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

[Norman Short]

----- Original Message -----
From: Marian Griffith <gryphon at iaehv.nl>
To: MUD-DEV (E-mail) <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2000 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] "An essay on d00dism and the MMORPG"


> On Wed 15 Nov, Koster, Raph wrote:
>
> > An essay on d00dism and the MMORPG
> [essay by Arios Truthseeker snipped]
>
> I am somewhat amazed that there is no reply, nor comment,  at all to
> this essay.
> The underlying principle of this entire essay is  that it is somehow
> bad to have these 'd00ds' on a mud. Yes they are occasionally annoy-
> ing and even obnoxious, but maybe we should be honest about it. Have
> we not just created the exact game that they are playing?
> The author builds his entire argument by showing the 'd00d' as young
> male who  'does not get it in social environments'  and sees the mud
> as a game where he can gain acceptance, but 'still does not get it',
> even though he makes all the right moves.
> To me this is not only condescending, but also quite wrong. I do not
> propose a mud as an environment to teach social skills, but to treat
> anybody inside a mud  the same way  as these archetypical youths are
> treated in their real lives  is morally reprehensible (always wanted
> to use that word ;)  These people may not 'get' the social aspect of
> the game, but the do 'get the game' quite nicely. Rather than seeing
> them as a 'force of nature' that should be tormented out of the game
> we, as game designers, should perhaps give them some hooks to create
> rudimentary social skills.  They get enough tormenting in real life,
> that the mud is an essential escape for them.
>
>
> Marian
I have to point out something else.  Actually I agree somewhat that d00ds
were not really well defined in that article, but there is the factor of
repulsion many gamers feel about being around them.  Somebody doesn't have
to grief me to let me know they're a jerk; all they have to do is have the
word Pimp, Ho, @ss, or anything combining asci characters in their name to
provide this information.  I admit this is perhaps more of an argument for a
name filter (one of UO's biggest lacks) than against d00ds, but this is at
least part of why the d00ds and RP contingent don't mix.  Their very
presence dilutes the immersion one is able to achieve in the game world.
Such people get squelched or belittled in game because people already have a
preconception about them.  And if they are an insecure teenager they will
respond with resentment and worse.

I think such people can benefit from the structure that limits place upon
them.  Don't let them name themselves things that don't fit into your game
world (not allowing asci characters would be a good start) and you've
already let them know before they even log in that there are limits to how
they can behave.

I suppose you have to ask yourselves if the d00d repels more people than he
represents, and frankly I don't have an answer.  But just by virtue of the
name being one that fits into the world he or she at least has a chance to
fit in rather than being instantly shunned.  This could be argued the other
way I suppose in that d00ds wouldn't see a "damn RP'er" coming from a mile
away because his name *gasp* fits into the game world.

You speak of that essential escape the MUD provides; well it provides one
for the RP people as well, who get a kick in the teeth when @$$Ma$TaH and
his "crew" stroll in.  Promote an RP friendly environment from the moment a
person attempts to create a character and it will be easier to assimilate
the d00d into the adult population.

Shakkar

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