Today, Tony Maro <tony@maro.net> spake thus:
> For anyone who thinks level restrictions on objects are a bad thing,
> check out what's going on with EverQuest...
Well, that certainly doesn't make me like level restrictions any more. It
does make me dislike poor game design that much more, though. Face it,
level restrictions are a band-aid meant to cover up a festering wound in
EverQuest's and a plenitude of other muds' (graphical or otherwise) low
level designs. Why are all of these high level players able to get so
much good equipment? None of this, "Well, they're high level, they need a
Super Killer Magical Glowing Sword of Death, Doom, Peril, and
Irrecoverable Debt," BS.
Mud designers are too quick to rationalize poor design decisions by saying
it's what the players want. And they pretend that reducing the friction
with their players makes the game more enjoyable for all. Players are
ruled too much by their Id - they think it'd be cool if they had this, and
that, and if they can get to level 600 so fast, but the lack of challenge
soon sends them packing. People tend to leave the game when they've
reached the highest level, got the best equipment, and there's no more
challenge left; the game is "finished."
It's not a different problem from the one that is patched over with level
restrictions. It's the same hydra. You tell me honestly why there are as
many Zeus's thunderbolts as there are the number of times Zeus is killed.
Why are these weapons that are supposed to be so powerful so common?
Create realistic limitations about these high powered items. Give high
level players something to do, make tougher mobiles with fewer rewards.
Don't sacrifice actual challenge for giving players short term thrills.
And, by the way, the problem you describe isn't new and isn't specific to
EverQuest. It has existed for as long as Muds have and persists because
people are all too willing to go right back over the same stupid mistakes
people have made before them. Just because a badly designed game is
having the same problem that a lot of better designed and much more
entertaining muds have doesn't change how I perceive these sorts of
kludges.
-dak : Sorry for the clipped tone, just a bit irritated. :)
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