[MUD-Dev] "An essay on d00dism and the MMORPG"

[Marian Griffith]

In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Tue 28 Nov, John Buehler wrote:
> Miroslav Silovic writes:

> I think this discussion took a left turn somewhere.  I believe the original
> point was that some people are d00dish when placed into a given environment,
> and that the environment should be altered to accomodate d00ds such that
> they aren't inspired to be d00ds any longer.  Something that I happen to
> agree with.

Having spawned this thread (after Raph was kind enough to post the original
usenet article here)  I definitely agree  this discussion took a left turn,
and subsequently got lost. Not that this is unexpected. The discussion here
closely follows the assumptions made in the original article, and this also
is similar to how the whole issue of 'd00dz' is seen by the gaming communi-
ty as a whole.
The original author (Arios Truthseeker)  posited that d00dz are youths with
severely lacking social skills.  This causes them to be ostracised by their
age-group.  In muds (again this is what the author posits)  they see an en-
vironment  where they can collect whatever they want.  In short, in reality
they are not part of the in-crowd  (and lack the social skills  to even see
how they fail).
Because of their aggressive, materialistic playing style these players can,
and do,  make a nuisance  out of themselves.  The author suggested that the
only solution is to essentially ostracise them from the game  (while at the
same time  using them as a way to expose flaws in the game).  Basically, he
claims  there is an 'in-crowd'  of those who 'get' the game,  and there are
'd00dz' who do not 'get' the game; and the later group should be ignored as
much as possible (since you can not really get rid of them).
Personally I found that attitude reprehensible, as well as wrong.  I am not
convinced  that 'd00dz' do not 'get' the game.  Their playing style  may be
extreme,  but it might well be the most pure form of playing a mud. They do
kill monster, collect equipment and gold (or whatever the game has to offer
to the player)  and do so by minimising effort while maximising rewards. It
may not be the game the creators had in mind, but it is (to a large extend)
the game that they did make.
My moral objection to  the orginal article  came from the fact that 'd00dz'
are finding in muds an escape from a reality where they are ostracised, and
just because they do not play the same game as some others do this does not
give the right to take that escape away from them.  Even if they are obnox-
ious,  do not know how to behave themselves and have no sense of fasion, it
does not mean you can treat them the same. Treating a 'd00d' d00dish is not
right.
I have no solution, do not even know if there can be one, but I found some-
thing wrong with the unspoken assumptions of the original article,  and did
want to stir a little discussion,  and hopefully some thought for the human
beings behind the characters. It is too easy to think in stereotypes and to
only look at playing styles;  and to attribute intentions and propose solu-
tions without regard for the human beings.  These are people, not something
to stomp on, nor some virus to exterminate.


Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey

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