[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #142 - 4 msgs

[Greg Miller]

Marian Griffith wrote:
> the players  do not want to play nicely by the rules.  It all comes down
> to the fact  that in the end  there is very little players can really do
> to somebody  who wants to make trouble.  Often  it also comes at a price
> other players may not be willing to pay. (e.g. the taylor's dilemma).

This, of course, varies wildly depending on the nature of the game
itself, as well as the nature of the players.

> There is a fundamental similarity as well:  both systems fail  with suf-
> ficiently motivated troublemakers  (and sooner or later you are going to
> encounter one of those).

Well, that depends on what you mean by "fail" and "troublemaker"... If
the objective is to enforce your own morality and style of play, there's
no reason not to go with the former system (direct enforcement by NPC or
game mechanics). If you let the players choose, you may not like their
choices--and that's what appears to be what you mean by "fail" in this
case.

> It probably adds  more to the game for roleplayers  than it adds for the
> powergamers.  A game with  a detailed simulated ecology and economy  has
> more depth to it, and thereby provides more chances to interact with the
> game. Even if you can not affect anything, it still helps if in the 

Which is exactly what makes powergaming fun--no point being the best at
something anybody can do well with little learning and thought.

> and run for cover.  The end result may be the same but the simulation is
> much more interesting to a roleplayer  (while a powergamer may ignore it
> as he is only interested in fighting the orcs,  not the townsfolk who to
> him are superfluous).

Not at all--for the powergamer, the townsfolk are an interesting tool to
be used against the orcs.
--
http://www.classic-games.com/
Conspiracy theorists mistakenly assume others think before acting.
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