TMC Player Reviews: Core

(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author [Mathew] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I agree that there are never enough shopkeepers on duty. I don't
understand why there cannot be npc shopkeepers. They could be on duty
until a player comes in to tend shop. There could also be a mandate
that shop owners must employ so many shopkeepers to keep job
opportunities available.

(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author [Noname] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

Player run econ is ok, but there is never enough shop workers online
to get what you need.

The place used to be nice until a few admins decided we weren't being
RP enough. They started placing restrictions on item names, player
names, histories, etc. Then they placed caps on skills. Some admins
took it to extremes *cough*charasan*cough*.

(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author [Cox] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

In response to 'noname'. The restrictions you talk of went in late 
2000, and have for the most part been removed again. There is no 
practical cap on stats and you will again have the ability to 
increase skills for each level you gain.

In addition, since I was left in charge, the level cap has
been raised, and will be raised again in the immidiate future.
Level 32 here we come.

(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author [Charasan] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

Someone named me as the mud hardest staff member.  You work so hard 
for something, and when it finally happens, you're just at a loss for 
words on how to feel *sniffle*

Seriously though, Core has always maintained a strict naming policy
concerning its characters.  It was only in 2001 or so when we started
coming down a bit harder on it than was done in the past, one reason
why we came up with the grandfather clause concerning older
characters and their names.   But I see no problem with this given 
the nature of the mud.  There are plenty of muds out there with no 
such restrictions...Core, however, was designed to be more of an RP 
themed mud, and back when I first started playing, that's exactly what 
it was.  Heck, the tensions players may have seen between myself and 
other staff members such as Ragman go clear back to RP we did back in 
the day when I first started playing there.

One reason I left was because the mud seemed to become overrun by 
players and admin alike determined to tear down that RP theme and make 
it into a fun park of stupid coded toys and games having nothing to do 
with the theme of the mud.  I finally gave up on it, though I hope 
that sometime in the future someone comes to their senses and starts 
coming down like I used to.  You name me as the difficult one from
the past. Fine.  I only pray someone learns from my example and brings 
Core back to what it once was.

(The following review comment is the opinion of the comment's author [Grey] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I am the owner/founder of Core and would like to respond to some of
the above comments.

Cox and Charasan are no longer members of Staff and I have reclaimed
the mantle of Head Administrator.  I've been working very hard over
the last 1-2 years to rebuild the game and fix the damage caused by
raising the level cap without adding Game Content to support it,
overadjustments in the combat code (which I have since re-written),
and so on.

All of the changes I've made are documented for the public to see at
http://www.coremud.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=114
and
http://www.coremud.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=959

Regarding Noname's comments about not finding a shopkeeper, all shops
have shopkeeper droids that may be summoned (type 'ring bell') if
there's not enough people online.  There are also more shops to choose
from than before, as now everybody can purchase their own shop if they
want to.

Sorry, but I have put caps on skills, stats and levels in order to
keep the game in balance.  I've created building tools that the
players can use to help the staff build Game Content.  The first area
built by a player using these tools has been added to the game, and
the level cap was raised as a result.  Other players and staff are now
chipping in, and I suspect we'll see the level cap continue to rise...
THIS time with stuff to support it.  :)