Thanks for your note.  I will discuss this with Myth and Raistlinn.  I
definitely want to make sure the mud isn't becoming a imm vs player
environment.  I want to remain responsive to player desires - my goal is
to deliver a fun and rewarding challenge, but not an obnoxious play
experience.  I also want to deliver a dynamic, evolving game with a high
repeat play value.

Regardless what happens with you joining the mud staff, I would greatly
like to hear specific ways to modify the mud to improve things both in
terms of godly interaction with players and with adjustments to game
mechanics both new and old.  Additionally, I'd like some indication of
what you (as a player representative) would like to see change
immediately to improve morale and inspire some defecting players as well
as what you'd like to see happen long term to generate more lasting appeal.

Thank you,
Sam
- Show quoted text -


Eric Andersen wrote:
> Hi Sam,
>
> This is Madrak (aka Render, Vramin, Zek, Taco, and a few others).  I'm
> writing to you in hopes that you will consider something that you
> offered me a few years ago, and that is an immortal.
>
> I took a several month hiatus from the mud after the clan I formed
> went tits up on me, through my own mistakes.  However I am absolutely
> shocked at some of the stuff that has gone on since I have been gone.
>
> A lot of new code involving mob behaviors has been implemented that I
> honestly feel does more harm to the MUD than good.  The main reason
> I'm writing this email is because today, I took it upon myself to lead
> a noble group, and upon request attempted to run what used to be some
> rather run-of-the-mill gear from Chaos.  Upon entering a room in the
> Thief House my group, including Link (a rather powerful tank) and 3
> others were, for lack of a better term, spanked.  The main reason for
> this was the new ability of ladies-in-waiting to cast spells,
> primarily dispel magic.
>
> I am by no means of the opinion that noble areas should be EASY or
> UNBALANCED.  When Myth first implemented Moonglow and Plink was
> running 350mil xp runs in a few hours it was me that advised her on
> how to correct the matter and the result was a fairly balanced noble
> XP area.  All of these new mob procs have done absolutely nothing to
> limit the amount of legends on the mud or how fast people acquire
> legend characters.  They simply have broadened a gap between XP areas
> and other areas that either used to provide XP or were predominately
> for equipment.
>
> There are a lot of things going on that I truly feel are wrong.  I'll
> just come out and say what I think, and here it is.  Raistlinn may be
> able to do positive things for the MUD but I truly feel that he does
> many things simply to be a dick to people.  I think he really gets off
> on imposing his authority and will on players through his position,
> and not in the best interests of the game and community.  Yojimbo, may
> be able and willing to build great areas, but I and many other
> experienced players see him as only building areas that will benefit
> his mortal characters.  He also has very limited experience in
> actually playing the mud.  It took me almost a year and a half to
> level my first legend.  Omoni did it in much less than a year, through
> the help of a "clique" of players.
>
> I want to stress to you, that I am not requesting an immortal with the
> plans of fighting with the current administration.  I simply want to
> bring some sort of balance to the field.  There are a huge number of
> loyal players who have many fond memories and ideas about the MUD and
> how to make it a fun and fair place for all to play.  I simply wish to
> be representative of that.  I don't think that any of the players that
> have made Kallisti a great MUD, want easy areas or no challenges, but
> when there is a huge gap of understanding between the admin and the
> player base nobody wins.  There has been, ever since I started
> playing, this rift between veteran players and the admin that is
> completely unnecessary.  Nobody wants an MUD with no challenge or
> risk.
>
> Code changes and new areas are not always the answer either.  I've
> played MUDs for about 15 years now, and Kallisti is awesome in it's
> uniqueness but it absolutely is lacking in questing.  I appealed about
> a year and a half ago to work with Myth to develop some good questing
> but was lobbied against by Drifter who at the time was your right hand
> man.  There are many things besides just adding new areas and
> equipment that can bring interest and fun to a MUD.  To me, it's about
> developing a community of players who have an active interest in
> playing and interacting with others.  That has always been what made
> Kallisti great and kept players coming back.
>
> Please Sam, let me have a chance to make an impact.  There is
> absolutely no one running any sort of quests, let me have a chance.
> There is at least one builder I KNOW will work with me to make good
> shit happen.  I've donated money to the MUD before and would do it
> again in a heartbeat if you asked.  I don't want to come to the field
> with nothing to offer or being combative with the other immortals.  I
> just want a chance to level the field and make the MUD a better place
> for the players.
>
> Give me the power and authority to run a few quests.  If I don't cut
> it, axe me, no harm no foul.  You've given plenty of people with less
> to offer a fair chance, hook me up.  I'm more than able to work with a
> broad range of people to get shit accomplished, let me show you what I
> can do.
>
> Thanks for your time,
>
> Eric
>

Reply	Forward	Invite Sam to Gmail
	
		
		
Eric Andersen 	
to sam
	 More options	  Mar 5 (1 day ago)
> Regardless what happens with you joining the mud staff, I would greatly
> like to hear specific ways to modify the mud to improve things both in
> terms of godly interaction with players and with adjustments to game
> mechanics both new and old.  Additionally, I'd like some indication of
> what you (as a player representative) would like to see change
> immediately to improve morale and inspire some defecting players as well
> as what you'd like to see happen long term to generate more lasting appeal.

Questing is and always has been sadly lacking.  We've had about 1
decent questmaster in my time here and that was Draco who doesn't seem
to be around anymore.  The task stuff seems kind of lame as well, but
it's a step in the right direction.  I must admit that I don't know
all of the dynamics that would be involved with setting up the quests
I have in mind, but I feel with Raistlinn's experience manipulating
code and Myth and Yojimbos building experience, I could learn fairly
quickly.

Rules enforcement I feel could adapted to better suit the theme of the
mud.  I don't think I know anyone who has never cussed on a public
channel, or botted, or broke the rules in some way.  This includes a
good deal of the immortals as well.   I have a few ideas on this,
again these are only examples that I've come with, I don't know how
feasible they are.

Adding immortal buff/curse spells/skills to punish groups including bots:

Instead of isolated incidents where select people get frozen or
"picked on" by the imms, bot checking could be a standard event.  In
the result that no one in botting an imm could cast a modest buff of
some sort on the group.  In the even someone is (after some reasonably
time limit of non-response) a much less modest curse could be cast.  I
really feel this would be something much more positively received by
all the players, and would encourage an anti-bot sentiment amongst the
players.  As things are right now, no-one really cares if someone is
botting in their group because it won't have any effect on them.
Something along similar lines could be done for other rule infractions
though I haven't given them too much thought.

Multi-playing:

Multiplaying is easy to beat.  This thing with having 2 seperate IP's
as proof that a player is not multiplaying is ridiculous.  I myself
have done this a number of times, both by running a sshd on my own box
and by using free shell accounts provided by other services.  A quick
multicheck is easily accomplished by bringing all the characters
involved (usually only 2) and after making sure "both" are there you
ask them both to name 10 items apiece of a different group of objects.
 To clarify, here's example:  Ok you Taco, name me 10 different colors
as fast as you can, and you Mister name me 10 different fruits as fast
as you can.  It quickly becomes apparent at this point if there is
multiplaying going on.  If anyone is able to beat it, they deserve
some type of reward for insane typing skills.

In a world of MMORPG's and fancy 3d graphics, there really can only be
one thing that has kept Kallisti, and mudding in general, popular: a
sense of community and fun.  To me, these are the #1 things that
should be considered before all else.  No one wants a mud full of
bots, but on the same note, no one wants to not be able to group
because there are no prophets or tanks, etc. about.

eric