Re: [MUD-Dev] more classes (Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo)

[Matt Chatterley <root#mpc,dyn.ml.org>]

On Wed, 1 Oct 1997 clawrenc#cup,hp.com wrote:

> In <199709261450.HAA11171#pc4,zennet.com>, on 09/26/97 
>    at 09:44 AM, "Brandon J. Rickman" <ashes#pc4,zennet.com> said:
> 
> >And why does everyone start with a weak character?  In heroic science
> >fiction or fantasy characters start out with some expert skills.  
> 
> A couple basic reasons:
> 
>   It allows MUDs to more easily play off __two__ of the basic plots:
> _Man_Learns_A_Lesson_, and _The_Little_Tailor_ (man goes out, has an
> adventure, comes home and tells about it).
> 
>   It allows the same game to be played repetitively: Each time the
> character can advance differently.
> 
>   The sense of advancement provides attractive goals for players.

I agree on all the above counts, but wanted to add some additional
ponderings:

JCL mentions the sense of advancement - this is especially prominent given
that a number (fair percentage) of games base their long term goals around
character advacements in skills or other direct ways.

It is not as suitable for a game that presents itself more as a 'dynamic
story', whereby characters destinies are to some extent foretold and
expectorised in some fashion - and where the character is already a
distance along their 'life'. Myself, I assume a character to be barely
'come of age' among their people, and as yet to become adventurers.

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics." -?