[MUD-Dev] an essay on PK

[Chris Turner]

On Mon, 20 Sep 1999, Jeremy Music "Sterling" wrote:

> 
> On Sat, 18 Sep 1999, Marian Griffith wrote:
> > In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Fri 17 Sep, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> > 
> > > For what it's worth, Shriners (as far as I can imagine) would never have
> > > bothered killing Marian's tailor.  (No challenge.)
> > 
> > Which is, of course, not quite the issue with the tailor dilemma. The
> > question is not if  she will or will not be attacked,  but who should
> > protect her if the game allows her to chose a non-violent profession.
> 
> Hi.  My mud handles this very simply.  If you do damage to a player, it
> does a check to all pk flags and if it isn't a valid kill it a) won't do
> damage if the non-pk being attacked is more than 10 levels lower, and b)
> sets a killer flag that mobs with a certain spec set will check and
> attack.  Make wandering guards in a city with the spec set and you have
> mobs that will jump to the rescue.

This doesn't really solve the problem does it though?  The tailer could be
the same level as the fighter and there might not be any guards nearby.
She is still in danger of being killed - just not all the time and even
then restricted by out of character means.  Either way - a determined PKer
could still have his fun at the tailor's expense - it would just take
time.

One question that I think springs to mind is why is the tailor standing
alone in a "room" with someone who is wielding a weapon?  I know I certainly
would be decided uncomfortable if I were in a shop whilst a stranger waved a
sword or gun around.  If you read most fantasy novels, the characters don't
go around baring arms - swords are sheathed away and are tied in place with
a "peace knot"?

Now what would really be nice, is if the guards dealt with the problem
before it happened.  If they saw someone walking about with a weapon in
their hand, they could conviscate the weapon or arrest them.  In essence -
what would really help is IC laws inside the town which promote a peaceful
existance.

Outside the town, laws would obviously be relaxed.  But I doubt Marian's
tailor is likely to do much travelling alone in the wilderness.  Different
towns could have different attitudes/punishments to such things, giving
everyone what they want.

I guess the other issue, but one not really fixable in most muds is that
you are limited in how far you can see.  If the peace loving tailors could
actually see their assailants before they got within stricking distance
then they would have a much better chance of fleeing.  Also I'd suspect
guards would become useful in actually spotting fights.

Chris
--
christ at rd.bbc.co.uk   #include <stddisclaimer.h>   http://www.fysh.org/~maddy

   "So this is really me? A no-style gimbo with teeth druids could use as a
       place of worship" - Duaine Dibley (Red Dwarf - "Back to Reality")




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