[MUD-Dev] MUDs - An environment, not a game

[Raz]

On Sun, 1 Jun 1997 09:44:14 PST8PDT, Adam wrote:

> > What's the 'aim' of your game..?  Why will people play it?  (In fact,=
 can
> > they play a game, or do they experience a world?)

> [...] none of these can give me what a mud can - a completely
> functional environment which is continuous and consistant, where (many)
> other people in the world live and function without even knowing that I
> exist (whether they are NPCs or PCs), but which I can interject my own
> actions into and see a real effect propagate through the world in a way
> that is consistant with my own world, yet the world itself is entirely
> different and much more fantastic.  There's nothing wrong with resource
> management, tactical combat, storylines, or puzzle-solving.  I like
> all these too, and you can certainly have them.  But that's not where
> the real deal lies, as far as I am concerned.

Thanks for the answer, Adam; and apologies for my delay in replying =3D)
The reason for asking was that, as I said, I'm probably in the same camp =
as
you, albeit much further back along the development road.  I'd been
worrying recently about the possibility of *all* games requiring some =
kind
of objective, and since most of the stuff you've talked about sounds like
the kind if thing I want to do I thought it'd be interesting to hear what
your outlook was.  I wasn't disappointed - thanks again.

Raz
(...and to the others who replied, too =3D))