Re: Coman's rent system comments

Posted by Ptah on 09/12/96

>The rent system is simply a level limits system under another name. A
>level 1 certainly does not have enough rent to be able to save that 120mm
>tank gun and multiple launch rocket system even if he can use it (or, for
>that matter, a weapon as simple as a Dolch dagger). He/she must go UP
>levels in order to keep the weapon.

Yes, of course. It would help to clarify however that Legend's rent levels system, as opposed to a traditional mud rent system, does not charge rent, of course, which is the primary method of restricting access. You can get the way cool item, but not keep it unless you are good enough to pay for it on an ongoing basis, under that system. It is unfriendly to the casual player, however.

The chief difference between our system and a level limits system is simply choice. You get to pick how to allocate your available space. Under a level limits system, the immortals pick for you. They simply say "sorry, you can't pick up that item or wield it, it's a level 50 item and you are only level 49."

>There is also some rationale to a level
>limit on the Ability to use some items. Some items are more complex or
>more difficult or require more mana/power/spirit to use than others.

I have never seen it done without shattering the fiction. However, that doesn't mean it couldn't be done. But it couldn't be done WELL unless you abandoned level as the measure and used other things instead. For example, "it takes more mana to use this item" is a far subtler design than "it takes level 45 to use this item." One might note that under our three-era system and given our fragmented world and database, we would find ourselves having to place very specific restrictions on items that would not work well across the board. If access to skills based on hometowns is hard to balance, imagine access to the items... for a Londoner, a flaming sword is simply too magical to use. I can just hear the outcry over THAT one...

>I certainly wouldnt put a private in charge of a $30M F-14. So, does that
>make the rent system lame and poor game design? No. They are both
>systems designed to put a brake on the infinite equipment problem that
>exists in muds. The rent system suffers when people deliberately cheat
>and give low level characters very powerful equipment. In a level limited
>system, this isnt possible because the low level characters cant use the
>equipment (although they may be able to carry it and sell it).

In a rent limited system, they can't even carry it and sell it, of course.

>Personally, I
>much prefer the rent system. But, liking it doesnt make it the best
>solution and doesnt solve the Monty Haul equipment giveaway that goes
>on constantly.

Actually, the system is capable--perhaps it is the scale that needs addressed. If rent accrues too quickly at low levels and too slow at high levels, that would lead to th situation you describe. Since we use a flat scale by level, that is probably an excellent point to begin addressing the problem. Say, make newbies start with a rent limit of 2000 or 3000, but you gain not 1000 per level but instead an amount that increases with each level, until at level 49 you gain a very very large amount of rent space when you level.

Comments on that?

Boy, do we need a discussion board within the mud. :P -Ptah

From: Beam Thursday, September 12, 04:06PM

I had been wondering that myself, about a discussion board, on the mud i mean. Would it eat up too much memory?