[MUD-Dev] Evil coders from beyond the grave

[Orion Henry]

> Undead of all sorts are a favourite tool of horror writers, and moreover,
> of mud builders (term builder used to describe all those who create realms
> of any kind for players to puddle about in, in any and all senses).
> 
> However, the much-maligned former dead are typically treated exactly the
> same as other monsters - you hit them lots, they fall over, and thats it.
> There are a few games which address this to make them different (this fits
> into broader considerations of some things being vastly different to
> 'normal').

	Adam Wiggins and I had fun with this.  While developing 
our damage system we hade a pleasant side effect.  Our system 
does not have hit points, but keeps track of the states of different
organs and mucles, the amout of blood lost (and still being lost) 
and also pain.  Quite often a fight can be desided with a single
blow to the face causing a not-so-well-adversed-to-pain opponent
to clutch their face and scream and be able to do little else
(ok this is an extreme example).  In any case a zombie can not
feel pain, has no beating heart so he does not bleed badly 
nor even need the blood in any case...  Destruction of vital organs 
will not kill them.  You basically have an opponent that does not 
die.  You can only run or dismember the creature to the point where
it can offer no threat.  It wanst out intention to make undead
unkillable creatues to be feared at all cost... buuut I kind of 
like it this way. :)

	Orion Henry