On Friday, September 26, 1997 11:06 AM, Co-Sysop
[SMTP:dmodem@CYBNETONLINE.COM] wrote:
> At 01:54 PM 9/25/97 -0500, Cris Jacobin wrote:
> > A DikuMud is a game, not a simulation. Some people just don't
> >seem to understand that. Lean too far toward the 'realism' side of the
> >equation, and it's less of a game. (ie. less fun)
>
> I tend to agree. How many games are there out there where you go to work,
> type stuff, maybe use a fax machine, all in your never ending struggle to
> not develope an ulser. I can't think of very many like that. Now take a
> look at the games where you don't do anything you would normally do in real
> life... MUDs alone would be more than I would ever want to count. Life is
> boring most of the time. That's why there are games. We need something to
> take us away from the monotany of reality and into a word where we have to
> use everything we've got just to stay alive. And it's all for fun.
>
Doesn't mean that one cannot use realism. The crucial part is choosing
what to model. I have a copy machine in my mud that you can use to
copy paper; yet I didn't make it coin operated nor does it require you
to set the paper size, make sure it has toner and if it is plugged in.
The copier seems to be popular, seeing as it sits next to the mailbox.
People like it. Had I added the features I listed above in order to make
it more 'realistic' it wouldn't be considered enjoyable to hardly anyone.
Yet in all other respects it is realistic. It looks like a copier, acts like
a copier and succeeds in it's stated purpose in allowing people the
ability to copy a note using an in character method.
The same thing goes with the thread about having inventory be a bag.
The problem with the described implementation was that it didn't take
the player into account. It's fine to make inventory a bag.. as long as
the player has easily understood and easily used commands to
operate with.
Something like:
GET WRENCH
(You remove your 'held_item')
You get a wrench and put it in your bag
(You hold your 'held_item')
or
GRAB WRENCH
(You remove your 'held_item')
You get a wrench and put it in your bag
The search order becomes important as well. A good
routine to figure out what they 'want' to get is indicated,
not just blindly running through the obj. lists in a certain
order all the time.
Suitable defaults for actions that are inherent. The
(You remove your blah)
This is something I saw in the old infocom games and
have added to my mud. If you want to light a fire you just
type light <object>. The game assumes your lighter
and prints the
(with the lighter)
message for you..
my $0.02 on the matter.
--Mallory
I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate.
And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never
expect it. - Jack Handey
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