[MUD-Dev] "short" Introductory Message (fwd)

[Matt Chatterley]

On Tue, 12 Aug 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
>    at 11:39 AM, Martin Keegan <martin at cam.sri.com> said:
> >On Wed, 2 Jul 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
> >>    at 08:36 PM, Martin Keegan <martin at cam.sri.com> said:
> >> >On Wed, 25 Jun 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
> 
> >> Precisely.  Just what is there for a player to do once he's made Wiz
> >> on a standard MUD other than thumb twiddle or torture the local
> >> inhabitants?
> 
> >Nothing. For that player, the game is over. That is NOT to say that
> >it's badly designed, nor that this isn't a huge problem. I spot an
> >assumed orthodoxy here.
> 
> Yes, much the like assumed orthodoxy that MUD users want to play
> heros.  Nightmare provides a perfect case in point to demonstrate the
> fallacy of that one.

Yes. Mind you - I haven't really found a perfectly amicable solution to
this. Some (well, one that I can name) muds allow a choice at a certain
level between wizard and hero - continuing to play ad nauseum, and
becoming a creator. There are inherent problems in this (you can get
creators who are not necessarily good with responsibility - although
determined in their play). I personally plan to try and make higher levels
more interesting (this is where strategy and wargame elements will come
into play much more), and take wizards through application outside the
game.

Read 'level(s)' as 'states of play varied in their advancement'

> >Which "Legend" is everyone referring to?
> 
> mud.aus.sig.net 9999
> 
> >Ok. But it's really depressing for us scratchers to have to hear
> >unmodified Diku being passed off as original. It's demoralising.
> 
> Thou art a dino.

He's a depressed dino?
 
> >> To an extent Bartle was right: don't worry about losing off players,
> >> there are always more.  The playing population refreshes itself,
> >> fractionally, every year.  (I'd be *really* interested in a study on
> >> what that fraction was.)  As the years pass that fraction accumulates
> 
> >Hmmm ... I smell the festering seeds of my next controversial
> >research  paper here ... :)
> 
> Fertilise, fertilise, fertilise.

Uh oh.
 
> >> >In recent discussions with EdFromO...
> >
> >He's now referring to "its/it's" as "Advanced You're".
> 
> I'll confess to knowing and largely ignoring the difference as my own
> minor kick towards correcting Englush structure.

Heh. There are a stupid amount of English variants - I believe Australian
English, American English, and International English (as well as "The
Queens English", which may or may not be the same as the last). The
language could do with a good kick in the teeth if nothing else.

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Speak softly and carry a big stick." -Theodore Roosevelt