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BatMUD Forums > Ideas-wanted > Hm.

 
 
#1
26 May 2017 00:43
 
 
So following the same concept.. You have a skill that relates to coding which
grows with the amount of content that has been accepted. So a weekly (?)
idea, set by an imm (design a one room pit trap-ie small room). Content
is reviewed, tossed or kept as desired. The idea if to have motivated users
creating short-idea one off encounters that could be introduced into the
outworld on a rare distribution. Variety of content which adds unique
experience to the game.

Size of submissions could vary depending on the level of the code skill. So
until you have a certain number of accepted small areas (one room), you
wouldn't be able to submit 3-5 room concepts (ruin, etc).

Just an idea which would probably be hell to implement, and hell to maintain.
But once it was up and running, there would feasibly be a steady stream of
small encounters to add flavour to the game. Of course, it would suck if
you couldn't run anywhere in outworld without falling into pit traps
constantly.
I think that there is some significant merit to this idea. It has been
something that several of us wizards have toyed around with in the past.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1) One of the things that makes BatMUD truly great is that we have the ability
to maintain a custom library of code allowing for a nearly unlimited amount of
possibilities when it comes to content creativity. If you can imagine it,
there's probably a way to build it. While it would not be a difficult feat (in
fact, I'm sure there's a room-creator sitting around somewhere) to make it
viable for mortals to design their own areas, we are not about to make our
library open-sourced for people to submit their content. In all honesty, a lot
of it is not documented and we really can't without spoiling a lot of the
game. In absentia of the latter discussed, there's not much entertainment in
an area consisting of just rooms and mobs and things to look at. We have a
pretty high standard when it comes to our development and that is likely what
has maintained player interest and ensured our existence all these years.

2) As our current development staff is currently 'volunteer', that means that
their time is volunteered as well. Most of us have real life jobs, families,
hobbies, etc. outside of here and spend what little time we can afford working
on our own projects, let alone having to work on someone else's. I have
offered many times in the past for mortals to design areas and have found that
it takes many, many, many revisions before the design and content comes to par
with standards, and ultimately, they give up. That, and, we now have the issue
of a player intimately knowing all of the secrets of the area unless I choose
to include my own modifications which would likely butcher the original design
to no longer make sense.

Notwithstanding, in complete ignorance of the former, if you have something
well-thought out, feel free to approach a wizard and talk about it. There is a
hierarchy of approval processes before anything is mapped, coded, or put into
the game, but overall, we can always use new content. There are multiple areas
in the game that have been designed and implemented in just this way. We are
always looking for content developers too... if you are spending all this time
designing areas, maybe it's time to consider immortality. I'm sure some others
may have different opinions, but these are just some of my thoughts on the
subject.

-- Lord Tarken Aurelius, the Sage

 
Rating:
4
Votes:
4
 
 
Tarken
W i z a r d
4y, 326d, 7h, 14m, 13s old
Level:
145 [Wizard]
 
 
#2
29 May 2017 01:51
 
 
So much feedback! :)

The original idea was imagining simple room design could be reduced to the
same process that is involved when you make an item or when you make a
sculpture. It falls into short desc, long desc etc.. or a step by step
procedure that ends with a workable result.

This way you have a limited creation process that lets players design simple
content without being exposed to the more involved behind the scenes
information ie secrets (in theory). I think there are any number of players
here who have many more years of experience but would never want to stop
playing.

If i had to draw a parallel between bat and D&D, these would be more 1-shot
experiences that serve as a distraction from the more involved long term
efforts. Tho it wouldn't be hard to add threads to other experiences or
adventures further along. Say you fall into a long forgotten pit trap.. and
there-in you find remnants of a long abandoned orc camp. You search, and
track down the 5-10 room abandoned camp and find undead warriors and signs
of a great battle. Upon releasing the orcs from their undead curse, their
dying breath points you in the direction of the chaos fueled tribe that
slew them. Third area is the rival orc tribe which has been twisted by
chaos. 3 areas of varying size. But nothing ground breaking, and i imagine
there'd have to be enough bait to motivate the players but you could
establish a simple story. If you're motivated enough, you could interlace
different encounters with repeated elements of a rise of chaos. Once you've
explored a certain number of these incursions, you deduce the location
of the remote temple causing all the trouble. etc. A large involved area.

But it all starts with very small random encounters that could be seeded in
the outworld. Ideally, as they were developed, more and more could be
plugged into the encounter table. Weekly random coding tasks (make a skaven
warren) would give a varied assortment to draw from. I don't think new
content has to be an epic thing. Ships are a great example of content that
takes me 5-30 minutes to do but keeps me occupied. It's not epic, but it's
involved and has a certain sense of randomness.

It also could serve as a simple introduction to coders for those who are
looking at taking the big leap to becoming an imm but are intimidated by
their total lack of knowledge when it comes to coding. Although
i'm always shouting things out, I still feel like there's a lot of the
game i haven't experienced and still would like to experience and wouldn't
want to commit entirely to coding and not playing.

I think there'd be interest in the idea but the biggest issue to me would
be what you brought up. Considering how many bards there are out there who
think nothing of putting the time into coming up with multiple plays.. I
think there might be a lot of content to wade through. And that would
reduce the imm in charge to being a teacher grading papers. Unless there
could be some sort of.. accreditation or validation process? I don't know.
but I think if you've made the step to Imm in the first place, It was to
work on your own ideas rather than be drowned in those of players.

I think.. and i emphasize this is a personal opinion.. that with a 24 hr
cycling game.. that a lot of areas end up feeling like great novels that
once read, can nostalgically be enjoyed but ultimately become an area only
repeated to reap the benefits possible to gain. So the only persistent
element ends up being the character and what will benefit him. Randomness
or elements that aren't predictable or.. even develop over long time are
what i'm trying to mentally incorporate into the game.

But i figure others have had the same thoughts. I'm just woolgathering or
rambling.

 
 
 
Roak
1y, 1d, 2h, 36m, 35s old
Level:
99