From: dazzt
Date: 2002-04-01 01:48:14
We should also start thinking more about the gameplay issues and playability. We need to list action players are able to do. By action, I don't mean listing every different skill, but a list in a bit more general level. If players can fish there is probably a 'fishing' skill, but there shouldn't be an action for every combat style imaginable.
After we have gathered some list of actions (even partial), we should answer the following questions:
- What is the action about?
- What makes the action interesting for a player to do it?
- What does it bring to the game?
And
- Is it fun?
I added a PlayerActions -page into the worldbook, that contains a couple of sample pages with open questions with topics that IMO need most thinking (Worshipping, quests, skill advancing).
Don't reply to this with action-specific descriptions, please start separate threads for them (e.g. 'Action: Worshipping').
From: Archantes
Date: 2002-04-01 17:34:53
In-Reply-To: 1407
I put here some general things that need to be discussed, so start a new thread for each topic.
Players are (should IMO) able to:
- Gather raw materials (This adds skills like mining)
- Build items (skills like carpentry, smithing)
- Build houses
- Sell things (to each other and NPCs)
- Kill ;) (Well, that's obvious)
- Form groups of all kind
- Dig tunnels (That's a bit odd, but I explain)
- Form cities and arrange a guard system somehow
- Enchain people and force them to go somewhere
- Heal and aid each other
- Write books
- Teach PCs
- Travel (By walking, with ships, horses, wagons, and other means)
And those already in WB
- Worship
- Quests
- Practice
Gathering raw materials (I'm working on a system for that btw) is base for dynamic, working economy.
Building items and houses is fun, people love to see the results of their efforts and more they love to show them to each others. And the game is for items. People play to get more wealth and more power.
Selling is another requisite for economy.
Ability of forming groups is something that makes the roleplay more interesting. Man is gregarious animal, you know. From houses and parties to whole nations. There should be some very very strong advantage in being part of some nation (being under some lord or king) so people could some day fight a whole war! That's something I want to see
Digging tunnels (and therefore mines) and all kind of working up of ground makes the game to stand out from other Online RPGs. The world is not just plain ground that you walk on. And when people can dig callars and mines (dungeons even) you just not gain more storage space but give players ability to make their own quests. Steal an item and hide it to your dungeon. Then the player who was robbed hires someone to get it back. That's the most simple and legendary RPG quest imaginable. And it is even not so lame. The dungeon is cheaper to build than a whole castle but gives almost as good protection. Minig gets whole new horizon when you do not dig same place for five years. And when you can work up the ground you are able to build ground walls, moats, roads..
Forming cities should be arranged by game engine so, that the city has something to offer to townspeople. City wants taxes but gives the shopkeepers and craftsmans secure place to build a shop and ordinary people a safe (as safe as possible) place to sleep, eat, trade and practise.
Enchaining is a prerequisite for public executions. And it is practical when wanting to restore order. OTOH it should not be superior method. Maybe something like: Three people is needed to enchain one unarmed person.
Healing, aiding and teaching is needed for people to get some advantages from groups.
Writing books. (See the Books of ancient wisdom thread;) That's something that makes the world live and remember. People that have ability to write and patience for that can write books and tell their lifestories and other information in them. There is some problems in this system that need to be solved before this can happen, but still.
Traveling should not be easy, but when world is this huge, there is always possibility to buy a wagon and be a 'taxidriver' for wealthy people. Of cource they can build their own wagons ships and use them. In any way there is need for traveling.
More in WB. I added some thoughts there.
