SLUG is an acronym for SMAUG-based Levelless multi-User Game, a collaborative programming and design project for a text-based MUD by Tarsus and Cirne (with contributions by others welcome).
I wanted to create this page as a sort of “Developer's Log,” a central repository of what's been done and needs to be done. Ideas, concepts, status, news, and links can all go here.
Design Motivations. The following are the chief reasons for conducting this project instead of simply MUD-ing in a SMAUG universe (in order of decreasing importance):
- Exploration. At least 75% of the game MUST be accessible upon character creation, with difficulty set appropriately.
- Lack of levels. Arbitrary quantities such as “levels” and “experience” must be eliminated in favor of less abstract conecpts, such as “knowledge", “practice", and base stats.
- Social RP'ing. Playing with multiple persons must be encouraged, much more than sheer grinding out levels and exp as in other muds.
- Skill tree/web. A detailed tree of attainable skills must be present, with skills of increasing difficulty relying on proficiency of earlier skills. The tree must encourage specialization (Warrior, Mage, etc.) but eventually allow branching out to all areas if desired.
- Quests and Plot components.
- Quests must be available that creates a common goal for players at a specific time, to encourage multi-playing and remove the advantage that goes to players with more free time.
- Plot components must be available, that are uploaded between long intervals (week/month) and playable by all whenever they choose. This again reduces “free-time” advantage, but without requiring that players be available at any specific time.
Tasks. The following are the steps that need to be accomplished to complete this project, in chronological order:
- Modify the SMAUG code-base to allow many of these design motivations to be obtained. (I have a binary!)
- Check for necessary modifications to files before running binary.
- Bring each essential system online one by one (fighting, skills, magic) (I am here)
- Write areas as engine allows
- Allow playtesting of each class and fix problems (private beta)
- Bring non-essential systems online (read, polymorph, Vampire, pkill, etc)
- Finish first phases of writing (Forest, Killing Fields, Mansion, Snowhaven, Southern Pass)
- Open for public beta, accept comments on game balance, skills, bugs
- Playtest and observe
- Release a beta version
- Finish second phase of writing (Mountains, Catacombs, Western Pass, Rebellion, River, other Planes)
- Playtest and have fun
- Release a 1.0 version and announce opening of implementation
- Begin work on expansions (beyond the scope of this page for now)
A sample login session from the mud.
A list of potential classes for SLUG
A fanciful idea regarding Secondary Gauges
Details and tough math regarding the handling of The Skill Tree
Yarrrrrrrrrr. This way be Spoilers.
Notes on The Six Stats
The new SLUG Read System.
There is now a public SLUG info page at http://sla.shyou.org/slug.php, which now indicates the current operational status of SLUG.