[MUD-Dev] curses and grief players

[Greg Miller]

  darius at both.net.au wrote:

> I guess the definition of "works" needs to be made, then.  I'm in that 
> category of people that believes that the current systems are demonstrably 
> failing - we've got widening class gaps, wholesale destruction of resource, 
> and very little action "in the common good" when a worldwide view is taken, 
> IMNSHO.  I believe the flaws seen in democracies in RL become potentially a 

I define success as making those being governed happier. People seem to 
prefer these systems over those that were used in the past. As for 
physical wealth, capitalist democracies certainly seem to be the richest 
nations (aside from a few small oil nations).

> lot more apparent in a small mud-world - where destruction of resource can 
> become a huge issue (see other threads), where class gaps (aka cliques or 
> power differentials) are a potential new player deterrent, etc. etc.

But in a mud, we can manipulate the laws of nature to play to the 
strengths of these systems and soften the weaknesses.

> I think allowing the players to make core decisions re: mud direction/makeup 
> does _not_ guarantee that you'll get the best decisions for the mud - each one 

As I keep saying over and over, you don't get any guarantees for any of 
the alternatives.

> I further think the deeper you allow player control to go into your mud design 
> and workings, the more you risk it all breaking up - players are not going to 
> switch from selfish to selfless behaviour just because they're now responsible 
> for a different part of the mud, so any decision/situation they're faced with 
> that falls roughly into the tragedy of the commons/prisoner's dillema (thanks 
> Raph ;) type "best for self != best for group" or "best for self now != best 
> for self in long term" category is in jeopardy - it's those points that you 
> want someone without an interest in furthering their own character to be able 
> to step in and decide.

Selfless behavior does more harm than good, IMHO.
--
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Smarter than God? No, but I'm smarter than he was when he was my age.
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