[MUD-Dev] Re: User inventions (was:killers have more...)

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

On 06:53 PM 7/29/98 +0200, I personally witnessed Ola Fosheim Gr=F8stad
jumping up to say:
>
>Anyway, given that most users probably don't have a particular
>problem to solve by them inventing things, what is then the underlying
>problem that drives the desire to invent? =20

Problem? Invention is a problem? ;)

>From a designers point of view it
>would have been rather convinient if that problem was related to the
>question:
>
>  How can I participate, promote and support the community?
>
>For some users that might be it, but others, the following would probably=
 be
>more representative:
>
>  How do I make this system mine?

For me... and I admit this sounds callous and childish and all manner of
other 'negative' things... it's more like:

   How do I visibly prove my technical and intellectual superiority over
the other players, staff, and developers?

It's probably something to do with a deep-seated inferiority complex.

>I believe this desire to feel some kind of ownership is general and not
>essentially a powergaming trip.

I generally want to show the rest of the MUD three basic things: first,
that I'm not the sort of person you want to compete with; second, that I'm
exactly the sort of person you want to ask for help when you're stumped;
and third, that I don't *have* to help you. It was evident when I was
BBSing too... it was very important to me that the other users and the
sysops recognised that I was clearly an authority in the field, if not by
reputation then by sheer knowledge and understanding. I find it almost
unbearable to be a 'newbie'. Which is one of the reasons I'm slow to adopt
a new server... since you can't help but be a newbie on it... unless there
is clear technical documentation available that I can spend a week or two
devouring before logging on. It helps a lot if I can run the server
locally, too.=20

One of the things I'm planning on doing in my current server is providing a
"learning" interface, which is identical to the regular interface but you
can't see or affect other players or their stuff. Sort of like having your
own little version of the world, where you can go around and learn how
stuff works. I'm still working out some specifics on this, since I'd like
it to be a fun place to hang out, but I'd also like people to graduate to
the full game in a relatively short time. I also can't very well just drop
everyone into his own little copy of the world... the memory requirement
would be tremendous... but I need to figure out how to effectively share
the world between players and not have it be a problem.

>If you feel technical expertise is
>important then gaining insight into the weaknesses of the system might be
>your things. Etc.

I don't particularly want to use the technical expertise I come out with, I
just want to show it off. Sort of like a handyman with a power tool. "Look,
I have ultimate mega-power psychocoder skills! See, here, I have this nice
little device that will tell you where the UNFINDABLE people are on this
MUSH." "So? You can't get there." "Yes I can... look, I found a bug in our
lock code too." "But they'd catch you." "Nope... look, I found a way to set
myself DARK." "Ooooh... ahhhh... you have the power..." Yeah, sure, but I
don't USE it. Every once in a while someone will piss me off and try to
hide in some location, and I'll exploit a series of minor bugs to walk in
on him. The entire point is basically the same old macho power trip -- "You
can't run. You can't hide. And I can kick your ass." It's like having a
really big gun; when someone starts acting belligerent, you pull it out and
wave it around and it doesn't even matter if it's loaded or not.=20


Hey, I know it's childish, but I figure if I'm frank and honest about
stuff like this it's a lot more helpful than saying "I have this friend..."=
 ;)