[MUD-Dev] Re: Issues from the digests and Wout's list

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.SOL.3.95.970421192904.2504D-100000 at sun-cc203>, on 04/22/97 
   at 08:19 PM, Ling <K.L.Lo-94 at student.lut.ac.uk> said:
>[Chris G:]

>Another random thought:  How would you think players would respond if
>they were by default, oriental?  With a very low chance of not being
>so (if they chose human).  I've got a theme reason for this...

How strong an RP background?  Are you looking for a strong immersive
RP player base (ie in-character/identification) or is it a side effect
of the game )cf rollplaying?  Your main problem will be those who are
unable or unwilling to adopt anything but a preferred viewpoint (From
"I always play warriors!", "Hobbits are slime!  Kill 'em on sight!"
etc right thru to the current social prejudices).  

My own view?  They're a positive loss.  Go for it.

Despite not being an immersive RP fan, I have been actively awaiting
an RP MUD which made most of its player characters politically
incorrect.  Oh, say homosexual dwarf negros with leprosy and bad acne
or some such.  Its quite easy to come up with a supporting believable
background/storyline.  

While not directly associated, an idea I have been playing with
(derived from Vance's Big Planet AFAIR) is a MUD where the player
characters are a physically weak and ineffectual, unarmoured,
generally unaggressive, prey species.  Say roughly the equivalent of
field mice.  The surround them with large numbers of active,
aggressive, massively more capable and aware, and very effective
preditors.  Reverse the game from "Me biggum honcho!  Lookum size-um
genitalia!" to one where circumspection, indirect manipulation, and
appropriate use of minimal resources are key to survival.  It would be
interesting.  I also doubt it would have more than 3 players.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
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