[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #142 - 4 msgs

[Koster]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wes Connell [mailto:wconnell at adhesive.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 12:40 PM
> To: mud-dev at kanga.nu
> Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #142 - 4 msgs
> 
> 
> 
> I read it on Raph's Design Laws page that said something to 
> the effect of
> no matter how complex the system is players will, through 
> trial and error,
> learn every nook and cranny about the system. 

cf http://uo.stratics.com for a concrete example.

> So even if we have super cool ecologies and economies the players will
> always find the best way to do things and stick with those. In turn
> sorta making the rest useless.

Ecologies and economies have the benefit of possibly allowing emergent
behaviors that are not predictable.

FWIW, I no longer view a simulated ecology as a huge goal. For those of you
who have been paying any attention to me for a while, this is a big shift.
:)

I view simulated economies as anathema entirely. This is also a huge shift.
I am much more interested now in letting a REAL economy develop by
simulating as little as possible. People will do the work your code would
have done--only better.

> Of course this depends on the type of player (another thing 
> about the four
> types of players discussed on Raph's page). If you have a 
> PowerGamer then
> the above will happen. If you have a RolePlayer then probably not.

The four player types are actually Richard Bartle's, not mine. I do
reference them constantly though.

> On the other hand, the super cool ecologies and economies can 
> be quests in
> themselves. The players work hard to disect the system, 
> learning the game,
> and advancing. Which is what we want. The end result may be a bunch of
> players runnning around the same area with the same armor, 
> but hey thats
> when we add new players. =]

You just defined the Explorer type. :)

> Forgive me If I haven't given proper credit for the ideas mentioned on
> Raph's page. I lost the address to it. =] Can someone repost it?

http://mud.sig.net/raph/gaming/

> p.s. I also lost the faq. 

I think Ling reposts it monthly. You can find it in the list archives too,
of course.

-Raph


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