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Rules to play SWmud – This site optimized for: |
Why certain abilities aren't implemented on SWmud
Multiple players have suggested certain ideas repeatedly over the years. Most of these ideas have to do with things they have seen on other MUDs, and sometimes it is just stuff they think would be cool to see implemented, but whatever the reason, the Administration has stated that such things will not be coded into Star Wars MUD.
This file mentions some of these commonly suggested ideas and tries to explain why they have not and will not be implemented on SWmud.
- Why can't I use a Star Wars name as my character name?
- Why don't we get to keep equipment and weapons permanently?
- Why aren't there any auto-loading weapons or armor?
- What about auto-loading droids, vehicles, and ships?
- Why doesn't some guild/level get a 'dual wield' skill?
- Why isn't there some sort of 'punching dummy' I can use to see how much damage I am doing with my skills?
- Why isn't there a remote I can buy/find which will let me practice skills, like Luke used in 'A New Hope'?
- Then why not code a remote to practice against which has some penalty built into it?
- Why can't Jedi slice someone in half, instantly killing them?
- Why can't I get a fifth guild or skills from the other guilds I did not choose?
- Why can't everyone wield blasters and lightsabers?
- Why can't Jedi do [some really cool thing I read about or saw in the movies]?
- Why isn't there a Droid race? a Devaronian race? a Givin race? etc.
- Why isn't role-playing enforced on Star Wars MUD?
- Why doesn't Star Wars MUD have mandatory player-killing?
- Why can't non-PKs join clans? Why can't we have non-PK clans for role-playing purposes?
- When is the next player wipe (pwipe) going to happen? Why don't you have more player wipes?
- Why do players always have to start on Coruscant? Why can't [team/guild/race] start on [planet/area]?
- Why isn't there a list of shuttle docks and routes?
- Why are there so many 'feelings' on SWmud in which the verb tense is wrong?
- Why can't I use my Jedi skills once I get off of Coruscant in the Imperial/Rebel team shuttle?
- Why can't I practice other skills on Coruscant either?
- Why isn't there an argument for the 'who' command to see all of the players logged in by their gender?
- Why can't I put a backpack in a cardboard box and mail it to someone across the mud?
- Why can a player I have 'bozo'ed reply back to me?
- Why didn't this mob teach me any skills, even though he/she should have?
- Why aren't more lines logged like 'tellhist'? Can we have 'shouthist' or 'honeyhist'?
- Why can't I bozo Yoda? He's really annoying! And why can't I use feelings anymore?
- Why can't you make all of the HM panic files readable by mortals and pseudo-HMs? They're listed on the website, so why not here?
- Why don't you make the prompt colored?
- Why do Zabrak only have 22 attribute points to distribute? Shouldn't I
have 25?
- Why can't I use a Star Wars
name as my character name?
The Administration uses names from the Star Wars Universe for monsters coded on the mud in order to create more realistic and enjoyable environments. In many cases these monsters are coded so that players can interact with them. If a player chooses the same name as a monster, the mudlib will make you interact with the player as opposed to the monster in question, thus causing difficulty in finishing quests, etc.
The request to NOT use names from the Star Wars books, movies, comics, and games is clearly stated on the log in screen. If a wizard sees a name that is prominent in the Star Wars Universe, then you will be asked to suicide and recreate your character. It is better to do this before you have put a lot of time and effort into a character you like.
And don't push the limit of 'Is this name too prominent?'. This is a simple concept: if it is used in the movies, books, comics, or games, DON'T CREATE A CHARACTER WITH THAT NAME. - Why don't we get to keep
equipment and weapons permanently?
If you haven't done so, read the equipment file. That panic file already answers this question. - Why aren't there any auto-loading
weapons or armor?
Again, as in the case of the previous question, the Administration feels that equipment is easy enough to get on this mud, and allowing auto-loading equipment or weapons to those who finish a quest is not fair to those who are not good at quests, especially since quests are not a required element of SWmud.
Now, for those of you who have read panic files or know something about the mud, you're going to argue that such things already exist. However, in those few cases, the equipment does not cause damage or protect you in any way; they are merely useful items, and in most cases require some kind of 'activation' on a per log-in basis.
Auto-loading weapons and armor will not be added. - What about auto-loading
droids, vehicles, and ships?
Auto-loading ships are available at Sluis Van Shipyards. The ship_construction file has more details.
Auto-loading droids have been tried and removed from the mud. There were too many balance issues which would require numerous rewrites of monsters and areas to prevent players from reaching and killing certain monsters more easily than they were designed to be. The droids were removed instead, and there are no plans to redesign or reimplement them in the future.
Vehicles are still a bit buggy and should be fixed before considering making them auto-loading. However, it will also be a large rewrite to make them auto-loading, and there aren't currently enough players who use vehicles to make it worth spending the time on such an addition.
This time is being spent on a massive rewrite of the space code instead. =) - Why doesn't some guild/level
get a 'dual wield' skill?
The first time this was suggested, it was considered. However, due to limitations in the combat code, actually allowing 2 weapons to be wielded at the same time would require too much of a rewrite of the mudlib to be implemented.
However, the Administration did the next best thing they could. Instead of 'dual wield', they created the Mercenary level 50 skill Double Damage, in which the wielded weapon gets the chance of doing 2 hits in 1 round, with a possibility of doing up to double the amount of damage inflicted.
It is NOT an instant 'doubling' of the damage of the first hit. - Why isn't there some sort
of 'punching dummy' I can use to see how much damage I am doing with
my skills?
The Administration decided long ago that they did not want to make any damage, skill, armor, or other formulas available to players.
The best you can do to find out your typical damage is become a player killer, get into a fight, and have your opponent send you a log of the damage you did to him or her. 6b. Why isn't there a remote I can buy/find which will let me practice skills, like Luke used in 'A New Hope'?
The Administration decided long ago that they didn't want some place or some thing which would allow players to practice skills without any penalties. 6c. Then why not code a remote to practice against which has some penalty built into it?
These are called 'mobs'. You can find them all over the MUD. - Why can't Jedi slice someone
in half, instantly killing them?
The Administration is completely against any kind of 'insta-kill' skills being added to SWmud, be it for Jedi or Assassins or even Diplomats. It defeats the purpose of having to work at killing a monster (or other player killer) if you have the possibility of wiping out anything in one blow. In other words, the Administration considers it unbalanced (and also cheesy). - Why can't I get a fifth
guild or skills from the other guilds I did not choose?
Again, that ever nasty word 'balance' comes into play here. The Administration believes that 4 guilds provides sufficient variety to allow for many styles of play without hindering players who choose guilds without certain types of skills.
In some cases, certain skills have been made available to everyone in some fashion so that their character is not required to have a certain guild for that one ability, but these are few on purpose. The guilds have the skills they do in order to provide variety without significant duplication. Are there certain combinations which do more damage than others? Of course. It is up to you to figure out those combinations and create a character that you enjoy. - Why can't everyone wield
blasters and lightsabers?
As was mentioned in the previous question, the Administration created the guilds with very specific divisions in mind. Blasters were given to mercenaries and lightsabers to Jedi.
While you may feel that everyone should be able to wield a blaster or lightsaber (but perhaps not have the knowledge to use it properly), you will find that many things on SWmud are not coded to exactly how it may be in the Star Wars Universe. Instead, the mud is based on ideas from the Star Wars Universe that are implemented to give the most fun to players overall while still being balanced.
The typical answer is: if you want to wield blasters, join the Mercenary guild. If you want to wield lightsabers, join the Jedi guild. And even then, you still have a third guild slot to fill. - Why can't Jedi do [some really
cool thing I read about or saw in the movies]?
The Head of Jedi has stated that the Jedi guild is as finished as a guild can be, with the possible exception of the couple of missing advanced compel skills (which must wait for the totally redesigned space system before they can be implemented). The Jedi guild already has nearly twice the number of skills available to it over any other guild, and there is already a wide variety of skill abilities.
Some people may feel that those who follow the light side of the Force do not have as many skills available as those who follow the dark side. However, several dark side skills are available to light side followers, and a couple of light side skills are available to dark side followers. Overall number of skills available to either Force alignment is roughly the same. Light side followers should not complain that they do not have the same number of skills simply because they choose to not use the dark side skills available to them; that is your choice.
You may feel free to mail suggestions for skills (for any guild), but keep in mind that the idea should not be a duplication of a current skill, be it a current racial or guild-related skill. And again, keep in mind that just because it is 'that way' in the Star Wars Universe doesn't mean it will be implemented exactly 'that way' on SWmud. - Why isn't there a Droid race?
a Devaronian race? a Givin race? etc.
The Administration has done their best to create a wide variety of Star Wars based races, each with a unique set of useful abilities and stats. They attempt not to significantly duplicate the skills and stats of any given race. While some duplication seems to occur, there are minor differences in each race which are not immediately visible.
Players are welcome to suggest that the Administration add new races, but they also need to come up with viable suggestions for 2 unduplicated racial skills, unduplicated (and realistic) stats, and possible racial inherits for their new race.
The Administration also currently believes that 21 races is quite diverse, yet the populations of several races are quite low, and these populations should be boosted (or removed) before more races are added.
As for a Droid race specifically, the current Droid code would have to be significantly altered to prevent abuse to the Droid players, such as having a restraining bolt attached to them and then being commanded to jump into the core of the Death Star or attack something really big. As droid code already needs some fine tuning, turning it into a player race is not being considered. - Why isn't role-playing enforced
on Star Wars MUD?
The Administration made the decision long ago that they did not intend to enforce role-playing on SWmud, though it is certainly not forbidden. At this point, the code required to enforce role-playing would be a substantial rewrite of the mudlib. Such a change would also likely reduce the current playerbase since many players currently enjoy the non-enforced RP environment and play at SWmud because RP is not enforced. - Why doesn't Star Wars MUD have
mandatory player-killing?
Many of the same reasons apply. When setting up SWmud, the Administration made the decision that player-killing would be optional. While some of the wizards enjoy working on skills and areas associated with player-killing, other wizards have no interest in it. The same goes for the current playerbase, some of whom like it and others of whom would leave (or just remain in the no-kill zone of Coruscant) if player-killing was made mandatory.
There are also certain guilds and races which would have to be rewritten if SWmud was changed to be mandatory PK. While some might tell you that's not such a bad thing, mandatory PK is still not going to be implemented. - Why can't non-PKs join clans?
Why can't we have non-PK clans for role-playing purposes?
Clans were implemented to add a role-play element into player-killing. Clans have many unnamed advantages, which makes it understandable that non-PK players would like to have the same advantages. However, the Head of PK, who created the clans, only allows clans to purchase these advantages because there is a risk involved in gaining access to these advantages, and thus it is also considered balanced.
If they want, non-PKs can choose to roleplay just as easily without a 'clan' (as they are coded). Non-PKs will not be given access to clans or clan advantages without the risk of being PK. - When is the next player wipe
(pwipe) going to happen? Why don't you have more player wipes?
Though player wipes have happened (infrequently) in the past, the Administration has no intention of doing any player wipes. The wizards do occasionally go through the player database and deleted old or low-level unused characters in order to allow players to use the names again, but that is as close to a player wipe as SWmud gets. The mudlib and player database is backed up regularly, so even if something drastic should happen to the mud server, players should be reinstated from their file at the time of the backup. - Why do players always have
to start on Coruscant? Why can't [team/guild/race] start on [planet/area]?
While this could be implemented, the Administration has chosen that all players should restart from the same location in order to facilitate getting important messages out to the players. The Coruscant Customs Office, or the Start Room, contains the SWmud Main Board. When wizards post on this board, they can also set it so that players are not allowed to leave the Start Room until they have read the important messages on the main board. Not every message is marked to be forced reading, so for any messages which you ARE forced to read, it would behoove you to READ it, not just press a key to get through it as fast as you can just so you can leave the room. - Why isn't there a list of
shuttle docks and routes?
The Administration favors something called 'exploring'. - Why are there so many 'feelings'
on SWmud in which the verb tense is wrong?
This is due to a limitation in the code for feelings. For any feeling which contains TWO (2) VERBS, the first verb should always be conjugated correctly to you and to the room. However, the second verb CANNOT be set to conjugate correctly to both you AND aloud to the room you are in. In order for the most people to see the sentence correctly, all feelings of this nature are set so that the ROOM will see it correctly, but you will NOT see it correctly. This is a feature, NOT a bug.
This is NOT to say that no feelings have typos in them. There may be some which do have typos. However, before you post a feeling to the typo rn group (the news system), please double check that the 'typo' is not the second verb's conjugation in a 2-verb feeling. - Why can't I use my
Jedi skills once I get off of Coruscant in the Imperial/Rebel team shuttle?
Coruscant does not allow the use of any Jedi skills (made this way in the past because players abused what few skills they could use there). The shuttle is still technically a part of the Coruscant directory, and therefore falls under the no Jedi skills on Coruscant coding. There are no plans to change this, so you will just have to wait until you exit the shuttle in order to use your Jedi skills. - Why can't I practice other
skills on Coruscant either?
Read the Rules if you have not already done so. This is a rule.
Since Coruscant is set to be a 'no-kill' zone, the possibility exists that you can work up several skills to 100% without having taken any risk of death to get your skills up so high. The Administration frowns upon this and has made the rule that players should not 'practice' skills upon Coruscant for this reason. - Why isn't there an argument
for the 'who' command to see all of the players logged in by their gender?
This suggestion is typically made by males who wish to find all of the females who are currently logged in more quickly. Most females on the mud generally do not want the attention of those who will try to find them with this type of search. The Administration does not want to make the mud less enjoyable for the players who might be annoyed by the addition of a gender-based search, so one will not be added. - Why can't I put a backpack
in a cardboard box and mail it to someone across the mud?
This is by design. You cannot put any container inside any other container on the mud. The ability to do this would lead to many bugs which were decidedly avoided with this decision. Among other things, this feature means that you will not be able to mail any bags, packs, or sacks. - Why can a player I have 'bozo'ed
reply back to me?
This is a feature, not a bug. This feature is to prevent you from sending a tell to another player and then 'bozo'ing that player to prevent him or her from being able to respond to you. If you get to send a message, then they get to reply to that message. The bozo command is currently set so that you may not send any tells to any bozos on your list, and therefore you cannot get any replies from any bozos, unless you bozo'd them after sending a tell.
If the above situation has taken place, you can keep the bozo'd player from replying to you by getting another player to send the bozo'd player a tell, thus changing the bozo's tellhist. - Why didn't this mob teach
me any skills, even though he/she should have?
The messages the mob gives are not current with the guild changes, so skills that have been moved, added, removed, or otherwise changed will not appear correctly when you advance at this particular mob. He/she and the other mobs which have been written this way in order to add ambience to the game will not be changed until the guild changes have been completed. Read the panic file for your guild to see which skills are available to you at your current level. - Why aren't more lines logged
like 'tellhist'? Can we have 'shouthist' or 'honeyhist'?
This is requested and denied frequently, always for the same reason: memory constraints. - Why can't I bozo Yoda? He's
really annoying! And why can't I use feelings anymore?
Yoda is not actually sending you tells. When you see "Yoda tells you: The Force has begun to flow through you!", it means that the mud's feelings are either being updated or loading. When you see "Yoda tells you: Complete is your soul now, but beware the dark side.", it means that the feelings have finished loading and you should be able to use them normally. Typing 'feelings' without an argument will give you a list of currently available feelings, or you may view the list on the web site here. - Why can't you make all of the
HM panic files readable by mortals and pseudo-HMs? They're listed on
the website, so why not here?
The panic files for most HM skills are located in the HM skill directory. The skills in that directory are restricted so only HMs can use them. Non-HMs not being able to see the related panic files is a side effect. - Why don't you make the prompt colored?
This is not a particularly easy thing to implement, and if it were, because of the way in which the mud interprets color codes, it is quite possible that a player could end up with a two-line prompt if s/he added all of the variables and each was colored. - Why do Zabrak only have 22 attribute points to distribute? Shouldn't I have 25?
Zabrak have the same total of 60 starting attribute points as all other races. Most of the races available to players use 35 points to meet the race's minimum starting stat requirements (listed in panic race_stats). The player then distributes the remaining 25 points as they desire. However, Zabrak is different, using 38 points to meet the race's minimum starting requirements. Those three points are deducted from the player's 25, leaving the player with 22.
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