REINCING AND CHARACTER CONVERSION

(this is a long post, please read this and all following before response.
Respond to the last post in this article to keep threads clean.)

This can be a long winded and very deeply (sometimes overly examined) topic,
and I will try to limit the scope of this article not to game philosophy or
principles involved but to critical suggestions to repair and enhance the
current reinc system.

That said; the optimal reinc system is a system which will not repress the
player's enjoyment of the game, but also maintain the same game design balance
which the previous system had. Lets talk about that balance quickly.

Gore will remember and vouch: He could not truly identify a definitive reason
why any given time was favored in the current tax system (1 month, two, three)
and did not see why at first glance, free reincs could be incorporated into
the game.

One can conclude that the reinc system is based around an imaginary need to
balance.. something. But what? Player
Experience and cash are fierce reasons for maintaining a harsh reinc system. I
am afraid the reasons for abandoning those paradigms are even more fierce.

Lets digress for a moment. Why the lengthy explanation in this article?
Reincarnation is a major system in BatMUD and to properly address and repair
the majority need to be informed in a lengthy response spanning not just 'fix
this and do that' but also understand why.

Most players when asked about the reinc system will stress their desire for a
better system, general unhappiness with the current system, wishes to make
'crazy' reincs without detrimental loss to character and resources, some will
say it is 'ok' and explain that the current system is fine.

The reinc system has become a taboo of sorts, after the system was initially
implemented there was a lot of flames and emotional responses. Years later, we
can see that perhaps some of those flames were in fact: warranted.

- blackstar -