[MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution

[Matt Chatterley]

On Tue, 19 Aug 1997, Jeff Kesselman wrote:

> At 09:52 PM 8/19/97 PST8PDT, JCL wrote:
> >Outside of the fact that I dislike the idea of the game tracking any
> >form of "alignment" concept, I'd also note that giving money to a
> >beggar is an ambiguous action.  Yes, it may help the beggar, but it
> >can also be argued to validate the profession of beggar as a trade
> 
> WHICH gets tot a totally different but IMO deeper and related point.  
> Ethics are culturally determined, so there really isn't sucha  thing asn a
> absolute emasure orf good and evil.
> 
> In the Mohammaden Empire beggers were an important part of society and
> validatign the begger's lifestyle was considred a good thing and not
> negative to society at all ;)
> 
> Bacily, alignment is a silly convention. Ims tuck with iot 'cause I'm doing
> AD&D license product. Ild sugegst the rest of you trash it.
> 
> AS an added bonus to getting rid fo it, you don't have asswipe players then
> trying to argue that they are just "playing Evil alignment" when theya re
> being jerks.

Entire text quoted because it makes a few nice points. This sums up my
motivations in going with a "reputation" system - a basically good person
could have an awful reputation and so forth; plus it provides a medium to
track notoriety/fame.

There will probably be an 'alignment' concept too - but it will be more
static (basic intentional bias, as opposed to the often dynamic "Hey i did
something really nice, make me good now!"). Its also taken from an
allegedly neutral point of view (The 'creator' of the world, who lives on
it as an observer, a bit like you might consider Joe Dawson in the
Highlander series).

Something important of note is that while players can get an idea of their
reputation (by little signs - if you hear good songs about someone who
sounds like you, after a great deed, it might be you, and from more
obvious references by shopkeepers and so forth), but can never have an
idea of their actual alignment. It might be better considered an 'aura' of
some sort.


Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Speak softly and carry a big stick." -Theodore Roosevelt