[MUD-Dev] Re: Affordances and social method (Was: Re: Wired Magazine...)

[Marian Griffith]

In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Tue 07 Jul, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> On Tue, 7 Jul 1998, Marian Griffith wrote:

> > On Mon 06 Jul, Till Eulenspiegel wrote:

[Lot of things I have to think about befor replying snipped]

> > My personal gripe is that this way you are in
> > fact confirming the abusive players that 'yes, the game focusses on combat
> > and it is perfectly all right to attack, harass or otherwise mistreate the
> > other players as long as you can get away with it'. Even if it is not what
> > you want it is still the unconscious signal you are sending. Or like some-
> > body else said (sorry but I forgot who) Buffy the Tailor should not *have*
> > to become a berserking killing-machine  just to protect her shop from ram-
> > paging warbands and thiefs.

> Okay, again - all we're doing here is specifying the way the players can
> interact with the world.  Here you imply that someone is running a shop.
> That implies possesions (the goods created), money (or something else
> exchanged for the goods), possession of a location (the shop itself), and
> player skills (tailoring).  That's a lot of stuff.  Biffy the Goon can
> now steal or ruin Buffy's goods, Buffy's money, and Buffy's shop.

[Intentionally extreme example of how things can be used to decrease the
 fun other player have in a game snipped]

The problem as I (and the original author) have is not so much that Buffy's
shop can be raided  but that it is Buffy herself who has to defend it.  She
is a tailor and possibly has no interest at all in becoming a sword swinger
or else she would not have chosen that profession in the first place. Some-
how in a game  there must be ways for players to control harmful actions of
other players in such a way that it does not involve more of the same. If a
player attacks and kills other players the victims shouldn't be required to
become better fighters  if they do not care for that role (and the game al-
lows them to play different roles).

Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey