[MUD-Dev] Re: There can be.. only ONE! (fwd)

[Adam Wiggins]

On Thu, 30 Apr 1998, Matt Chatterley wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Apr 1998, J C Lawrence wrote:
> > Note: I'm not alking about a system enforced or guided justice system, 
> > but a set of tools which players can use to assemble their own justice 
> > system on the fly.
> 
> I recall some of the justice stuff you were talking about. Hmm. Giving
> players a way to take prisoner members of their team (well, anyone).. then
> they could set up whatever sort of court they wanted wherever they
> wanted.. hmm. What other tools would they need, given that they already
> have weapons?

Actually, they are missing quite a lot, if you're speaking of what is
found on your average mud server.  The main area that is lacking is the
ability to subdue or restrain someone.  Usually your only way to stop
someone from doing what you want is to attack them, which usually results
in their death.  If you're only trying to hold them for questioning, or
take them to jail, or even mug them, you're out of luck.

Probably you need two different methods availible to players.  One is to
hold someone based on brute strength, the other based on pointing a weapon
at them.  Thus:

  < hold bubba
  You grab Bubba from behind and pin his arms to his sides.
  Bubba tries to draw his sword, but you prevent him.
  Bubba tries to run north, but you barely prevent him.
  < say gimmie some help you guys!!
  Boffo grabs Bubba and helps you hold him.
  Buffy grabs Bubba and helps you hold him.
  Biffo says, "Take him to the jail."
  < drag bubba north
  You begin trying to drag Bubba north.
  Boffo begins trying to drag Bubba north.
  Buffy begins trying to drag Bubba north.
  You, Boffo, and Buffy drag Bubba north.

or:

  < threaten bubba with knife
  You hold your knife to Bubba's throat.
  < say Your money or your life!
  Bubba tries to wiggle free.
  You press your knife into Bubba's throat, drawing blood.
  Bubba freezes in place.

The second could be a bit more difficult to implement; I suppose the
threatener would have to define a threshold of tollerance, especially with
more deadly weapons (ie, guns) so that the server will know what is "too
far", and what it should do (shoot them in the leg, shoot them in the
torso, shoot them in the head).

If some good mechanisms like this were to be put in place, I tend to think
that PKing would go down quite a bit, since there would be alternate ways
to deal with people you want to force to do something.

Adam



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MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.