Greater Mud discussions from another forum 1 of 2

[Evil]

zCat Nov 18th, 2005, 9:34pm

I have a good feeling about Vitoc and DC's project. I can wait very patiently, metro taught me how.

Let us know when you get a web page up.

DeathCow Nov 20th, 2005, 1:02am

The webpage is really not something we're gonna spend time on at this point.  I might as well talk a little about our plans.  Vitoc 'thinks' he can have the coding done by dec 1st.  I think he's underestamating the time, but frankly...that bitch busts out code like a whore busting out with herpes. fast
Either way. I'm currently working on the baseline for our mud.  Unfortunately we can't exactly use metro's database for our mud, cause that would be illegal. So I'm working on building a realm from scratch.  Keep in mind that I did learn everything I know about mud from majormud so the 'look' and 'feel' will be very similar to majormud.  Our product should be finished this year.  I of course can't make promises since this isn't exactly a job for us and is just a hobby.  We do have goals set, that we want to keep up with, but I'm a student plus I've recently been rewarded a research grant which is very cool.  I actually get to apply my doctoral thesis to my research...someone thinks that I know what I'm talking about... .  So  I guess I'm just saying that we do have our own lives that compete for our time to work on this.  But either way...Vitoc is coming along quickly.  Myself I'm a little behind but things are working out.  I've decided a few basic plans for the structure of this mud.  I'm gonna have the baseline product start everyone off in a small village.  It will include all the basics that any 'newhaven' type place should have.  It will connect to the basic city.  In my mind there should be a little more between point a and point b than there is in majormud, so finishing 'my' newhaven might be a little more involved that borrowing some smurfettes skiff, but not alot more.   

A small side note, I've been playing around with editted communities for a while now and I've come to think that content should be based around attracting players to be at the keys more often.  Rather than simply providing areas and monsters for scripts to kill.  Meaning that there should be some reward for PVP and exploration.

Rewards for pvp don't need to be exp based.  I think PVP reward can be created by having a realm in which money has greater significance than it does in Majormud.  Also by creating a Landscape that has many hidden areas and many limited items that are of quality.  If i were to apply these thoughts to majormud I'd probably increase the costs of the most commonly purchased items, as well as decreasing the weight of cash and also decreasing the amount of gold dropped.  Smaller numbers are just easier to mentally manage.  Moreover,  I'd look at all items in the realm that drop from bosses and items that are limited.  Many in ame items are completely useless and are crap.  I have never seen a player with any knowledge use the serpent scourge (for example) in combat.  Why would this item be limited, Limited items should Be 'grand'  and everyone should have access to them.  Of course some items will be better than others, but, some items should be grander than others.  Non-lims should never trump lims.  This makes for a realm filled wih unique characters.

Back to my main topic which is the 'my' realm theory.  My basic realm that I am aiming to complete within this year is going to be content for levels 1-20.  Similar to older mud versions but with more things to do when atks.  The best part about this project is that Vitoc can literally add in anything I need/want added in.  As I build my realm I want to move from a standard starting town to a alignment starting point.  Towns with quests and items developed for each alignment.  This in theory should function in ways similar to the Major MMorpgs that exist currently.

I know the idea of a realm with only 20 levels seems limiting but creating a new module the sie of a majormud style module really only takes me a monthish.  So added content will be quick..instead of...cough. 

I have signficant 'storyline' plans made.  I want to make the general story to be as close the the generic cliche' RPG story as I can, then allow for specific Greatermud story line to develop through NPC/Ingame interaction.  Obviously the story will evolve as I create new content but what I want to work with is a resurrected evil, and the conflicts betweem good and evil.  Which is something every RPG players knows and enjoys.

So I'm clear on how much will be involved in my baseline, I thought I'd mention what majormud's baseline is.  Majormud's base line includes new haven, silvermere, The darkwood forest area, goblin caves, the frozen cavern area w/ice hoe, slums, darkhouse and everything underthat(with a couple exceptions, like the crimson fort).  My goal is to have a obsidian fortress with the 'major' bosses of the realm in it for the initial release.  These bosses will of course be marginalized by new content but..there should always be something to do.

Anyway..I'm a little toasted and I'm gonna crash...I thought I'd just put some ideas in words so people knew wher I was coming from.  If it means anything to anyyone there are 4 (in theory) people working ont his project now.  Vitoc and I are the only ones I can confirm progress from, But 2 others have asked and seemed eager to help.  1 of these people has no real tasks assigned to them, and I'm really not sure what they want to work on.  I can certainly create work for them if they want it though.  The other is going to work with me on content, but for the momment is working on programing our own database editor.  Which is really something as the compiling time we needed to convert from NMR databases to SQL databases was rather large. 

And um yeah..Moo.

zCat Nov 21st, 2005, 9:42pm

I wouldn't mind beta testing.. 

You guys are killing the need for world group right?

gos anyway, i am tired.. night

DeathCow Nov 22nd, 2005, 3:02am

Seriously...smurf world group.

Vitoc Nov 26th, 2005, 9:52am

CHOPPED SOME STUFF ABOUT VITOC BEING HARASSED BY SOMEONE

As for the status of the project, reality has set in.  My self imposed Dec. 1st deadline for having the engine completed is no longer realistic.  I was planning on devoting this long weekend to finishing stealth (just have the backstab attack left really) and spellcasting.  However I was approached with another side project which offers actual compensation.  My dedication to finishing this game is trumped only by my necessity to put food on my plate and a roof over my head (my gf and I have been living paycheck to paycheck).  It's a small side project so hopefully I can get back to business by next weekend.  DC probably wouldn't have been done with the baseline content by the 1st anyway, so this will give him some more time to create quality content.   

DeathCow Nov 26th, 2005, 3:18pm

Honestly no I wont be done with the baseline by dec 1st.  Mainly because I didn't know exactly what I should be working on until somewhat recently.  As I'm now building the content from scratch rather than just copying I've got quite a bit of work to do.  ATM i've designed a small village where the adventure will begin.  Here in this small town there will be a few options of tiny quests and areas to roam and kill, but you'll also be able to simply leave the area as soon as you start.  I've built the area so that in the future I can use it as an area for characters to decide their alignment and from there they'll leave for the evil area or good area depending on the actions they take while they are there.  Kinda of an everquest 2 kinda vibe.

But either way..I only have content built for levels like 1-3 atm.  I'm taking my time and making well worded room and item descriptions.  Well I think they are well worded...someone else might read it and wonder where I learned english.

As for coffee I do understand your frustrations, but I can't quite understand your exspectations.


On a side note I've received mail from about like 10 people about helping with content.  I was waiting to give a full responce once our own editor was finished, But I havent heard much about that so I'm gonna work out an outline of the areas and such that I want done and then I'll explain to everyone that is still willing to help how to go about creating the content using a few various tools.  I'll also attempt to explain how I want the area to 'feel'.  From there I suppose it will be up to each persons to make the area and I'll just go back through and make any adjustments that are needed so the game has a sort of creative flow.  Anyway...I'll work out the outline and then send information to those of you that offered help.   

One possitive note is that Hocalbbs has offered us a static ip to use for when we are doing beta testing, which should be very useful.


Radirac Nov 26th, 2005, 4:28pm


Bless your heart, Deathcow. Bless your heart and all four of your stomachs. To help, grab a few people that can proofread when you get around to beta testing; it was working very well in mod10. That was going to be Metro's best-written mod, imho.

DeathCow Nov 26th, 2005, 4:28pm

Yeah...I'm sure we will be doing that, there are dozens of people that have Pm'd me asking if we will need help beta testing.  I'll also have access databases for quicker viewing for a few of the beta testers.


DeathCow Nov 29th, 2005, 12:04am

Sorry, I have to admit, I got bored working on my outline and went back to working on my own stuff.  I'll finish the outline soon enough..  Btw what do ya'll think would be better, for me to finish the outline all at once or to finish it in sections and pass them out as i finish each part?


hocalbbs Nov 29th, 2005, 11:01am

Well, this is just speaking from a project perspective. I think it would make you feel better if you did it in parts and handed it out. Because it would feel like something is getting accomplished and you would then further motivate yourself to do more. *psycho babble*

Yea... so that is my vote. 


DeathCow Nov 29th, 2005, 3:34pm


Sounds reasonable.


DeathCow Nov 30th, 2005, 1:13am


So i had typed out like a huge message detailing plans then I hit the f'n back button on my keyboard.  UGH.

Either way, I've lost some PMs due to my box overflowing so I don't exactly have all the names of people that offered some help.  I am however ready to recieve said help and Have my basic outline done.  Atm i don't really feel like retyping that so  for the momment I'm just gonna send PMs to the people I do have on my list.

Anyone that has offered that is still interested, if you wouldnt mind dropping a message in here so I could have a permenant list that wouldnt disappear on me that be great.


Apsu Dec 1st, 2005, 5:41pm

Wow this is great......

I can hardly wait...  Anything I can do to help?

DeathCow Dec 1st, 2005, 7:37pm

Well, if you're interested in helping with some content, you're welcome to.  Aim me at Deceit9090, or icq me at 52672667.


Vitoc Dec 5th, 2005, 10:00am

I finished implementing stealth this weekend, including combat (backstabbing).  On the agenda for this week is spellcasting and a few minor bugs with cloned NPCs.  DC sounds like he's got things in full swing with content.  I'm pushing him to get me a small subset of the baseline so I can get some beta testers in to start putting the engine through it's paces before we do content-based testing.

DeathCow Dec 5th, 2005, 11:39am

I have competed the actual starting area for the game.  Only issue is that its rather difficult to get a huge grasp on debugging coding issues with only 5 levels of content to work in.  I want to finish the 1 starting town that I am working on so that when the level 1-5 area is completed by testers then they can go to the town and start looking at stuff there to.  The towns have more complex NPC interactions than occur in the level 1-5 area.

As for content design I've been focusing more on finishing the concepts in the eastern section of the world where the neutral players will start out at.  I'm also working on the, for lack of a better term, massive transit system.   

I'm also working on designing guild houses, as they need a big improvement over whats offered in majormud.

DeathCow Dec 5th, 2005, 11:40am

Thinking about it....it would be really easy for me to build a code debuging area.  It wouldn't be pretty, but it would be very functional.