[MUD-Dev] The reality of constant combat??

[Jeff Kesselman]

At 08:23 AM 6/3/97 PST8PDT, you wrote:
>> From: Jeff Kesselman <jeffk at tenetwork.com>
>> 
>> Its often assumed that combat is a logical problem solver ina MUD
>> environment. I'ld lvoe to hear any genuine historians on thsi lsit address
>> this, but from my understanding there has NEVER been a human societhy that
>> remained a society for teribly long where the answer to every problem or
>> offense  9or even the majority of them) was mortal combat.
>>
>Sparta comes to mind as well as other less famous Greek timocracies.

Granted all I knwo of is Athens, which had a highly developed political
structure, but are you REALLy telling me that any time 2 Spartans disagreed
in the streets, they puilled swords and tried to kil leach other?
I find this highly unlikely.  As you point otu it WAS a millitary society
and  millitaries typicly run on STRICT rules.

>
>> While PvP migth make an engaging tactical game (ala Doom, Duke, Diku or
>> whatever) I'ld argue that if you are trying to model a society you need to
>> put STRICT "legal" controls on where and when it is allowed with
>> devistationg consequences to the rbeaking of the rules.
>> 
>I believe this can be done.  I an interested in modeling multiple social/
>cultural/political structure within the same mud.  
..
>You can't assume that justice or fairness will be perceived the same
>way by any player.  Some will gravitate toward Sparta, some Athens.

In afct i have this in my current world for my current project. the
differnce between yo uand I is I EXPECT Raam, the city without any laws or
law structure, to be like south central LA on a bad day.  I've provided a
palce for peopel to play "street gang", but also, like Los Angeles, I've
built major sttucture to keep the anarchy and chaos "in its palce" (yes, up
to and including the equivelent of callign in the amrines, which, if you
remember the last LA riot, was done.)


JK