On Fri, 14 Jul 1995, Graham Gilmore wrote: > Taken to the extreme, you would end up with basically a classless > system where anyone can learn any skill.... An interesting idea, I'm > thinking of doing it myself. Anyone have any comments on this type of > system? > The classes system is something you really need to think out, and it really depends on what kind of world you are trying to create. How difficult is magic to learn? Does everyone have access to the same education? Do you have enough skills? Do attributes play an important part in your system? After learning certain skills, will it exclude or lower their ability to learn certain other skills? Most of these questions deal with game mechanics, and I think it's important that your gaming system is suitable for a classes system. This almost immediately leaves out D&D. The basic reason is this: players need to be distiguished by something. If you don't have enough skills/knowledges/whatever, a classless system won't work. Everyone will be the same. The same seems to apply to a levelless system. On the code I'm working with, I've discovered that classes and levels basically mean nothing. Attributes and skills determine who the player is, and NOTHING in the game mechanics is determined by class or level (ie, in my system you won't hit better because you are higher level and you don't get any special 'saving throws' because you are of a certain class). One of the biggest things you need to think about is the magic on your mud (provided you have magic). If magic is going to be powerful (which it is on my mud), then the cost for learning it must be high in order to keep balance (how can one spend time becoming a master with a blade AND become a master magician?). However, if magic is easy to learn as everyone on your world is born with magical abilities, then magic probably shouldn't be terribly strong. Personally, I like a little from both schools of thought. I don't think that being of a particular class should affect the game mechanics in that the code gives you a better or worse chance at doing something just because of your class. I do see though that classes can bring some sense of direction to players which might be needed. Taking an example from my mud, players can only be born with magical ability, as such is the world. You can't 'learn' how to cast spells. You can study magic, magical theory, and even create spells based off your study. However, you will never be able to cast unless you are born with the ability to manipulate magical energies. Another example might be between a mage and what is called a 'decker' on my mud. Magic can only function around life (yes, no magic in the depths of space) and it would therefore be very difficult to learn 'computer' skills where you become submerged in a virtual reality. It quite possibly could drive them a bit nuts to suddenly not be able to sense auras and feel life everywhere (think of Diana Troi in the ST:TNG episode where she lost her empathic abilities). So I suppose the answer to this long-winded reply is that you can do it but you really need to think it out and have a reason for explaining why things work the way they do. Perhaps the way it works on MUSH's might be worth taking a look at. Players get on as generic people, and gain skills and such by joining guilds (though in some cases its exactly like chosing a class after you've started your character). Chris
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