[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun

[Michael.Willey at abnamro.com]

     ____________________Reply Separator____________________
     Subject:  [MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun
     Author:   mud-dev at kanga.nu ("Damion Schubert" <zjiria at texas.net>)
     Date:          9/5/98 1:51 AM

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael.Willey at abnamro.com <Michael.Willey at abnamro.com>
>>This is the point at which we differ - you see a reputation
>>as a method of controlling the "bad guys".  I see it as a
>>tool to make NPCs more believable, by using that information
>>to influence their reactions.  The two uses aren't mutually
>>exclusive, but improvements to one use of the tool can
>>degrade it's usefulness in other areas.
>
>I've seen many interesting NPCs, but rarely any I would
>classify as 'believable', without stretching my definition.
>
[SNIP interesting M59 example]
>
>Player response?  They generally thought the NPCs were
>stupid and repeated stuff too often.

Typical.  ;)  That kind of underwhelming player response is
why my goal with the NPCs here is "more believable", not
"believable" - I don't expect them to be real, but I want
them to be better than they are.  Most of them will play
background roles, where they don't need to be clever or
smart, they simply need to act appropriately: conduct simple
business transactions, go about a simple and mindless job,
cower, flee, scream or surrender when threatened, and
generally be the simple people that form the mass of the
world.  I'd like them to have a little personality, and be
able to perform a few tricks, but nothing spectacular.

The average critter will be more complex than most townsfolk,
needing to know how to track and hunt and form packs and
establish dominance and fight effectively and protect their
young, etc.  The most complex thing most townsfolk will need
to do is converse, which can be faked with a handful of cheap
tricks: scripted speeches, triggers, NPCs run as puppets, etc.