[MUD-Dev] Re: There can be.. only ONE! (fwd)

[J C Lawrence]

On Thu, 30 Apr 1998 12:40:12 -0700 (PDT) 
Adam Wiggins<adam at angel.com> wrote:


> Probably you need two different methods availible to players.  One
> is to hold someone based on brute strength, the other based on
> pointing a weapon at them.  Thus:

>   > hold bubba
>   You grab Bubba from behind and pin his arms to his sides.
>   Bubba tries to draw his sword, but you prevent him.
>   Bubba tries to run north, but you barely prevent him.
>   > say gimmie some help you guys!!
>   Boffo grabs Bubba and helps you hold him.
>   Buffy grabs Bubba and helps you hold him.
>   Biffo says, "Take him to the jail."
>   > drag bubba north
>   You begin trying to drag Bubba north.
>   Boffo begins trying to drag Bubba north.
>   Buffy begins trying to drag Bubba north.
>   You, Boffo, and Buffy drag Bubba north.

> or:

>   > threaten bubba with knife
>   You hold your knife to Bubba's throat.
>   > say Your money or your life!
>   Bubba tries to wiggle free.
>   You press your knife into Bubba's throat, drawing blood.
>   Bubba freezes in place.

> The second could be a bit more difficult to implement; I suppose the
> threatener would have to define a threshold of tollerance,
> especially with more deadly weapons (ie, guns) so that the server
> will know what is "too far", and what it should do (shoot them in
> the leg, shoot them in the torso, shoot them in the head).

> If some good mechanisms like this were to be put in place, I tend to
> think that PKing would go down quite a bit, since there would be
> alternate ways to deal with people you want to force to do
> something.

First thought:

  I happen to be a fan of the Frank Miller Batmans comics.  A
particular frame in one (my copy is at home and thus difficult to
reference right now), has Batman holding a blindfolded perp dangling
head down off the side of a tall building.  He then removes the
blindfold.  The caption text deals with the delight at the subsequent
scream.

Methods of persuasion vary.  Given methods of restraint, and __no__
other legal or justice systems or support for such, I expect that
players will prove excessively inventive in creating their own justice
systems.  Heck. I can think of a score of really down right *nasty*
little tricks to try right now if restraint is possible.

IIRC (ie read about 'em on relevant user web pages) UOL and M59 both
have restraint-type spells ("hold" spells).  General application
currently seems to be as a method of ensuring a mark is an easy
target, but there's already discussion of implementing real jails and
other justice forms.

--
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...

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MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.