[MUD-Dev] Re: The great crusade....

[brandon]

Koster, Raph wrote:

> Ooh, this strikes me as a mistake. IMHO, since social bonds between
> players inevitably migrate OOC, a mud which enforces no OOC contact
> whatsoever is actually be self-limiting. Its community will not develop
> precisely because it restricts itself to IC activity, which tends not to
> be as emotionally and socially engaging as OOC contact.
>

  When I first discovered the online world, I paid a decent amount of cash
to play a full IC mud in which OOC was not accepted.  The world was small
(compared to some) and the player base was dedicated and intelligent, but
in no way was the social bonds between "players" any less so.  I think the
idea of the IC aspect of the Mud was from the admins themselves, but in
general it was player regulated...   Someone happens to slip and say "Did
anyone see the Giants game last night?" and the general responce would be a
jest within IC like say, "Giants? Playing a game, boy that must have made
alot of racket."  And possible on the side someone might mention that OOC
isn't used in the game if maybe the guy seemed new.
  The thing is, this mud wasn't spectactular in the way of combat, or
interface, but it was strong in Roleplaying and that kept people coming
back...
  I believe though that the roleplaying aspect died a little bit when they
expanded their user base beyond what they currently had...