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

[J C Lawrence]

On Thu, 2 Jul 1998 11:29:23 -0600 
Chris Gray<cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA> wrote:

> I'm not really following up here, but more following on. The above
> interchanged triggered the following question in my mind: How
> dependent are the combat freaks and the combat critics on the actual
> words and forms used during "combat"? 

Very.  cf Jack Vance's "The Languages of Pao".  As long as the various
verbs etc equate to
attack/invalidate/minorise/subdue/make-lesser/humiliate etc than they
are effective.  A minor exception would occur if the action had the
same effect:

  > paint bubba
  Bubba is now painted.
  > where bubba
  There is no bubba in this game.

But I'm fairly sure that this is a very minor exception.

> My guess on this is that the combat folks wouldn't touch the game
> with a ten foot pole, unless they were coerced and enticed in some
> way, but having gotten into it, might find it more fun, since what
> they are doing is now somehow acceptible. If not, then I'd have to
> conclude that one of the reasons they wouldn't like this but do like
> regular combat is that they *want* to be doing socially unacceptible
> things, and they *want* all of the physical damage and agony that
> they cause (at least virtually). 

Nahh, a key element in combat is the concept of subjugating,
enforcing, or otherwise overriding someone else's controls and
defences.  There has to be an element of conquest.  I don't see social
acceptability, or its absence as being a major motivator or
requirement.

> [I played "Unreal" for the first time yesterday, and must admit to
> some visceral satisfaction from seeing my opponent (a friend in
> another city) fly apart into hunks of bloody meat. Later, three of
> us played "Monkey Island" (first time for all of us), and were quite
> entertained by its non-violence and quirky humor.]

Tho I have never played Quake, one of the more intesting seeming
variations is Catch The Chicken at:

  URL:http://www.planetquake.com/chicken/

You can only shoot the guy with the chicken.

The guy with the chicken can't shoot.

The longer you keep the chicken the more points you get.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                               Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------(*)                     Internet: claw at under.engr.sgi.com
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...