nu.kanga.list.mud-dev

743: Re: [MUD-Dev] Alright... IF your gonan do DESIESE...

In <3.0.2.32.19970617205157.00b4c158@mail.tenetwork.com>, on 06/18/97 
   at 09:26 PM, Jeff Kesselman <jeffk@tenetwork.com> said:

>[JCL:]

>>Translation:
>>
>>  To what extent can your player's control of influence the habits of
>>dragons?

>I'm all for having certain forces i na game that are ALWAYS beyond
>the abilities of the characters to challenge and win, it keeps their
>roll in the universe in perspective.  

I don't disagree.  I am very against having forces in a game which the
players are not able to influence.  

Should teh force be manifested in a dragon which represents such force
and physical power that no living thing in the land can withstand its
assault then what about:

  Building dragon impenetrable fortresses?

  Building fortresses only penetrable at great expense and effort to
the dragon (ie they don't bother)?

  Emptying an entire region of dragon prey animals (all humans, deer,
etc etc) and keeping it empty for a significant period.  Will not the
dragons begin to hunt elsewhere and avoid that area as "useless"?

Then there is simple trickery.  

  Bubba locates the dragon's lair.

  Bubba waits for the dragon to leave its lair.

  Bubba walls over the entrance to the lair with himself inside.

  Bubba has digs a tunnel to somewhere else far away.

  Bubba gets the dragon's treasure and lives the fine life.

The dragon could blast thru Bubba's wall?  Have it be a rock-fall
instead, or have Bubba use magic to drop an enourmous/immovable
boulder across the cave's mouth.

Conquering can and should occassionally be a problem.  Manipulation
should always be possible if difficult.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw@null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder@ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc@cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...