Re: [MUD-Dev] Gender and Mud Development

[J C Lawrence <claw#varesearch,com>]

On Thu, 10 Jun 1999 09:32:24 -0500 
Koster, Raph <rkoster#origin,ea.com> wrote:

>> From: J C Lawrence

>> I question whether the life-span on testosteronal MUDs is not
>> ncessarily short,

> My belief is that one reason why there are so many fairly similar
> hack n slash ones is that many of the hack n slash types move on
> from mud to mud when they master a given one. The ladder of
> achievement is exhausted, and the game doesn't evolve into
> different modes of gameplay as you advance in it--it remains just
> kill-the-foozle.

Precisely.  Rather than extend and develop the game, they, in
essence, rape and pillage, and move on when the supply of targets
run out without excercising their investment in the current game.

>> and whether the attraction of less brutal games (with the
>> resultant lack of economic inflation problems) is not due in a
>> large part to the fact that the game itself can remain (or be
>> predicted to remain, which is an equally if not more sensitive
>> and important player perception) interesting for far longer.

> Yes, except that it has no initial hook, which may present a
> problem. A lot of the less brutal games out there now have real
> trouble giving an immediate goal for players that is clearly
> understood and easy to achieve (like, say, kill-the-foozle).

<nod>

Again, I fear for violent agreement.

-- 
J C Lawrence                                   Home: claw#kanga,nu
---------(*)                Linux/IA64 - Work: claw#varesearch,com
 ... Beware of cromagnons wearing chewing gum and palm pilots ...


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