Re: Player Killers (Was PBM Report)

From: MindShift Design <mindshift@my-deja.com>

Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000

In article <slrn8umnof.hn9.tim@leaphome.pelican.org>,
  tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin) wrote:
> MindShift Design <teammsd@mindshiftdesign.com> wrote:
> >
> >> The secret to stopping PKing is to have in-character methods of
> >making it a
> >> dead end, while not actually disallowing it at all.
> >
> >It does become that in STSI. Bounty hunters abound as do militia and
> >armies. As a player gains notoriety, this is reflected in
their "fame"
> >stat. Certain events can happen that make it problematic, such as
being
> >sighted by NPCs who write messages on the message tree in the
> >settlement, or when bounty hunters come out to claim a reward for
> >bringing in "outlaws" - there are many types of bounty hunters, and
if
> >you upset the Silvandesh, don't wander into any forests without
plenty
> >of armor, or a line of site out of the woods <g>.
> >
> >We're hoping that these elements will help balance it out. Any
thoughts
> >or comments from players/moderators ?
>
> Your in-game stuff sounds neat, but given that it sounds workable,
I'd lose
> the 'game rule' restriction.  If people want to do bad things, let
them, but
> make sure there are in-game consequences for whatever they do,
preferably ones
> that are supported (and even enforced) by the PCs, not just NPCs who
are
> effectively rules made manifest.

Hmmm. One of the main reasons we�d like to have that in is because it
gives the players the option to play the game as combat monsters or as
a questing game, but in the same world and all of them being affected
by the same events � such as a change of control in settlements,
effects of war that trickle down to outerlying regions etc. Players who
are protected would still be affected by the game world changes that
continue due to other player actions. And there are many levels that
the players can play on that are affected. The �non-combatant� rule
only protects the party members, not any businesses that they own, or
settlements they control.

Another reason for having it in is that I know if I was playing a game
for perhaps a year and had been happily minding my own business and
questing then ended up on the business end of another player getting
his jollies from attacking other players, I�d be pissed. Pissed at the
other player, the game designer and the company running the game �
especially if I�d spent a fair amount of money on the game. Perhaps
this has swayed my judgment on this � but I don�t think that�s a bad
thing. At the end of the day in commercial ventures, it�s important to
retain the players.

In the game there are Avatars as well, which are physical
manifestations that are sent by the gods to communicate and
protect �heroes� in the game. It would be easy enough for us to explain
away the protection as being protected by the gods, seeing as each
player character can nominate their deity of choice.

> DungeonWorld, as Steve points out, manages to allow PKing while
making the
> in-game penalities for doing so severe enough that people will only
usually
> do it as a genuine role-playing choice, not to try and disrupt game
balance.

Steve, can you give any comments on this ? How do you handle this ?

> The better MUDs have been doing similar for a long time, with varying
degrees
> of how far the repercussions wander into 'rules' territory (wizard-
/god-level
> PCs blur the boundary) and levels of success.  The new generation of
on-line
> role-players (UO etc), haven't really sussed this, as far as I'm
aware.

True, but I still want to protect the players who are playing not to
kill, crush and destroy, but to adventure. If they�re going to get
their skulls bashed in during the game, it should be by a rampaging
Burrowclaw (a black widow-like mammal) or a swarm of Sheaf Bugs
(poisonous bugs that eat grain).

--
Jason Paul McCartan - jasonm@mindshiftdesign.com
CEO/President
MindShift Design LLC
http://www.mindshiftdesign.com

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

References

Player Killers (Was PBM Report)
MindShift Design <teammsd@mindshiftdesign.com>
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Player Killers (Was PBM Report)
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Player Killers (Was PBM Report)
MindShift Design <teammsd@mindshiftdesign.com>
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Player Killers (Was PBM Report)
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 16 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0000