[Scrymud] Change idears?

[Edward Roper]

Just a compilation of some idealogical changes for scry:

Armor should have thickness, effectiveness ratings for particular attacks,
it's weight/flexibility should make it harder to move in combat... harder to
hit your opponent, easier to get hit. It should instead "absorb" the impact of
certain blows depending on type. i.e. chainmail is great for slashing/piercing
damage but it still hurts to get clubbed/bludgeoned. Armor should not have
player minimum level ratings, but should be based on ones ability to manuever
in the armor and bear the weight.

Weapons should not have minimum levels or hardcoded damage rolls. Instead
weapons should be effectively used based on a characters experience with the
weapons "typing." It should deal particular types of damage in particular
quantities based on the wielder. Skill with a particular weapon could be
practiced up to a particular point at which time the only way to improve upon
it is to use it in combat. 100% practiced could be the equivalent to a current
level 30 character wielding it. Some types of damage could be completely
nullified by certin armor types.

A helmet does nothing in real life to protect you from a chest blow. Attacks
in Scry should be targetted to a particular part of the body with associated
difficulty ratings and effectiveness varying with the degree of skill the
attacker and defender have.

Perhaps it would make sense to completely do away with classes and perhaps
even levels. Instead have players chose a particular set of base skills to
start with. Have practices and stat increases awarded incrementally through
player development instead of all at once when a "level" is gained. At certain
stages (w/any hardfast visual level/experience system hidden from the player)
they could undergo a process to learn new base skills. This mimics reality a
bit closer I believe. In life I can be really good at foraging for food,
tripping people (and in a mythical world) casting fireballs at people while I
might suck at climbing, skinning, butchering, bashing, etc.

Introduction of a "stamina" stat which would come into effect when "running",
"swimming", carrying heavy loads, fighting in heavy armor and/or with heavy
weapons, etc.

All in all after discussions w/Loki:

- In player paper+pen games simplicity is key. In a computer simulation it's
  easy for the computer to calculate complex algorithms and track hundreds of
  simulation variables in real-time. Therefore there is no reason not to take
  advantage of this.

- No need to "mimic" every existing mud out there in terms of gameplay. I'd
  personally rather see some serious innovation and new approaches taken.

- I'd like to see more dynamic objects, as Loki suggested somewhere -- more
  like a MOO.

- Obviously not all details can be completely hidden from players, they need
  to have something to guage their effectiveness and the effectiveness of an
  object/weapon/armor. I'd like to see this more a reflection of a particular
  characters effectiveness with a particular object though. The seperation
  that currently exists isn't very realistic. A drunken bumbling idiot with a
  fancy well-crafted trained-warriors sword will NOT wield the sword as
  effectively as the trained warrior with even a rusty short sword in combat.

Once again just jotting this stuff down so I don't forget it. Comments
welcome.

-- Khaav