[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD Design doc (long)

[J C Lawrence]

On Fri, 18 Dec 1998 12:15:52 -0800 (PST) 
Adam Wiggins<adam at angel.com> wrote:

> On 18 Dec 1998, Michael Willey wrote:

>> A simple problem.  Assuming Buffy starts at a full charge, a
>> simple script will kill off Boffo in eight seconds, with mana to
>> spare.  

> Perhaps.  But one might note that now the game already has more
> complex combat than 80% of existing muds.  I'd say that's a pretty
> good start.  Now with a little imagination we can extend this and
> come up with some slightly more amusing spells rather than
> straight damage to shake things up a bit.

Another useful toy is to make the various curves (such as
regeneration rate) non-linear and even of non-uniform quantum sizes,
and the various effects variously proportional to factors
perceptable but not necessarily controllable by the combatants.

  "The fireball spell generally works really well, unless the target
is wearing something bright red in which case the fireball will be
repelled proportionally to XXX, or is physically colder than the
caster in which case the YYY, and is affected by the proportional
mana ratios of the caster vs target as follows.  Additionally
fireballs are sent in a *direction*, not at a target.  As such their
path is affected by the contours of the local mana map, etc in
exactly the same way as a marble rolling across an uneven surface."

It is uncomfortable when you throw fireballs and they "roll
downhill" back on to you.

> Here's some more spells which Boffo or Buffy might have.  Most of
> these ideas are not new, of course - Magic: The Gathering is a
> great source for this sort of spellcasting, so I will now
> shamelessly rip off a few of its more popular spells.

...

> I'm sure a person that wanted to put some serious time into this
> could come up with something that was a lot of fun, and for which
> triggers and scripts where all but useless.

Wonderful!  Bravo.

--
J C Lawrence                              Internet: claw at kanga.nu
(Contractor)                             Internet: coder at kanga.nu
---------(*)                    Internet: claw at under.engr.sgi.com
...Honorary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...