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

[Richard Woolcock]

Matt Chatterley wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 9 Dec 1997, Derrick Jones wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 8 Dec 1997, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:
> > > First of all, I want to state clearly that I'm not a fan of pkilling,
> > > and I know what is a MU* harrasment (a close friend of mine, a girl, was
> > > a victim - and that wasn't even the MUD, that was just a talker).
> >
> > I'd like to add the disclaimer that I have left pk in my design.  Seems
> > that no one to be on the recieving end of a pk, but so many want to have
> > the option of being on the dealing end of it...
> 
> This is an interesting point that I will only touch on (since I think it
> has been discussed to death for now, of late). Many people dislike
> strongly to be killed by another player. The interesting issue is *why*
> and I believe it comes down to game context. Usually things that can kill
> you are things you expect to hit you, and to hurt you, and which you
> voluntarily enter dangerous situations with. The fact that there is a
> network connection attached to one, which decided *concious* (rather than
> based on automated criteria) to attack and harm you is taken in an
> exagerated context (is it anymore personal an attack than one from an NPC?
> I say *no* since it is NOT personal against you, or at least, ideally is
> not).

Interesting...has anyone put in any form of assassin-type mob?  I wonder if
this might have a similar affect...imagine a scene like:

>restYou rest, to begin recovery from your wounds.
>lookYou are standing in the forest.  Tall trees are surrounding you on all 
sides, blah blah blah <insert pretty description>
Bubba is resting here.
Bubba says 'Hey, did you see X-files last night?'
>shakeYou shake your head.
>say any good?A hooded figure leaps from a nearby tree.
The hooded figure aims its crossbow at Bubba and fires.
The crossbow bolt enters Bubba's throat, pinning him to a large oak tree.
You say 'any good?'
Bubba gurgles for a moment then slumps as the life leaves his body.
The hooded figure spins around and plunges a knife through your heart.
You keel over, dead.


I believe this would have a similar affect to PK, for the following 
reasons:

1) You were surprised and unprepared for the attack.
2) You were busy talking, and not really interesting in fighting.
3) You were killed by an opponent you couldn't ever hope to beat.

Basically, its just not fair.  Like many instances of PK.

The only real difference between this and PK is that mobs don't usually
brag about killing you afterwards - although I know one mud where some
of the mobs used to shout "I killed <name>, and looted his stinking 
corpse!" - but even this is somewhat inpersonal and thus not so insulting.

KaVir.