Re: PCs, NPCs and Character Entry/Exit

["Todd Gemmell"]

Ah well I can you have been doing a lot of thinking about this and this is a
very difficult problem. So please forgive me for breaking up you post into 2
separate responses as the text was getting quite long and that can be
daunting to look at.

As you mentioned some of the things that help narrow down this problem is
the context of the world. I glean that you have a persistent world in mind
and that it will be similar to AD&D or Ultima in that it never truly ends
but is a continuing story? yes?

What I am working on now is more related to a movie or book in that there is
a very distinct ending. I originally thought a play time of two hours would
be perfect and then you could just force everyone to be there the entire
time no exceptions. Well...... as it turns out 2 hours is not nearly enough
time for an idrama to unfold, pacing is very very different in idrama vs a
movie. Also as you pointed out characters may have something or play an
integral part in the story.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep a story going for 4+ hours without
forcing all the players to be there the entire time?


BTW Ultima Online is my current pet project in exploring multiplayer
environment. I am playing Jane Goodall (not characters name) on the Napa
Valley shard trying to figure out how this stuff works.....

-T


>In a message dated 3/4/99 1:02:22 PM Pacific Standard Time,
>todd@coyotegrits.com writes:
>
>> Another problem I failed to mention is in a multiplayer environment you
have
>>  several people online at the same time. What happens when someone leaves
>the
>>  environment before the story has finished?? Boy did Dan hit me over the
>head
>>  with that question when I was demanding multiplayer.....
>
>"A classic problem.   In my games I give the player a pre defined exit and
>enterance strategy:  A limo pulls up, picks up the player and drives away.
Or
>the hero vanishes into their subway train, mixing with the masses of NPC's,
>and is not seen again until the next adventure.   This creates only 2
problems
>(as I see it), besides the potential for repetitiveness.
>
>1.)  Big problem:  The Player can escape situations by leaving the game (in
>the real world walking away from the computer - power outage, etc.).  Hey
may
>avoid fighting the level boss by simply logging off the game.  How that is
>handled is central to the genre. and game mechanics of the world.  Maybe
you
>have to hide under a tree like in Ultima Online (and be vulnerable for 5
>minutes).  Or, maybe you can instantly teleport out (in a Star Trek
simulation
>this would be acceptable).  It really only depends how the game mechanics
deal
>with players starting and stoping the game.  Since its interactive
>entertainment, it shouldn't be a BIG Technical PROBLEM as much as a
narrative
>speed bump.
>
>2.) The narrative problem can be a big deal.  imagine someone picking up
the
>magic potion to save several other players from being poisoned (or even the
>magic formula ~ secret pass phrase, intangible McGuffin) and then getting a
>call from the persons real world wife.  "Honey, come home NOW!"  The player
>bails, leaving everyone hanging, and there isn't any logical resolution
>predesigned.  This is the BIGEST problem with players entering and exiting
>games:
>       a.) the Player should be able to go home to (and come back from)
their
>Real World when they need to.  "this isn't a job, its supposed to be fun."
>       b.) the game has to be capable of dealing with player exits and
entery.
>It needs to be done either by narrative design (the limosene) or obvious
game
>mechanics (flashing red light and then a timer clock ticking down until the
>player vanishes).  How this is handled with heavily impact the
"immersiveness"
>of the game.
>
>Resolving these issues early in game design will help the world become more
>immersive and put more enjoyment on the player side of things.    I don't
>think this answers the  questions as much as restaties the problems.  They
are
>deep questions, worthy of note.  But now you all have my take on things.
Feel
>free to write back and ask "What the hell are you thinking Tim???"
>
>Tim Innes
>