So I've been thinking about what the design elements for an MMO like The Agency would be, just for fun.

There will probably be many posts on this and probably not in any kind of logical order since I'm coming up with stuff as it hits me.

The first thing I thought of was class/non-class. Since a spy should be good at everything, making the characters class-based didn't seem to make sense, but it did make sense that a spy might be better at some things than others. An area of specialty seemed appropriate as a class alternative.

The question then became - what areas should there be for the player to choose from. Some initial items I came up with were:

• Seduction (covers all areas of interaction for a Charisma type skill where Charisma is not physical appearance)
• Demolitions
• Martial Arts
• Sniper
• Ranged (non sniper guns)
• Computers

What other areas am I missing?

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Microsoft XNA MVP

Languages? For evesdropping on enemy conversations/talking your way out of trouble.

Luck? For those Casino Royale situations.

Stealth/Agility? Sneaking is a big part of a spy's job.

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10 PRINT "Bad Monkey ";
20 GOTO 10

Languages, yes. Not sure how popular that would be for players to choose from, but it's a possibility.

Luck is not something you can really train to become better in.

I already have Agililty as a stat. I see specialities as more like jobs, not abilities, with some exceptions. I added Infiltration, which might cover those however, but is a bit broader.

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Microsoft XNA MVP

How about something like safe-cracking/mechanism-manipulation? As in, the modern-day spy equivalent to tinkering skills.

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What most people don't understand about "enlightenment" is that it is not an end-goal; but where you find yourself just before taking a new "first step."

Good one. How did I miss that?

Should it be more than just that though? All the things done in burglary, but that word just doesn't sound right.

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Bored? Head on over to my blog and see what I'm up to.

Microsoft XNA MVP

Locksmithery?

Google has failed me, I can't find a posh word for the art.

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10 PRINT "Bad Monkey ";
20 GOTO 10

Escapology describes a broader skill that includes the art of picking locks.

In an RPG, escapology could be the skill of not being stopped by mechanical restraint and mechanical security... something all spies should be adept at.

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I ain't pushing no moon buttons.

I could see that term being misunderstood. Escaping would be viewed as the opposite of breaking in.

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Bored? Head on over to my blog and see what I'm up to.

Microsoft XNA MVP

Possible. But people can learn what the skill really is... and it's a nice word.

It's like an operating system having a Start button, through which you have an option to Shutdown the computer. So when you want to Stop, you have to click Start. It may be confusing "in theory", but it has never stumped anybody in reality.

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I ain't pushing no moon buttons.