[MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items

[Par Winzell]

Matthew Mihaly writes:
 > On Sun, 16 Apr 2000, Par Winzell wrote:
 > 
 > > I'll never understand this argument. The difference is enormous. Time is
 > > the ultimate resource, the great equalizer, the one that humans have in
 > > common. When you spend an evening in a group to clean out the orc caves,
 > > the simple fact of the shared time is what bonds you to these people.
 > 
 > Time isn't the issue. Free time is, and free time differs greatly among
 > people.

First, there is no such thing as free time, there are only priorities.
Second, when I play with someone in a Mud, I don't care if they have to
go feed their kitten regularly or work 80 hours a week. Certainly from
your point of view, free time is a vital variable in how to pitch your
game, but I am your customer and I don't give a damn.

(this is make-believe, I'm not actually a paying customer of Achaea LLC :)


 > > It's superior because it creates a better game. It's that simple. Forget
 > > all the "ethical" crap; that's too easy to argue against. Investing time
 > > in a game cannot be compared to investing money.
 > 
 > If we're talking about big MMORPGs here, who cares if it creates a better
 > game. All that matters (or should matter to me, if the game is being
 > created for a publically-traded company) is how much profit it makes. 

Just define "better game" as one that makes more money. Personally I like
to live in the intersection of quality and profitability. I'm never going
to be an officer of a public company, though I may come to feel obligated
to do at least well (not ultra-optimized-well) for a private company.

 > > I have nothing against an -expensive- game -- if I spend $200 to play a
 > > two-week scenario that I've looked forward to all year, that's fine. I've
 > > got nothing against exclusitivity. I don't care about fairness. I dislike
 > > using real-life wealth as an indicator as -anything- other than possibly
 > > civic responsibility. :-)
 > 
 > So, I've gone to an Ivy League university. I was raised in a privileged
 > environment. I had access to a fine education and was encouraged from
 > birth to speak properly, etc. This gives me an _undeniable_ advantage in a
 > game like Achaea (where things like your political standing is heavily
 > influenced by your perceived education level and your ability to
 > communicate clearly). All those advantages I listed above are a result of
 > real-life wealth (of my parents in this case). Do you object, then, to
 > designs which possibly reward well-spoken, well-educated players?

You're arguing with somebody else. I told you, I don't care about fair.
No, of course I don't object to such designs. In fact, I much prefer to
be surrounded by articulate and intelligent people if I have the choice.
Being able to communicate clearly makes you a superior player; your bank
account does not. Your education makes you an asset to a game, the cash
you spent on a sword does not. Investment of your time in a game makes
you give a damn, investment of your money actually makes you respect it
a little less.

What I'm saying is very straightforward. The flow of RL money into the
game has a negative effect. I believe the perceived quality of the game
(which translates fairly directly into shareholder value) is insensitive
to this negative effect up to a breaking point. Past this point there is
a sense of unease which threatens to escalate into distaste... and when
distaste happens, your audience begins to thin out.

I think Achaea is far away from this, and it may be that EQ has such bad
problems in other areas that the effect from this problem is unnoticable.
But the general problem is on my mind a lot and I think it's foolish to
be dismissive of a sound intuition.


(I also can't resist the off-topic but strong denouncement of the notion
that you have to have an economically priviliged backgroud to learn how
to handle English and to think straight. :)

Par



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