RE: CF: ideas for next experiments

[dragonm <dragonm@leech.org>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug wilder
To: crossfire@ifi.uio.no
Sent: 9/14/99 5:09 AM
Subject: Re: CF: ideas for next experiments

<snip>

Question:

I can see maybe not resetting some of the more advanced dungeons, but
the  fact remains that for a low level character you really need for the
maps in  scorn to be left alone. Until a character can get out he is very
limited there.

My question is Whats the big deal about having the same artifacts out
there to be picked up? Many games do this. they don't seem to have any
problem coping with it. I don't see that it is an issue really, i mean how
many  SKULLCLEAVERS  can you use? Why would you want to use two rings of
magic immunity? I can see a character selling it. I can see a character
giving it to someone else, but why use it? The fact remains that limiting
artifacts really doesn't affect anything in the long run. If i know of an
area where i can pick up xyz artifact and i really want another one i can
always get another character to go get it and one way or the other give it
to the one i want to give it to. Games such as Everquest, Ultima Online, and
Diablo have unique items and nothing prevents characters from holding more
than one of an item.
----------------
There are two major problems with having the same quest artifacts replicated
over and over.  One is the problem of balance.  A game that allows infinite
replication of any item has a permanent case of Power Creep.  Before long,
every Tom, Dick, and Harry has an Adamantium Sword of Much Beating, can kill
anything in one blow, and the game is totally pointless and no fun.

The other problem is, it eliminates the most famous fantasy theme of all
time.  Have you read the Lord of the Rings?  What if it wasn't "The One
Ring?"  What if it was just the "One of the Rings?"  What if they were so
common that Barleyman Butterbur had a One Ring of his own?  The story goes
out the window, and the whole of Middle Earth devolves into chaos.  Worse,
it's not even interesting chaos.  It's BORING chaos.  EVERYBODY is invisible
if they want to be, EVERYBODY lives forever, and eventually, everybody is
consumed by the evil power of their toy.  Whooptie doo.

Finally, while Diablo's unique items were doomed from the beginning, Ultima
Online and EverQuest unique items CANNOT be replicated.  The server has
total control of the entire universe and that control is inviolate.  If
somebody actually succeeds in exploiting a bug that replicates a supposedly
unique item, the server can throw an exception and shut DOWN.  The owners of
the server go fix the bug, delete the duplicate of the unique item, and
bring the server back up.  The advantage of client-server architecture which
is NOT peer to peer is that consistency is enforced with a vengeance by the
server, and enterprising young hackers who are willing to CHEAT to gain
power are stymied.

Cheating sucks.  A friend of mine bought Baldur's Gate.  Played that 5 CD
game for less than a week, because it was dull already.  Why?  Because he
cheated.  He got some extremely powerful artifacts from some other player,
so a level 2 fighter could successfully kill a bear with little or no risk.
If he accidentally screwed up, he reloaded from a save point 10 minutes
back, without penalty of any sort other than loss of 10 minutes of real
time.  Poof, the game is pointless.  In an online-only game, the server has
the power to eliminate those avenues, and every other, if the developers are
actively plugging holes discovered in the course of game play.  Item
uniqueness IS enforceable.

DM
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