[ScryMUD] Request for comments

[Justin Piper]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: scrymud-bounces at scry.wanfear.com 
> [mailto:scrymud-bounces at scry.wanfear.com] On Behalf Of Edward Roper
> Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 7:55 PM
> To: scrymud at scry.wanfear.com
> Subject: [ScryMUD] Request for comments
> 
> [2] Perhaps the character creation process could get a little 
> more detailed,
> asking you more "in-character" questions that would affect 
> more subtle aspects
> of game-play. Religion, starting town/zone, etc.

Specifically aspects affected by role-play. Rather than an analog of
that career placement exam from Ultima V, this would ask questions that
indicate aspects the character's personality and start you out
associated with like-minded people. Making this newbie friendly might be
tricky, though. If the game starts out with, "WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A
SURVEY?" it might send new players in search of something less tedious
(like waiting in line at the DMV).

> [3] Difficulty in learning Skills/Spells would be based on an 
> algorithm that
> would make it difficult to be a generalist, not-so-difficult 
> to specialize,
> etc. You would be able to learn and use Skills/Spells above 
> your level,
> however there would be an algorithm for determining 
> penalties/bonuses based on
> your level.

I envision this as a system to allow generalists while still providing
incentives to specialize. The top-level branches would be skills such as
forestry, brawling, acrobatics, physik, channeling that roughly
correspond to the classes we have now. Studying multiple branches is
possible, however doing so will adjust upwards the difficulty of each.
If, for example, any one of the aforementioned top-level skills require
5 practices to learn to 100%, learning two might require 15 rather than
10. Levels would have a similar effect. If you attempt to learn a skill
above your level, the difference would be used to adjust the difficulty.

To be successful, this would most likely also require adjusting the
penalty for failing a skill. Currently you either successfully execute
the skill for the full effect or you fail it completely. That would be
unduly hard on a generalist who conceivably might not have more than 30%
in anything. Multiple levels of "soft" failure could be supported
instead. If I use gate as an example, failing it might cause the exit to
be some number of rooms away from where you intended to go, put the
entrance on the wrong side, or cause it to close before more than one
person has a chance to pass through it. Your ability in a skill would
still affect success or failure of the attempt, however there would now
be a lessened or unusual effect in the case of failure.

It would also be desirable for the game to use the teachers to give the
player feedback while practicing. Rather than simply printing, "You feel
a bit wiser." have the teacher instruct the player. Vary the instruction
depending on the degree of success. If your ability increased by an
insignificant amount (due to the advanced level of the skill being
attempted, for example), the instruction should make that apparent.
Fizzled spells, fumbled weapons, and an exasperated teacher.

I'm interested in hearing feedback from players. Additionally, I think
mock-ups of the kind of interaction you would like to see in RP
situations with the teachers or with mobs in general would be
illuminating.