[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun

[Jon A. Lambert]

On  3 Jul 98, Marian Griffith wrote:
> 
> The strange thing then is that so few people, on this list only Dr.Cat
> that I know of, attempt to create a safer game environment, at the ex-
> pense of some freedom of the players. Or am I being overly pessimistic
> now?

Perhaps.  However assuming the answers to these problems lay in 
"coding" solutions may well turn off potential posters.  I would 
imagine that many implementors of "safe" environments feel no 
compunction to "code" against abuse, they handle it through social
interaction and written standards of conduct.  Ignore, silence and 
banish are tools enough.

> I dearly would like to discuss this topic as well,  preferably under an-
> other subject and concentrating on possible solutions rather than on the
> problem which has over the time been beaten to death  (if you forgive me
> the very poor pun).
> What mechanisms in reality control the rampaging warbands? 

Logistics, for one thing, and a good dose of fear of death and 
imprisonment.

>I don't think
> fear of punishment is an effective deterrent  as (would be) criminals do
> not rationaly compare risks and rewards. Instead the simply believe they
> will not get caught.

Well there are many different classes of criminals IRL.  I think a 
taxonomy of mud "criminals" is also in order.  To think that this
anti-social behavior is solely a feature of the "clubs" suit of 
players is rather narrow.  Do socializers perform violence? 

> So what social, ethical, economical and other mech-
> anisms keep the vast majority of people from taking what they please and
> eliminate all who oppose them. And can similar mechanism be brought over
> to the mud environment with its unique characteristics?

Banishment == Death
Suspension == Imprisonment

Taking my "MUD-dev list as mud" analogy to extrems, it seems to work 
here.  There is significantly less "violence" on this mud than in the
r.g.m.a. one.   ;)



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