[DGD] Codes of conduct on a mud

[bart at wotf.org]

Just some practical questions concerning this:

1. how do you imagine finding out about such 'OOC metagaming' ?
2. how do you expect people can be enthausiastic about a game they play and
not share that experience with fellow players they also know outside the game
environment?

I understand why it would be nice to limit the exchange of such information to
in-game channels only, but I think it is completely unrealistic and even
unreasonable to expect players to stick to that because it simply goes against
how humans work.

While I think there are more possibilities than the randomizing that Blain
mentioned, I do think variation and adaptation to individual players of quests
are the most viable ways to at least reduce the direct usefulness of quest
information, regardless of how people exchange it.

Another possibility is to create direct in-game reasons that make it
undesirable to share certain 'secrets', ie by reducing an advantage gained
from completing a quest based on how many others also solve that quest and how
quickly they do that.

Bart.

On Fri, 28 Dec 2018 08:53:03 -0800, Raymond Jennings wrote
> I personally don't mind quest cheating itself.
> 
> For me the line is between IC gossip, and OOC metagaming.
> 
> For example, if Ruggles the wolf tells Shiri the cat which stone to
> shove, that's ok.
> 
> But their players conspiring out of band and Shiri's player taking
> advantage of information that was not learned OOCly would not be.
> 
> On Fri, Dec 28, 2018 at 8:21 AM Blain <blain20 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > The best way to stop quest cheating is to randomize the quests. Otherwise,
> > don't even try. :o)
> >
> > On Sun, Dec 16, 2018, 06:55 <bart at wotf.org wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 22:23:40 -0800, Raymond Jennings wrote
> > > > Ok, so one thing that caught my interest lately, is rules and
> > > > enforcement on a mud.
> > >
> > > Some would say.. it was about time for that.. :-)
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Some common themes:
> > > >
> > > > * a chain of command saying who gets to boss who around.  Plus
> > > > there's also the infamous "Confessions of an archwizard"
> > >
> > > Unless you are running a commercial game...start with the simple fact
> > > people
> > > work for a mud in their spare time, so rather than focussing on who gets to
> > > boss whom around, look at who gets which responsibilities (yes, it is
> > > factually the same thing, but the difference between those ways of saying
> > > and
> > > approaching it is key if you want any chance of anyone wanting to spend
> > > their
> > > precious spare time on helping to run your mud)
> > >
> > > Chain of command is good, but think carefully about how you present that
> > > and
> > > how you deal with people.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > * Forbidding multi-accounting or multi-charing
> > >
> > > Good luck enforcing that. IPs can be had cheaply, so people can have their
> > > multiple chars login from different IPs easily.
> > >
> > > Additionally, more experienced players often do like to also have a lower
> > > level char around.
> > >
> > > Imo, its not a problem if people have multiple chars, but it should not be
> > > allowed to play both at the same time, or to exchange things (equipment,
> > > other
> > > items, credits etc etc etc) between those.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > * Forbidding bots/macros
> > >
> > > Near impossible to enforce as a rule, but possible to deal with with good
> > > game
> > > design. Ensure there is little to gain from bots and macros or people will
> > > use
> > > them.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > * Forbidding advertising of other muds
> > > >
> > >
> > > Does that mean people are not allowed to talk about other muds at all? or
> > > not
> > > on in-game public channels and locations? or?
> > >
> > > > * Forbidding the sharing of quest information.
> > >
> > > So, a multi-player game where people are not allowed to share information
> > > that
> > > is important for playing? I know a lot of muds tried this, and I've only
> > > ever
> > > seen it turn into failure, sometimes small, oftentimes huge.
> > >
> > > I understand the reasoning behind it, but I don't understand how it can
> > > work
> > > in what is a multi-player game, and even less so if team play has any role
> > > in
> > > that game.
> > >
> > > In general, they sound like rules you'd find on many classic muds, but
> > > rules
> > > that imo all failed to some level because they are neigh impossible to
> > > enforce
> > > and run counter to the concepts of multi-player games.
> > >
> > > Bart.
> > > --
> > > https://www.bartsplace.net/
> > > https://wotf.org/
> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrobjective/
> > >
> > > ____________________________________________
> > > https://mail.dworkin.nl/mailman/listinfo/dgd
> > ____________________________________________
> > https://mail.dworkin.nl/mailman/listinfo/dgd
> ____________________________________________
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