[MUD-Dev] Pay for Play (or Commercial Rolecall)

[Jeff Freeman]

From: "Dave Rickey" <daver at mythicentertainment.com>
> From: Jeff Freeman <SkeptAck at antisocial.com>
> >From: "Dave Rickey" <daver at mythicentertainment.com>

>> No, the player was banned for writing a story about rape in the
>> world of Norrath.  Had nothing to do with ropleplaying whatsoever.

> So RP that takes place on discussion forums doesn't count?

Writing a short story isn't roleplaying, by any definition of the
word, and regardless of where you post the story.

The story wasn't "RP on a discussion forum".  It was a story, posted
on a discussion forum.

>> EQ is a game for kids.  Rape, in any context, gets you an "R"
>> rating (for those on the list not from the U.S. - "R" stands for
>> "Not for kids"... has something to do with New Math).

> It wasn't in the game.

As I understand it, the association to the gameworld was strong enough
that Verant felt justified in banning the user.  The story took place
in Norrath and was posted to an EQ fansite.  So obviously "an EQ
story" that the author never claimed otherwise.

We could argue back and forth over whether the ban was justified or
not - but we shouldn't argue about that because it simply isn't the
point.  The point is that you said this player was banned for
roleplaying.  The player wasn't roleplaying, so whatever reason for
the ban - whether it was justified or not - it couldn't possibly have
been for roleplaying.

> Much of the RP stories that are posted to those boards is a little
> "Blue", this wasn't much more extreme or less appropriate for kids
> than the bump-fuzzle crowd.  Again, EQ's "Teen" rating is probably
> due to the ESRB rater not having played an evil race and seeing the
> dismembered corpses and implied cannabilism to be found in the game,
> Mystere's stories, taken in context, fit.

Western culture thing.  Fictional rape, especially of children, is
intollerable, but fictional murder and cannibilism isn't.  *shrug*

> Since it is possible to endlessly split hairs over what is and isn't
> roleplay, I'll simply state that the author and the audience of the
> board he posted to felt it was roleplay.  Nobody else is entitled to
> a judgement.

This isn't a "fine line" definition, here.  If the term roleplaying
has become so all-inclusive that it now includes writing fictional
stories, then it's become a meaningless term.  It means everything.

As far as "where do we draw the line?" - I don't know and probably
we'd all have different ideas on where to draw the line *exactly*.  I
do know that if you include a black human race in your game, and make
them slaves, then you'll probably find yourself on the wrong side of
that line.  'Even if you have dismembered corpses and canibalism all
over the place.


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