[MUD-Dev] Persistent Worlds

[Travis Casey]

the_logos at www.achaea.com wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Feb 2001, J C Lawrence wrote:
> > On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 19:11:20 +0000 (GMT)
> > the logos <the_logos at www.achaea.com> wrote:

> > > Yes, it's not realistic to have re-popping mobs. Of course,
> > > dragons and magic are also not realistic, and neither is eating
> > > and never having to use the bathroom.
> >
> > "Not realistic" is dismissive and ignores what the model and purpose
> > the environment actually has.
> 
> It's not dismissive at all. It was mainly intended to illustrate that
> hardly anyone is going for realism, regardless of what they
> claim. Internal consistency with some passing simulation aspects of
> physical reality tends to be more what people are aiming for.

"Realism" does not have to mean "having things exactly like reality." 
Consider, for example, the artistic field of "magical realism."
 
> > *doesn't* occur in a given world is fairly easy.  Dragons, magic,
> > fairy dust, angels, Cthulhu, reincarnation and pshycic phenomena can
> > also be wrapped in both self and externally consistant frameworks,
> > even for a hard science simulation model which looks to build
> > something which doesn't violate current scientific knowledge.
> 
> I'd certainly be curious to know how dragons don't violate current
> scientific knowledge. Likewise with, say, reincarnation.

Dragons don't *have* to violate current scientific knowledge -- not all
dragons in all legends are the same.  There are legends of dragons who
aren't intelligent, don't breathe fire, and don't have any magical
powers -- they're simply large, dangerous reptilian animals.  Those
don't violate current scientific knowledge in any way.

As for reincarnation, there is nothing in the base concept of
reincarnation that requires people to be able to *remember* their
previous incarnations.  To simply say that souls can get recycled is,
scientifically, a meaningless noise, since there is no scientific
definition of what a "soul" is.

--
       |\      _,,,---,,_     Travis S. Casey  <efindel at earthlink.net>
 ZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_   No one agrees with me.  Not even me.
      |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-' 
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