[MUD-Dev] banning the sale of items

[Matthew Mihaly]

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.

> 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. 


> 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?

--matt




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