[MUD-Dev] Re: Administrative notes

[Miroslav Silovic]

> [Chris L:]
> :  Does the character in a MUD represent an "being" who has a life
> :independant of its human player's, and whom the human player guides,
> :interacts with, and suggests directions to periodically?
> :
> :  Or does the character in the MUD literally and directly represent the
> :human player, much in the way of a proxy or avatar, with changes in the
> :MUD character literally representing changes in the human player (they are
> :indistinguishable)?
> 
> I'm probably in much the same situation as Chris L on this. Something
> similar had occurred to me while reading the RP messages going around.
> When I play a MUD or adventure game, etc., it is *me* playing the game,
> not me roleplaying someone else playing the game. The fact that the
> character in the game is good at combat, or can cast magic spells,
> somehow doesn't bother me as contradictory. So, I would have to work
> quite hard in an RP MUD, just in order to stay in character. Having
> never actually tried it, I don't know whether I would find it fun or
> not. I think it would have to be a fairly forgiving environment.

Which brings us to another topic: MUD as strategy game vs MUD as
roleplaying game. I suggest you spend a couple of weeks on some
newbie-friendly MUSH, where you will be /forced/ to stay in character
all the time (since many MUSHes assume that everyone is in character,
and if you decide not to be, you're expected to warn the people
around you).

For that matter, it's a good idea to take some spare time, and visit
any MUD type that you haven't visited yet. Sometimes it's amazing
to learn that people may have found solutions to the problems you
never even thought of. :)

> With playing me in the game, I don't think I would be too bothered by
> the game imposing a few character constraints on me, as long as I can
> attempt to control them. So, in the earlier example of the berserker
> tending to go off and berserk, I don't think I would mind that, as long
> as I got advance warning of the impulses, and could try to counter them.
> It's much the same as your character being near death from combat - you
> get advance warning and can attempt to avoid it, but sometimes cannot.

Most such MUSHes require people to warn each other before going on
a killing spree. :)

Now another part of this response: After reading many posts, my conclusion
is that you can't have serious roleplaying on a MUD unless you select
the players - i.e. encouraging the players who prefer strategy game
to go somewhere else. This is unfortunate, as I'm /sure/ that there
is some other way. Anybody?

	Miro