[MUD-Dev] Fair/Unfair? Scenarios (fwd)

[Raph & Kristen Koster]

----- Original Message -----
From: Matthew Mihaly <diablo at best.com>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Fair/Unfair? Scenarios (fwd)


> On Wed, 8 Dec 1999, Dundee wrote:
>
> > Matthew Mihaly <diablo at best.com> wrote:
> > > Unless you are in a permadeath game, getting trapped in a death trap
does
> > > not entail not surviving. It's simply a setback (either minor or
major),
> > > and players quickly realize this.
> >
>
> <stuff snipped about being trapped with no way out on some mud, while a
> newbie>
>
> Yes, I agree, that's very poor.
> --matt

I'd agree as long as it was true there was _NO_ way out. In the instance he
cited, being lost in the Bog, while he mentioned using chat to attract
"recall" xhelp from other players, he could also have used yell or even
tells to players (There's at least one clan dedicated to helping new
players). So if it's a case of truly needing an admin to get you out of a
bad spot in the map, yes, that's unfair.

A spot which requires you to get aid from other players in the game to get
out? Depends on the situation. You also need a critical mass of other
players to make it feasible. Remember DartMUD's player run economy? Great
concept! Only didn't work so well with about a dozen players online.

In this particular case tho, I see the solutions mentioned as unfair to all
the players who wouldn't have access to an admin because of time of day or
whatever or to those who play by the game's rules (no multiplaying). I don't
think it's unfair in a multiplayer game to ask the players to play with each
other and consider them as resources. Honestly, I don't think most muds do
enough of it, so players don't think of it resulting in cries to help from
the admins and resorting to "mules" and other do-it-all-your-self. I
personally don't see the fun in that.

-Kristen Koster




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