches are universal, eg: > dwarves are short, elves have pointy ears, I have a sci-fi mud which > has a huge unknown factor. Absolutely nothing can be assumed so > somehow, I must introduce an almost entirely different universe to > the players. I have the same problem. > Does anyone have any suggestions? Yup, do something equivalent to the function of the Guide in infocom's Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. The guide would be queried at any time with a command of the form: > ask guide about XXX and would usually generate some sort of answer, often useful, occassionally critical. The advantage of this approach is that the data is not forced on the player but made available upon request, with the format and requirements for that request being utterly reasonable in a game world context and constant across the game space (ie sort of a universal HELP command, but for IC issues instead of OOC issues). > What I don't want is to have a whole bunch of help/info files that > the player is forced to read thru before playing (eg: DartMUD). It > looks like a webpage with lots of pretty pictures is a must-have... Another possibility is to retain a set of flags, either on the character or account, which record whether that character/account has ever done XXX (unusual thing) before. If no, the first attempt (successful or not, your choice) generates an extra text highlighting some of the differences from likely expectation and providing pointers to more in-depth data. > Apart from that, are there any tricks I can use to teach the player > how my imagined world works? Demonstration, and story telling are always the biggies. The first is usually done by having the character see <whatever> happening so that he then knows it is possible. (cf Arcade demo mode, your FF IV teaching, or cut scenes). Another is to have other NPC's tell each other or the player stories which either describe or reference the <whatever>. Care needs to be taken with this one however, not to fall into the classic pulp SF trap of having characters telling each other all about things that they should already know full well (eg two spaceship pilots telling each other how space travel works just so the reader gets a clue), or not to lay it on too thick and patronise your players. > My current ideas include having excerpts from an 'Encyleopedia > Galactica' appear around login screen and menu as well as having > in-game news broadcasts but this is too 'in yer face' for my liking. cf HHGTTG. -- J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net ----------(*) Internet: coder#ibm,net ...Honourary Member of 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="01072" HREF="msg01072.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Ling <K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="01033" HREF="msg01033.html">[MUD-Dev] Introducing the background hook</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Ling <K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01033.html">[MUD-Dev] Introducing the background hook</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01035.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01033.html">[MUD-Dev] Introducing the background hook</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01072.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#01034"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#01034"><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><A NAME="01035" HREF="msg01035.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, quzah <a href="mailto:quzah#geocities,com">quzah#geocities,com</a>, Sun 13 Sep 1998, 20:29 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01073" HREF="msg01073.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Sat 19 Sep 1998, 10:20 GMT </LI> </UL> <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="01042" HREF="msg01042.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, Michael.Willey <a href="mailto:Michael.Willey#abnamro,com">Michael.Willey#abnamro,com</a>, Mon 14 Sep 1998, 14:46 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01033" HREF="msg01033.html">[MUD-Dev] Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Sun 13 Sep 1998, 19:23 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01034" HREF="msg01034.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Sun 13 Sep 1998, 19:36 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01072" HREF="msg01072.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Sat 19 Sep 1998, 10:50 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01036" HREF="msg01036.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Introducing the background hook</A></strong>, chris <a href="mailto:chris#realm,zfn.uni-bremen.de">chris#realm,zfn.uni-bremen.de</a>, Sun 13 Sep 1998, 20:53 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01032" HREF="msg01032.html">[MUD-Dev] Admin: Unsubscriptions</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Sun 13 Sep 1998, 17:46 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01041" HREF="msg01041.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Admin: Unsubscriptions</A></strong>, Alex Oren <a href="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</a>, Mon 14 Sep 1998, 14:40 GMT </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>