[MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions

[Matt Chatterley]

On Tue, 9 Dec 1997 coder at ibm.net wrote:

> 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).

Certainly interesting to consider an environment with no global namespace.
I intend something similar (except WITH the namespace), in that players
will telnet to the mud, log into an account within the mud, and then
select a character to play (this makes a lot of things easier on
everyone).
 
> >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:

Hmm, it is? I don't generally sortie into these areas; I'm a scientist
(more engineer) by nature, and tend to get confuddled by things I can't
grab hold of and test to destruction (or dismantle).
 
>   -- 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.

Hmm, we are talking about stripping the body into component atoms, or even
subatomic particles here, though - whatever it is 'keyed' to would be
completely destroyed, and debating on how you view transporter 'theory'
either moved to the destination, or actually never moved.
 
>   -- 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.

As above. :)
 
>   -- 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).

Now this is fascinating, particularly from the point of view of creating a
more original Sci-Fi environment..
 
> >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.

I have no experience with Pern. :)

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	ICQ: 5580107
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world." -Einstein