[MUD-Dev] Guilds & Politics [was Affecting the World]

[Jon A. Lambert]

On  3 Dec 97 at 20:24, Ola Fosheim Gr=B0stad wrote:
> "Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> >
> >I look forward to it.  The web of political ecologies does resemble the=
 web 
> >of biological ecologies.  I would also posit that political ecology is 
> >dependent upon economic ecology which in turn is dependent upon 
> >biological/geological ecology.
> >
> 
> Hardly in the general case.  What is "politics" but gaining control
> over the norms (moral,laws) in a society.  This is especially true in
> a MUD where your existence is not dependant on collecting energy (or
> money if you like).  It becomes even more true if there is no real
> user-level death.  The most important trading (the exchange with most
> impact) in a MUD is probably done in the realm of social recognition,
> status, fame and identification.  Of course, if you want to enforce an
> economy... but then your users might start feeling like slaves and go
> somewhere else where they get more fun for less...
> 

When I think of "politics" I speak of total complex of relations between 
men and society not necessarily the science of governing.  It's a
funny word that has several definitions and might best be qualified, much 
like the word "philosophy".  I often use it interchangably with the word 
"social", which seems to be preferred term of many of the posters on this 
list.  So I probably shouldn't for the sake of clarity. :(  

Enforcement of economy can be done in a number of ways and at different
levels of irritation or fun.  I think it's quite similar to the hunger and=
 
thirst problems, where player's can be forced to become slaves to the 
bellies (i.e. get bread; eat bread; ad nauseum).  However food has many
fun aspects in its social uses and can be part of interesting logistic
or "questy" problems (in games like Oregon Trail). 
The aspects of economics that we are faced with in RL, I don't think are 
"fun" in the context of a mud environment.  However the economics of 
fantasy form the basis of a great number of enjoyable games like Railroad 
Tycoon, AirBucks, TradeWars, etc.

--
Jon A. Lambert
"Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato