[MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)

[Derrick Jones]

On Tue, 14 Oct 1997 coder at ibm.net wrote:

> 
> On 09/10/97 at 09:15 AM, Broly <gunther at online1.magnus1.com> said:
> 
> >On Thu, 2 Oct 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
> 
> >> In <Pine.SV4.3.93.970928225411.13693A-100000 at online1>, on 09/29/97 
> >>    at 09:01 AM, Broly <gunther at online1.magnus1.com> said:
> 
> >> >Also what about magic in these places?  Even though magic is
> >> >commonplace in a mud-world, I'd imagine that a mage casting any spell
> >> >will be suspicious in some towns...particularly those that have been
> >> >attacked magically in the past...
> >> 
> >> This would seem dependant on how obvious magic-making is in your
> >> mdoel.  If you use a Waving Hands type scenario, the process of making
> >> magic could be extremely cicumspect:
> 
> >Actually, for most spells in my system (there are a few exceptions, where
> >I plan on letting the caster keep the casting of spells secret unless
> >they are closely observed, because the verbal and somatic components are
> >easily hidden.), everyone capable of observing the caster will know that
> >something is going on. Whether its the caster jabbering in a strange
> >tongue or flailing about wildly, most people (PC & NPC) will recognize
> >that a spell is being cast (except for the terminally stupid, who will
> >just think the caster is singing/dancing).
> 
> Ahh.  My preference has idealised magic making being almost entirely
> silent and stationary.  The main requirements are great concentration and
> will power, with the physical aspects coming in as minor supporting roles
> as aids to the first two.  The intent is for a truly expert mages to be
> able to cast any magic without visibly moving a muscle.  More minor mages
> will require greater assistance to their concentration via physical
> motions, words, and other patterning forms.  Thus the neophyte may dance
> and scream and wave his arms to achieve the proper conceptration and form
> for a particular magic, a more expert mage may merely stagger a few
> similar steps, mutter to himself, and gesture with his hands, and the
> trhue expert may do nothing at all to cast the same spell but blink, if
> that.

Yes, the minor incantations would require but little thought on the part
of the expert caster.  (the attention vs. mastery code is still way down
on my TODO list)  I am toying with the idea of shrinking casting times and
giving a percent chance to hide spell casting from the room based on the
skill of the mage and the magical knowledge of the observers...
Maybe a set of adverbs to coincide with the 'cast' command, so that a mage
might try to cast quickly 'fireball'/cast quietly 'fireball'/cast
powerfully 'fireball'/cast carefully 'fireball'...But as I said this
section is weeks away from my full attention so any ideas are still
sketchy at best.

On a side note, I think I'm becoming a big fan of adverbs.

> >I guess a band of mages could be compared to UN forces.  If the UN looted
> >the town, then the next wave of peacekeepers is going to be dragged out
> >into the street and shot, but if they come into the town to help out
> >disaster victims, they'll have a parade if they returned when things got
> >back to normal.
> 
> Should a mage be visibly a mage?
> 
> Should mages be something distinct from other character types?

No they shouldn't, at least not normally.  That's where I run into
problems.  Remember that I'm trying to keep the vast majority of violence
out of certain areas (mainly to create a safe haven where the players are
safe from PK without any artificial game constructs).  On one hand I can't
let mages go around torching the place with dozens of unarmed warriors
running around (its easy enough to confiscate their weapons at the gate),
but the real world doesn't provide me with any effective defence against
magical attacks.
One approach I've concidered is to make mages distinct from other
characters, because in reality they are (magic in my world is an innate
ability that is honed over the years.).  Perhaps some test to find the
innate ability in travelers to see if they pose a magical risk.  But how
do you treat a wandering mage at the gate to such a town?  Give him a pill
that represses his abilities?  Deny him entrance?
Or maybe I'm approaching this whole problem from the wrong direction.
Perhaps there could be several areas within the town catering to the
different classes (areas where dispel magics have eliminated _all_ magic
from functioning, area where weapons are banned, etc). A known mage
wandering into Warriors Alley would just be asking for trouble, while a
bullying warrior in Mages Square without any weapons will be an equally
easy target...

> Note: I'm taking a number of large risks here, among which are going for a
> high magic world.  High magic changes almost all the rules.

Yes it does.  You can't think on linear terms when dealing with magic, nor
can you draw in help from real-world experience.  One rule stays the same:
If there is even the slightest design flaw, it will be found and
exploited.

Gunther