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

[Marian Griffith]

On Tue 09 Dec, Richard Woolcock wrote:
> Matt Chatterley wrote:
> > On Tue, 9 Dec 1997, Derrick Jones wrote:
> > > On Mon, 8 Dec 1997, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:

I should not respond to this but I will try to clarify one point.

> > 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.

Yes.

> > 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

This is indeed the difference that makes it either something personal
or a signal  that the other person  does not care at all about you or
your feelings. Neither alternative is pleasant.

> > (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).

Ideally perhaps, but many players use pk as a way to hurt other players.
E.g. to settle disagreements

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

A player can decide to attack you or not to attack. The monster can not
make that decission.  It is the fact that somebody else decided to harm
me that makes pk hard to accept. It is personal or I do take it as such

[assassination example snipped]

> 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.

I'm seeing evidence of another subject that should not for the moment
be resurrected. But no, you focus on the act of combat and not on the
intentions. 

> 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.

funny that you consider pk to be insulting ... perhaps that is why you
do not feel so strongly about it?

Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey