One thing I'd like to implement is some sort of RTS-style game on top of everything else. Something where players can control areas, raise armies, collect taxes, stuff like that. I haven't figured out any of the details yet, it's just an idea that's been bouncing around my head the last year or so.
On 6/21/05, Sandi Fallon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Has the MUD wheel been perfected to the point where it's only a matter of > > tweaking aesthetic items that makes a game "unique"? I mean, in all > > honesty, how much farther can the text-based gaming community go with the > > development of M**'s? What is there that's left to do? > > I think there's a lot left to do. It does, as you suggest, take some > imagination... it also takes understanding the game. I've been working > on my DeepMUD codebase since the only ROM derivative was ROT. I saw a > progression from Merc to ROM to ROT, and decided to go the other way. > That is, rather than give players more of this and that and make > things easier, I took things away, and made things more... > interesting. :) > > Here's a short list of things I've changed: > > There is no 'nanny' - you create your character in the game. > Gain replaces selecting skills in the nanny. > There are no groups, you can select spells individually. > There are 30 levels rather than 50. (You can still go to Hell, though :) > Experience To Level is the same for all, not based on race or skills. > The amount of XP needed to level increases with each level. > Alignment is set by your Guild (class), and may not be changed. > Races have Guild aptitudes rather than XPL penalties. > Each skill has a Guild based aptitude factor. > The game engine runs faster - ticks, repops, rounds, all happen faster. > In addition, Mana users get more mana faster. > Regen is increased - you sleep less. > Food has nutritional values, you need to eat a balanced diet. > The number of things you can carry is limited - better get a bag. > You level by command at the King, not automatically while fighting. > After leveling, you will dream of a grail to quest for. > You can offer grails to High Druids for higher stats (there are no 'trains'). > You can use BONUS instead of LEVEL to get more practices (Guild Coins). > Stats can go as high as 28. (really higher - not just spread out) > You can drop a light and see in the room. > There are only 14 wear positions. Choose your EQ carefully. > Damage messages are based on the current % of the mob's HP. > The races use code extensions and each is truly unique. > > I changed the races first (to avoid pwipes, and so as not to be > limited by balance issues later on), but I still have the "stock" > areas, skills, spells and classes. These seem to be the things most > coders concentrate on, but they are, in fact, rather superficial. > You might say I changed the world, rather than the society that > lives there. Or, since my intention from the beginning was to create > a derivative, you could say I left the "fun stuff" for others. :) > > Yes, I'm bragging perhaps, but my intention is to offer my slightly > different view as an inspiration. I owe a lot to this list: it's > been much more helpful than any of the "boards" and many of the > folks here get personal mention in my credits file. Another low > noise source of ideas is the newly formed MudLab forum. > > And this isn't meant to be an ad, but since I announced 'beta' > yesterday, you're all welcome to drop by and see how the game > actually plays. This is the Solstice, my plan is to have a full > release by Samhain (that's Halloween to most of you). > > Oh, yes, since it's not listed anywhere: > > MUD: tirnanog.wolfpaw.net 2442 > > WWW: http://tirnanog.wolfpaw.net > > (the "changes" file on the web page goes into much more detail) > > > Cheers, > Sandi > > > PS: I mentioned 'understanding the game'. I strongly urge any coder > to build a few areas. It is the areas that contain the mobs we > kill, the equipment we use, the rooms we explore... it is the areas > that make the world we mud in. If you don't have a deep understanding > of how the areas work, your code will just be new pictures in a > history book. > > A great reference for ROM building is here: > > http://www.dizzymud.com/BuildingGuide/ab.htm > > -- > ROM mailing list > ROM@rom.org > Unsubscribe here ->>> http://www.rom.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/rom >
