[MUD-Dev] Homogeneity and choice

[Eric Random]

I think, perhaps, one major hurdle with realistic seasonal effects
is rooted in a basic property of virtual worlds: the temporal and
corporeal discontinuity of an avatar caused by the intermittent
interaction of the player across multiple sessions.

There seems to be a hang-up on temporal obscuration of content in a
world, but in some cases it's more a glass half-full/half-empty
viewpoint. For example, a monthly tide which exposes a cave, adding
content to explore, is actually no different than snow melting in
the spring which exposes a pass through the mountains. It can open
content just as much as it obscures it. The main distinction which
seems to upset players is whether or not it has been explored or
accessible previously. From the short-term perspective, content is
being removed.  Intermittent session based interaction causes
short-term perspectives.  As for the half-empty viewpoint, how far
can one take it? Do mountains serve as an obstruction of travel? Do
levels serve as an obstruction to power? Is death an obstruction to
life? There is much grey area, and the answer lies largely in
holistic design. At what point does an enjoyable challenge become an
annoying obstruction? The boundary is, perhaps, qualitatively
defined, but defined nonetheless in the players' collective needs
and expectations.

With seasons, and seasonal character influences, the character must
make preparations prior to the effect, or suffer consequences. What
if a character logs off on the pass, or logs off in a cave affected
by the tide, during the time when the area is accessible, and free
from dangerous seasonal effects? What if that characters logs back
in, and finds themselves wearing summer clothes in the middle of
winter trapped on a mountain pass, or find themselves drowned in
what used to be a dry cave, or perhaps camped in the middle of a
dynamic spawning location for migrating tigers.

Quite simple, one might say. Simply don't log off in an area which
may have seasonal effects. How does one know about such seasonal
effects for each area? Is it obvious? Should there be a sign which
says, "Don't logoff here in the summer and log back in during
winter"? Should one simply not allow logging off in these specific
spots? It would certainly be an un-immersive way to comminicate the
area is seasonally affected. Perhaps instead of selectively
disallowing areas for logging off, selectively allow explicit areas
for logging off like inns or taverns, then spread them strategically
throughout the land. Perhaps even redirect login points in
seasonally affected areas during seasonal changes. Interesting how
weather effects can influence design on logging on and off. Perhaps
even find yourself back at simple cosmetic seasons, leaving
characters unaffected.

Say one logs off in an inn, in a small mountain village, then finds
when they log back in, they are snowed in by impassable
roads. Should one not allow players to log off in areas that are
indirectly affected?  Should one simply not design large areas which
may have strong indirect consequences of seasonal changes?

Ultimately, such effects can occur, but they should be obvious,
expected, and frequent. This allows players to easily build
expectations about their world, regardless of discontinuity of
sessions. If one is to make a route passable then impassable, it
would be much better to make the route regularly impassable, but
rarely passable, and make such a route a hidden short cut along the
regular route so as not to force travelers out of their way to check
its status. The expectation to the player is that it is impassable,
until pleasantly surprised that for this rare moment, it is
passable. If the road again becomes impassable, they at least are
used to regularly following the other route which they may
conveniently do since it is on the way. This makes the road more of
an "easter egg" than an impediment. In the case of the cave affected
by the tide, have the cave constantly filling up and emptying
water. The player will gain the obvious awareness that the cave will
fill up and their time in it is limited.

Strong weather effects should be isolated to zones. If one wants
damaging storms, make a zone which frequently has damaging storms,
or a zone which requires special equipment for its consistently cold
weather, or fissures which explode hot gasses at perceivably short
timed intervals. etc.. Players know what to expect in these zones
immediately upon entering them, and that such states will persist
between sessions.

For negative effects, frequencies in fractions of normal sessions
lengths are perhaps most percievable, but greater than this could
tend towards content -enriching. For example, every week, month,
year, something new or different is offered to the players and
negative effects are balanced with additional content or progressed
storylines, but such changes are considered relatively
permanent. Save strong negative or challenging effects as frequent
or persistent in specific zones, or as a common theme throughout all
the land.

If one is implementing seasons mainly to illustrate a greater
passage of time, one can also use setting-specific festivals perhaps
coupled with celestial events. These are positive events that
players can participate in and are culture building. For example,
every year the town gathers in it's public square and celebrates the
day time began, or when the Great Prophets gather to give tidings of
the future based on events from the deep past (foreshadowing
upcoming expansions). The celestial event allows multiple locations
to synchronize their participation, regardless of their remote
location. Such a cost to this participation, though, should perhaps
not be entrapment though, willingly or otherwise. Participation at
this level should be somewhat more inviting.

Some thoughts on the matter...

- Eric
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