[MUD-Dev] dealing with foul language

[Wes Connell]

On Fri, 7 Apr 2000, Kristen L. Koster wrote:

> "Maintaining a mature environment" is not a very scaleable solution as your
> playerbase grows. This effect is noticeable even when you go from 10 to 100
> to 200 simultaneous users on a hobbyist text mud. "Mature environment"
> largely depends on the effectiveness of peer pressure. Peer pressure largely
> depends on small group size.

Yes but most muds of those size typically have more than one starting
point. These muds do not lump all the players into one big group. The
players are distributed over the whole map. If you have proper in-game
mechanisms for managing multiple small communities I beleive you could
maintain a mature environment. 

Example: In UO Skara Brae has a population made up of mainly veteran
players. On a very rare occasion do I see a character running through the
streets shouting bad words. In Britain this happens quite often. 

The small community of Skara Brae tended to have a mature feeling to
it. If UO possessed in-game mechanisms for nuturing this then it might
help. With the new lands patch Ocllo will be turned into a 'newbie town'
which is definitely a cool idea. This herds newbies into one area and
keeps them under the influence of Companions. The Companions *should* have
a mature influence on the newbies. It could even have a trickle down
effect.

IMHO a mature environment could be maintained on a large scale given
proper in-game mechanisms.

Wes!
wconnell at skotos.net




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