[MUD-Dev] Re: A little help

[Michael.Willey at abnamro.com]

     ____________________Reply Separator____________________
     Subject:  [MUD-Dev] Re: A little help
     Author:   mud-dev at kanga.nu (Ling <K.L.Lo-94@
     student.lboro.ac.uk>)
     Date:          9/29/98 1:42 PM

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[SNIP description of typical hierarchy]
>One mud I visited admitted they used an internal numeric
>representation for 'wiz levels', not because it is actually
>useful but so they can award them to wizzes for actually
>doing something.

We do the same.  Having originally developed from LP 3.1.4
those levels meant something once, but now they're just
numbers.  Our game mechanics dropped "classes" and "levels"
a long time ago, and soon after we rid ourselves of a
clunky level-based security system.  Yet the staff levels
persist, and have even expanded their range: Now that
all players are "level 1", everything from 2 to 10,000
has been assigned with a rank and a meaning.

It's purely dress, but it seems to work.  A "promotion",
even without a change in job, title, access or
responsibility, seems to be an adequate reward for work
accomplished.  It's sick, but it works.

>I personally find this distasteful, I hope never to use
>anything like this but deep down, I know this horrendous
>Victorian approach works.

Think of it as a virtual lollipop.  It's a nearly meaningless
reward in any practical sense, but it's also a way to
convey attention (our only form of currency in this medium,
some would suggest).  Turning this pointless reward into a
ceremony with celebration following results in a far greater
reward than any other we could give.