Nuggetty Goodness

Composition is more or less done. Next comes the colour study - or studies, then the rendering.

Need to be done by 15th August, let's hope I can move my lazy nuggetbum! =)

As Psychochild says, somewhere in that stream of comments to this post by Larisa from Pink Pigtail Inn, someone coming from a text (MUD/MOO/MUSH what have you) background comes with a different perspective from someone whose first experience with a virtual world (however deep, or shallow) was an MMO.

As someone who came from MU*s, I think one of the things that is often overlooked when the cry for harsher death penalties goes up, is that MU*s, even the largest ones, are much smaller than MMOs.

In MU*s, if I stayed long enough, I cared not just about the inhabitants, I cared about the *world*.

The fact that these worlds were free - really, truly free, rather than being tied to some payment model, mattered a whole lot. I'm leaving out Iron Realms because I think, though I may be wrong, that even today, most MU*s are free. That these worlds were labours of love mattered to me. And that aspect was, and is, intrinsically bound up with their being free. Art for art's sake, if you like.

As a result, it's like the difference between going to a local restaurant, owned by a husband and wife, who greet each of their patrons by name... and going to a McDonalds, or any other franchised food establishment.

The death penalties that many MUDs had, which seem horribly harsh by comparison to our themepark MMOs now, were appropriate to those MUDs, precisely because of all those things I mentioned above.

In LegendMUD, my longest played (8 years) MUD, and what was, I think the *only* virtual world I ever lived in, there were Deathtraps.

To those unfamiliar with the term, Deathtraps are 'rooms' that, when you enter them, eat all your gear. It's gone. Just like that. POOF!

If an MMO had deathtraps (hacking doesn't count, and EVE is an anomaly) players would be screaming bloody murder.

And they'd be absolutely right to.

Deathtraps served a few purposes on MUDs - the purposes varied depending on the architecture and design of the MUD, but broadly speaking, Deathtraps were there to:

• Get rid of grandfathered gear, or old, overpowered gear no longer available, thereby putting newer players on more even ground with older ones
• Foster community through having the players come together to support one of their own
• Serve as gold sinks, because everything is gold, eventually, and deathtraps eat that, too. Gear is just transmogrified gold! XD
• Impart a sense of risk to some areas where they fit with the atmosphere
• Increase immersion by forcing (or trying to force, anyway!) players to pay attention to their steps

In an MMO, I don't see Deathtraps fulfilling any of those functions. Because MMOs aren't free. Especially not the F2P ones.

Once money enters the equation, it brings with it a sense of entitlement. Throw a 'massive' franchised feel into it, and there goes the sense of community. Help the other guy? Why should I! I'm not paying <Subscription amount of your choice> here a month, or I didn't spend <amount of your choice> in the cash shop to be at someone else's service, Nosirree! Yes, I'm generalising, how else are nuggets supposed to frolic on their soapboxes? 

In LegendMUD (and others), I'd risk my hard-won, oftentimes customised gear, to help a friend with corpse retrievals. Because in the smaller communities that MU*s encourage, the human connection is worth more than gear or stats. You *know* those people. And even if it's just a newbie that happens to have their tragic death announced on a MU*wide channel, if they ask for help, if people are around, they tend to help gladly. Sometimes, the newbie doesn't even have to ask. There isn't a culture of 'L2PN00b!'. I believe it's because in MU*s, the communities are small enough that there's always the thought that this newbie could become a friend. That you're proud of your world, and you want them to love it too. Because the world itself is a labour of love.

In a context like that... Deathtraps and harsh death penalties make absolute sense. MMOs are not the same beasts. Just something for those who consider harsher death penalties the Holy Grail of MMO excitement to ponder.

 

I'll be attempting to finish this piece in time to enter Erotic Signature's contest again this year.

This year's nugget attempt is Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of sex, war and fertility. One of the more well-known surviving poems about her tells the story of Inanna's Descent into the Underworld, ostensibly to attend a funeral - but really, to conquer it. ;) Things don't quite go as planned though... It's a riveting story, with dollops of horror, gore and vengeance! And meat hooks. Yes. Meat hooks!

Since this is only one of the preliminary parts, (I tend to assemble pieces in bits and bobs), I still need to do stuff like the lions... and... anything else I think should go in!

Oh. And if you're curious and haven't seen it, the other piccy is what I entered last year. Didn't get into the book but hey... At least it means I *finished* a piece last year. XD

 

O.o

Is it odd that I'm wondering if I could comfortably MUD on an iPad?

I molested the one at work today, and the keyboard was surprisingly pleasant to use. I don't like the iPhone's keypad much; it's too small for my HUGE FINGERS! (Ok, so I don't really have huge fingers, but that's not the point...)

But unfortunately the one at work hasn't been broken to our evil collective wills, and so, apparently, I cannot open a telnet connection on it...

If someone out there has tried MUDding on an iPad, tell a nugget!

My beloved surgeon doggy... here's to hoping you found the poodle of your dreams.

~_o to those of you who have no idea what I'm babbling about... Move along, nothing to see here. XD

Edit:
Zoot! The things you keep, (or well, I keep) without realising you kept them!

I still have Broekn's desc after so many years. O.o

"A large, shaggy mongrel dog stares up at you with limpid amber eyes. He wears a rather silly grin, and his tail thumps the ground in delight at seeing you. He's shedding long brown fur all over the place, and looks like he'd love to have his floppy ears scratched."

Hi Livia! We're going to assassinate Willem the Demeaning in Hard Mode, and we're going in through the front door of the temple. 

Why? Because Hard Mode's more fun, and I'm too lazy to get the back door keys, of course!

And you'll be the sole healer, with 5 healing skills, and no healing elite as usual.

Oh, and did I mention that there'll be Mursaat, and Orion and Dunham aren't infused? No? Well I just did! *beams*

I wuv you too Livia!

*runs off cackling madly*

NugWay - A Short Explanation
I've tinkered around with the classic DiscordWay team on PvX till I've found something that works much better for me.

Nugway:
Player:
The Classic Caller - Monk Variant:
OwcU40HCFPTLQ2kxk7i1DgMWfyEA
Assassin's Promise {Elite}
You Move Like a Dwarf!
Finish Him!
Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support
Protective Spirit
Enduring Toxin
Castigation Signet
Rebirth (Optional)
Runed Stats: Smiting Prayers - 14; Protection Prayers - 8; Divine Favour - 2; Deadly Arts - 12

OR

The Necro Caller:
OABDQsx3Q1M3gDNfCgNVVDCAAA
Spoil Victor {Elite: Hard Mode} / Icy Veins {Elite: Normal Mode}
Necrosis
Blood Bond
Weaken Armor
Oppressive Gaze
Signet of Lost Souls
Barbed Signet
Optional
Runed stats: Blood Magic - 16; Soul Reaping - 13; Curses - 3

OR

The Ritualist Caller:
OASjcMiMJTvlfCVT7iLTlTXT0gA
Asuran Scan
Weaken Armor
Painful Bond
Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support
Essence Strike
Bloodsong
Signet of Spirits {Elite}
Summon Spirits
Runed stats: Curses - 3; Channelling Magic - 16; Spawning Power -12

Heroes:
The Minion (Melee) Master/Blood Ritual eManagement:
OABEQZxWezEzOqVhhmaAs1JqqA
Discord {Elite}
Animate Shambling Horror
Animate Bone Minions
Blood Bond
Rotting Flesh (alternative: take Weaken Armor if fighting many humans)
Oppressive Gaze
Blood Ritual
Signet of Lost Souls
Runed Stats: Blood Magic - 10; Death Magic - 14; Soul Reaping - 9; Curses - 3

The Minion (Ranged) Master + Death Nova/Protector:
OANEQSxG+KFzoASFgGUVVPEQ0SA
Discord {Elite}
Putrid Bile
Animate Bone Fiend
Death Nova
Signet of Lost Souls
Protective Spirit
Aegis
Remove Hex
Runed Stats: Death Magic - 16; Soul Reaping - 9; Protection Prayers - 10

The Minion (Melee-Support) Master/Restoration Ritualist:
OAhjUoGYITxMHVRTSTDTcijTXMA
Discord {Elite}
Animate Shambling Horror
Soothing Memories
Mend Body and Soul
Protective was Kaolai
Rejuvenation
Life
Flesh of My Flesh
Runed Stats: Death Magic - 12; Soul Reaping - 9; Restoration Magic: 12

How NugWay differs from DiscordWay
Nugway is much lower on direct healing power than the classic Discway.
I changed the 'Curse/Resto' N/Rt to a 'Minion Master/Blood' N/whatever. Obviously, healing power is lost. However, Blood Bond adds much greater survivability for minions, as well as any physical dps (or any wanding casters). Oppressive Gaze reduces incoming damage, Rotting Flesh adds pressure, and Blood Ritual is always nice to have. Blood Ritual may not be a good choice if you're a front-liner... but then bear in mind that NugWay is very much a mid/back-liner's setup. When I use melee classes or builds, I don't run NugWay at all.

Nugway is more versatile than classic Discway.
The Blood Ritual and Death Nova Discords work fine as a pair. If you don't bring the Resto Rit Discord, your spike power may be a little lower, depending on what you DO bring. But leaving the Resto Discord at home means you can bring anything in the third slot, and have it work well. I favour Broad Head Arrow or Unsteady Ground, but really, it can be anything. Makes it particularly good for missions in Nightfall where you're forced to bring a particular hero. Don't worry too much about losing the healing, the Protection and Healing hench monks do just fine in any mode.

How tested is NugWay?
 I've been using it more or less exclusively, if running a Discord base, since the changes to the Blood Magic line. In that time, I've acquired Legendary Vanquisher (finished Cantha and Nightfall with it), Legendary Guardian, and am at the last rank of Legendary Master of the North. Been too lazy to pursue the last one since the War in Kryta event, because all I do now is kill Mantle for fun!

I've been vqing all the 6 man - and some of the 8 man - War in Kryta areas with NugWay Livia as the sole healer - 5 healing skills and no elite. Things have been great! The last time I took a healing human monk in Livia's place, we wiped within the very first pull. XD Livia power!

Go forth my battery minions, and NUG THE WORLD!