Character development [was Re: ]

[s001gmu at nova.wright.edu]

On Tue, 14 Apr 1998, J C Lawrence wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:00:55 PST8PDT 
> Cimri <cimri1 at gte.net> wrote:
> 
> > J C Lawrence wrote:
> >> On Thu, 9 Apr 1998 19:40:32 Travis Casey wrote:
> 
> >   Forget built-in pre-defined guilds.  Throw 'em out.  They don't
> > fix anything.  They often, if not always, reinforce the class
> > systems I also don't like.  Away with them!
> 
> My temptation would be to do nothing, watch carefully what the players 
> attempt to do for themselves, and then gradually start backing their
> efforts with code.

One large problem to overcome is the players who wander over from other
muds and see no guilds.  The first thing they are going to do is call for
guilds, and push towards them.  Not because they solve a problem, but
because that is what they are used to.  You have to find a way to
eliminate the guild-bias of previous mud players in order for something
(dare I say?) pure to emerge.
 
> This is deliberately analagous to Berkely Universities reputed method
> for laying out their paths about campus: They didn't.  They built the
> university, sodded and seeded the lawns etc, brought the students in,
> and then watched where the paths formed.  They then concreted those
> paths.

My Father swears that Ohio State U. did that with their Oval, which
explains the rather odd layout quite well, when you look at a map of the
surrounding areas and where the buildings are.

-Greg