Dark Legacy MUD Forum

looks like a few people are running trivia games through the mud, and i think with the amount of spam generated we may need you to do something to help the players.

proposals:

disable ask and answer by default for newbies, so that they don't see the spam until higher levels (levels at which they will then know about configuring channels)

or

create a new trivia/games channel that players may use for their questions

Or code a trivia database to store submissions from 'authorized' trivia buffs on the MUD. The MUD could then periodically spit them back out. That way you no longer have multiple people spamming, but a few contributing to one game. The MUD could keep highscores and reward players for their first correct guess to each question (each with variable rewards, or perhaps random, like chest items).

that would be so badly abused jorelani

How so?

its not a bad idea, but if the trivia knowledge base wasnt HUGE, then people would just make triggers to spit out the proper response each time

and even if it was huge, it wouldnt stop people from doing it, which is why we could not have the mud giving out rewards for the trivia answers


better to let the players handle giving out rewards, and giving out questions, if they cheat by telling their friends the answers, hey, its their money

the only way the mud-run trivia questions could work, is if the questions changed everytime, or, something would happen to force a player into a different choice. (like for example: using multiple choice, where the possible answers would change order (A, B, C, D, E) (B, D, A, C, E)
etc

I think all trivia should remain player/imm run. Not by code.

Trigs to spit out the answers? If someone is going go through the trouble of doing that for even a 100 questions would find it's not worth it, especially since the reward is minimal and you could easily make it so the questions have pulses inbetween to slow it down (2 minutes inbetween, 15 seconds to get answer for example). Unless having a cheat sheet, they'd have to be there when someone answers one correctly, or else the answer is never revealed (or shouldn't be). Also, it'd be kinda noticeable if someone answered them immediately after it was asked, or seems to get every one right...

Even have a scalable question difficulty. If a certain question has been brought up numerous times without ever being answered, it's reward is increased. But a commonly easy question would eventually be tossed over time (less clutter file size wise, and to prevent abuse). The concept is relatively simple and so should the coding.

Simply have it ignore case, and use underscores (or hypens) to indicate how the answer should be formatted. No big deal.

If someone continued to run a trivia bot, or by hand, they could do so on the channel the MUD uses.

If you're worried about people putting up hard questions, waiting until they're old and the reward has gone up and letting their friends have the answer, make it so the reward caps out after awhile. Not to mention, employ people you know who won't do that.

Also, multiple choice is not a bad idea, either.

I'm not sure what you're proposing as a problem would be in fact a problem. But trivia people aren't on at all hours for everyone to enjoy. A MUD run one would easily give something the afterhours player to do while adventuring...

whats the point of coding a trivia bot when the players can do it themselves.

Jorelani. I am on pretty much every day, all day.

And my hours vary, so prolly everyone thats played dl within the past few months has prolly seen me around some time or the other

Regardless. So what if you're on? My idea still employs people who trivia anyways. If you REALLY wanna get into specifics, you could also post the reward out of your own pocket, and have the MUD do the work of many by itself without the spam. If it's personal recognition you're after, then you're hoping for a popularity contest... not a trivia game.

<--- trivia person

k, i won't lock the discussion just yet, and instead, i will say, the idea of a coded trivia database thing sounds fine, i think it would be cool.
However, that doesnt fix the problem of the 'trivia people' who want to run their games, and end up getting pretty spammy on general chat channels. SO, a trivia channel would either still need to be implemented, or an existing one would need to be modified.

i dont much care (well maybe a little) about the spam i see, or other regular players, it's solely for the new players (pre level 20) who are not yet wise enough to know how to disable channels, or enable channels.
If the game becomes frustrating for them, they will leave.


I would rather have the channel be like auction, and you only get it after your vowed for, or after X amount of levels (20?)

Jor, i think your trivia idea is fantastic!

Here's how to stop the trigger problem:
example:

trivia: who is the stinkiest troll on the mud [(923) minus (121)]?
player a type: trivia answer "Lingolas (802)"
player b type: trivia answer "Jor (821)
player c type: trivia answer "lingolas (1231)"

the winner is person A
The part inside the bracket is random

I dont see a way to set a trigger for this.

#trigger {Trivia: (*) ~[~((%d) (%w) (%d)~]} {#if (%3="minus") {#say %eval(%2-%4)} {#if (%3="add") {#say %eval(%2+$4)}}}

Doesn't matter if someone made trigs to answer the questions. Like I said, it'd be really freakin' obvious if someone was doing it. Secondly, you get pocket change for gold, maybe a potion, in very RARE circumstances... a rune. Coupled with the time delay, it'd take you several hours to accumulate anything worthwhile.

so then whats the point of it?!

What's the point of a trivia game to begin with? NOTHING.

You win pie-shaped pieces in Trivial Pursuit. YAY. I can't live without winning some piece of plastic that has no other earthly use. But damnit, I gotta have em.

At least my way it's done rather in a head-ache free (for imms), non-spammy (for all), instantaneous (for all), painless way (for all).

At least I'm trying to provide viable solutions to a serious question.

Nuff said.

It is headache free for imms. they dont have to do anything, moderate it and make sure prizes are given out fairly.

instantaneous? I don't know what you mean here, and it is fairly painless. the last time i saw the ask and answer chanenls used for asking and answering non trivia questions was a loooooooooong time ago...

the best solution to this would be to just make another channel.

oh and if you look carefully.. 95% of my trivia questions are related to dl... so it could actually teach newbies! rawr!