Backstory (was RE: [MUD-Dev] New poll)

[Sellers]

JC wrote:
> I've added a few new polls:
> ...
>   Is having a backing story important in a MUD? 

I found the phrasing of the answers on this one a bit difficult: 

 No, its just meaningless and irrelevant babble. 
 No, they never have anything to do with actually playing the game. 
 No, I want to play, not listen to someone's fantasy. 
 Sort of, sometimes they're fun. 
 Sometimes they help explain the game and give contenxt. 
 Backing stories are essential. They help the game be "real". 
 Yes, backing stories help players create their own stories within the game.

 Yes, it gives the initial key for the game culture.  


Hmmm.  Yes, I think back stories (not "backing story," btw) *should* do a
lot of these things -- they should explain the game and give context, make
the game more real, help the players create their own stories, and give the
key for the game culture.

Unfortunately, the reality is that they're almost all meaningless and
irrelevant babble.  

How many games have you played in where you didn't just rush past the
exposition and backstory in a "yeah yeah yeah -- get out of my way and let
me PLAY" sort of mode?  What was the last game that rewarded you for having
read the backstory?  That is, a game that subtly and quietly provided you
some nuggets of info that really helped you do something you wouldn't have
been able to do otherwise, or helped you avoide danger, etc.  When was the
last time a game's backstory foreshadowed something that didn't become
obvious until much later on?  

Backstories suck.  They shouldn't, they really shouldn't, but almost all of
them do.  Why is this, do you think?  


Mike Sellers



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