[MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions

[coder at ibm.net]

On 19/11/97 at 09:19 AM, Matt Chatterley <root at mpc.dyn.ml.org> said: >On
Tue, 18 Nov 1997, Richard Woolcock wrote:

>> Matt Chatterley wrote:

>> The 'who' list and 'tells' show your login name (or 'soul name').

>Makes sense to me. Presumably all other 'out of character information'
>dealing commands will also relate to this, muchly like they might in a
>unix environment - finger, and suchlike.

Totaly aside:  I have no who command per se as I have no global namespace.  
Instead the WHO command returns a list of what accounts are currently
logged into the game, but there is no way to determine what if any
characters those accounts are playing (or what characters belong to what
accounts), let alone whot bodies are being actively controlled etc.  The
WHO list merely gives a facility for logged in players to converse with
other players.  The actual character andbody base is utterly removed from
that and cannot be accessed or determined other than by a player 'fessing
up (or lieing, which I suspect will be more popular).

>There are also a number of shaky areas in
>the theme (for instance, the way by which transporter technology
>functions precludes the possibility of persons having a 'metaphysical
>soul' in the sense often intended), least of all areas of technology
>which cannot be explained.

Actually that bit is rather easy to rationalise given a metaphysical soul. 
A few possibilities:

  -- The soul is extra-dimensional, and thus is not affected by the
transporter.  The sould also keys to the identity of the body (take your
pick of identifying characteristics) and there-by remains linked.

  -- The soul's connection to the body exists partially in normal space,
and is thereby translated with the body with no net effect on the
relationship.

  -- The soul, as the seat of identity thus the posessor of the entire
awareness and knowledge of the individual, knows about the upcoming
translation and thus reconnects once done.  (This raises the interesting
phantom of unexpected transports being deadly).

>They are also all very combatative! ST features conflicts of a violent
>and rather fatal nature between various empires at times, B5 has featured
>several wars, both public and concealed, and BSG was set in a refugee
>context. This provides strong distractions from characterisation and
>roleplay which can be quite harmful to new and old players alike.

Pern could be said to suffer the same flaws.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...