[MUD-Dev] Re: Character evolution

[Adam Wiggins]

> From: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
> >           Of course a few might struggle to the sides of the
> >devastated area, but by that time the rock would harden, leading to a
> >fine supply of life-like statuary surrounding the blast zone which
> >Bubba could make a nice profit on in the moaning lawn ornament
> >business.
> 
> The blast doesn't directly kill them, but the resulting changes in the
> environment do...
> 
> So, a PK'er can not directly kill a Non-PK'er, but they can alter the 
> environment in such a way that the Non-PK'er dies?  How is that any 
> differnt from a slightly more complicated way of putting a sword thru
> the Non-PK'er?

I think JC's point was that it's impossible to determine what makes something
a PK or not.  As most experienced mudders know: if it's possible to die
via game mechanics on a mud, it is possible for others to kill you.  Never
mind if they can hurt you directly or not; this only rules out 'honorable'
methods of attack.

A better question, then:

Bubba goes into the forest, digs a twelve foot hole, and places massive,
sharp spikes pointing upwards at the base of it, then covers the top with
some brush.  He leaves; logs off, maybe deletes his character.  Some time
later (a month? a year? ten years?) another player is walking by and falls
into the trap.  Is this a PK?  Does the system send the second player a
message like, "You are impaled by giant spikes, but since a player set
them there, you're okay."  Does Bubba get punished even if he's offline?
What if Bubba has been deleted or is already dead?  What if the second player,
who is okay thanks to his NO_PK flag, sits in the pit, unable to climb back
out (she's two feet tall and a terrible climber, and the edges are very
slippery).  Four days latter she dies of starvation and thirst.  Is this a PK?

etc..