[MUD-Dev] The Relationship between pkers and monster AI?

[Zaid Sayeed]

>Mike Sellers 
>So the question becomes, how can you acknowledge pkilling and 
>include it as *one* component of the game without having it choke
> out everything else?  My answer thus far has been to make sure 
>that pkilling is not the fastest, most attractive method for a 
>player to achieve their goal; make sure it carries relevant, 
>meaningful risks and costs; and make sure that players can compete 
>with each other in other (often less lethal) ways.  I'm interested
>in what answers others come up with too -- beyond just "hey, it's a 
>violent game."


Perhaps the greatest cause of player killing in some MUDS is the ability
to have multiple characters.  If, in the real world, people had alternate
lives, then I'd be willing to bet that the crime rate would go up by
1000%.  Even "good" people would probably not be averse to a little
vigilante justice now and then when they decided that murderers getting
only 10 years in life was not acceptable.  This is only true if they had
another life to "waste" on retribution, however.  Another life to waste on
retribution, on fun, on any forms of experience which accountability in
only one life prevents.  With single lives, you are accountable for your
actions, both to whichever governmental justice system you live under and
to the society in which you live.  You are RESPONSIBLE.  Responsible
people usually act responsibly, a simple equation?

Any measures incorporated into MUDS to curb non-consentual PvP will be
half as affective if multiple characters are available in those MUDS.
There are many other factors which influence non-consentual PvP, but in
general if it is made harder to obtain multiple characters, then NC PvP
will probably decrease.  (Of course this entire concept relies on the fact
that there are at justice systems/social standards to greatly enhance
through a single character system.)  There are also other beneficial
effects to a single character system.  (identifying more with characters
and what that might imply) 

'Til,

'Sayeed.




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