[MUD-Dev] You, the game of philosophy.

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 10 Dec 97 at 13:26, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:
[a post of extreme clarity]

I don't much anything to add. I thought I'd just re-echo the most 
significant points to my mind. 

> a passel of bloodthirsty rampaging smurfs 

Not significant, but very amusing nonetheless.  :)

> The question 
> which must be asked is what the player is being faithful to: the game's 
> rules and inner operations, or the character's personal views, goals, and 
> beliefs? Regardless of whether those views, goals, or beliefs are shared by 
> the character *and* the player, if the fantasy takes precedence over the 
> game's machinery it becomes roleplay rather than 'win condition' gaming.

Yes.  Immersion occurs.  The depth of the immersion is one of personal 
taste.  I've noted that RPers sometimes can't stand to play with each other 
and form many fragmented RPing groups where each group has their own 
comfortable level of immersion.  

> What I find on most MUDs is that the latter operation (low speech, no 
> roleplay, pure 'win condition' gaming) is consistently rewarded, while the 
> actual roleplay activity is *not* rewarded... effectively punishing the 
> roleplayer and rewarding the powergamer.

Yes indeedy.  I would say that around 90%+ of the muds that I have seen 
that advertise themselves as role-playing muds do not fit in with my 
conception of it. 

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