[MUD-Dev] [DESIGN] To kill or not to kill? (non-violent conflict)

[The Wildman]

First, I'll introduce myself:
I am best known as Wildman (for a variety of reasons) and only a few close
friends know my real name. And most of them don't use it anyway. This isn't
because I prefer anomity (although I do) rather it is because I've been
called that for a long enough time to be puzzled upon seeing or hearing my
real name. :D
I have been a programmer and roleplayer for about 15 years, but only the
last 3 1/2 years has it involved muds so I am comparitively new to mudding.
I originally started out with Diku derivatives after 6 months of playing
almost non-stop. About a year ago I got tired of coding around the
limitations of hard-coded muds and started learning LPC. I have held
positions as a coder, admin, and/or builder at various muds, all but one I
left for a variety of reasons (creative differences, being spread too thin,
loss of interest, etc.) That one is Grok, which I am co-admin/coder with
another list member (Holly Sommer) and is rising from the ashes of Diku-dom
as an LP (MudOS and the Dragon Mudlib.) In addition, I am involved in the
low traffic discussion of MUGS, which Holly Sommer also heads. 
Finally, I have my own project which I have been working on since before I
got involved in mudding. (Originally, it was going to be a tabletop RPG
system, but got so complex that only a computer could keep track of
everything. Fortunately, I discovered muds and it seemed perfect.) 
This project has involved a LOT of design, a LOT of coding, a LOT of
code-base switching, and nobody else really knows anything about it. Until
now. I have realized that I have probably thrown out a lot of good ideas
over the years because I didn't discuss them with others. I have also
finalized my decision on code bases - MudOS and the Dragon Mudlib - so any
code I write for my project will probably stay in. (My habit has been to
switch code bases and start over.) The discussion I'm about to begin is for
this project, rather than for Grok (Holly will probably start those
discussions.)

I'd like to start a discussion about game design relating to a more
intellectual game, where the conflict is not combat-oriented. I'm thinking
of something along the lines of the old TV series The Prisoner played out.
I've done this before as a tabletop RPG and it worked out quite well, being
something like Paranoia. I have some ideas on doing this on a mud, but I
think the concept makes for some interesting discussion.
Note, this isn't quite the "Tailor" discussion, as it doesn't involve
violent conflict at all.

The Wildman
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