Each to their own, I guess, but I never really saw the point in making code available for just a small group of people. It just makes perfect sense to me that if scripts are made completely public, they benefit a much broader range of people which in turn is only going to benefit the game as a whole.

I've had people in Celest even. "Why are you giving code to "enemies" then?" - I'm like..... WTF?

I've always been firmly of the belief that person A should not "beat" or "be better" than person B simply because they have a natural aptitude for coding. That's just dumb in my eyes.

Draylor:

Each to their own, I guess, but I never really saw the point in making code available for just a small group of people. I

Recruitment tactic? :)

You came to Lusternia after I had already stopped offering my free, public system then. It was enjoyed by many, abused by a few, and it just became something I didn't feel comfortable supporting any more.

Every organization (city/commune) has at least one half decent coder who could throw something together for friends. Still, some would say that the combat system does not make the combatant, but it certainly can help.

Just out of curiosity, how did people abuse a free system?

I guess they could exploit weaknesses in the system, but that only seems like it would help in the long run, since it would make it easy to quickly identify the problem.

It was an easy shortcut to Griefertown, to put it succinctly.

daganev:

For me it goes further than that. I want to design my offense around perfect curing. I want to take advantage of priority curing, like giving someone slickness just to force them to use a herb balance instead of using that herb to cure something causing massive bleeding. It makes it more fun that way for me.
It also makes it harder to find people to test my offense on, if only a small section of the population is able to cure well.

We're not in 2004 any more. I think at this point, the majority of people have a good curing system, so you really shouldn't have any trouble finding people to test your offense on.

EDIT: Especially as a warrior, which is arguably the easiest class to cure, coding-wise.

Veyrzhul:


We're not in 2004 any more. I think at this point, the majority of people have a good curing system, so you really shouldn't have any trouble finding people to test your offense on.

EDIT: Especially as a warrior, which is arguably the easiest class to cure, coding-wise.

So basically you are saying that there won't be any new players, so the majority already knows how to cure?
Then why do you care if the game can cure for you, if the majority of the players already have good curing systems?
Your point is self defeating.

For one thing, fine-tuning one's curing is as fun a component of the game as fine-tuning one's offense. If the best curing is available serverside in the game, there is nothing to fine-tune. I also mentioned that I fear the trend of facilitating combat may continue beyond auto firstaid. And my response was obviously to your post (see the quote). I didn't know you test your offense on new players only.

Deschain:

Just out of curiosity, how did people abuse a free system?

I guess they could exploit weaknesses in the system, but that only seems like it would help in the long run, since it would make it easy to quickly identify the problem.

You can find posts on the forums from around that time if you want, but a lot of the posted objections were based on his code being used against him and Serenwilde.

For example: http://forums.lusternia.com/index.php?showtopic=19493&view=findpost&p=809932

It's not really an 'abuse,' just a use he didn't like and didn't want to support.

In general, anything that removes a barrier to entry is good. Unnecessary gatekeeping is bad. I might actually consider giving arena spars a go at this rate*.

* Nah, probably going to keep with the pacifist RP.

Veyrzhul:

For one thing, fine-tuning one's curing is as fun a component of the game as fine-tuning one's offense. If the best curing is available serverside in the game, there is nothing to fine-tune. I also mentioned that I fear the trend of facilitating combat may continue beyond auto firstaid. And my response was obviously to your post (see the quote). I didn't know you test your offense on new players only.

You made a point earlier about how metal bats didn't significantly change the skill or technique of swinging them. A server side curing system wont change the skill required for combat, or the amount of tweaking that can be done of that system. All it does is make the game more accessable to everyone. If the in game one really does end up being the best (Though I'm sure I remember Iosai saying that wasn't the intention), then all that does is put everyone on a level playing field, so that skill and luck end up being the only determing factors in combat, as opposed to which system you have been able to aquire.

This is why I was intending on releasing my system for free once it was finished, but it looks like Iosai may beat me to it (and of course, medic already has).

The best part about server side curing systems? No more complaining that your system bugged out on you or starting doing weird things all of a sudden!

I'm constantly being reminded of the evils of global variables.

I don't believe in technological barriers to anything in-game related and make my system, mapper and client work for everyone :)

Vadi:

I don't believe in technological barriers to anything in-game related and make my system, mapper and client work for everyone :)

So m&m is free now? :o

That's what we call an economical barrier.

Tis true. At least it's even and non-biased.

Biased against the credit poor. :D

Zarquan:

Biased against the credit poor. :D

Luckily it's possible to get those credits with some work and no RL investment (aside from time).

I'd personally prefer it to be free so that everyone who wants it can get it, but it's definitely better this way than, say, Glomdoring and friends only.

Maybe if I knew the secret to successfully encrypting my code, I'd consider giving it away for 50 credits a copy.

Zarquan:

Maybe if I knew the secret to successfully encrypting my code, I'd consider giving it away for 50 credits a copy.

But then it would be used against Serenwilde again.