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30581: RE: [MUD-Dev] Better Combat
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From: "David Kennerly" <kennerly@finegamedesign.com>
Newsgroups: nu.kanga.list.mud-dev
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 23:05:03 -0700
References: [1]
Organization: Kanga.Nu
Steven King wrote:
> Raph Koster wrote:
>> - There's downtime when you are waiting for the optimal moment
>> to perform an action you have already decided on.
> AKA Tension. The moment right before you pull the trigger. IMO
> this "unresented" downtime as it adds to the gameplay experience.
I didn't feel like nitpicking the meaning of downtime when I read
the original post by Raph, but since this is proving contagious, I'd
like to clarify a consistent usage of the term, downtime.
Downtime exists when and only when a system forces a user to remain
idle, because the system disables all desired operations. Thus
waiting a significant amount of time (say a couple minutes or more?)
for a carriage is downtime (if travel is the only current desire);
waiting for health to recharge is downtime (if health is required to
competently play). Choosing to wait for an enemy to enter a trap
before attacking it is a passive tactic. Baiting is a user's
choice; so it is not downtime.
This definition of gameplay-specific downtime is more consistent
with the original (mechanical and online service) defintion. Even
if consistency is a hobgoblin of my little mind, dubbing any form of
tactical delay as downtime establishes a wobbly foundation for a
discussion. All time except during the single frame of an
on-button-down event could then be characterized as downtime. And
then downtime, as a term, would be devoid of utility.
Under this clarification, there is not downtime when waiting for the
optimal moment to execute a strategy. As Steven wrote for the
example Raph gave, there is tension. The reason tension is not
downtime is because a player /could/ act before the optimal moment.
David
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