[MUD-Dev] GoPers are ants at RP picnics!... was Pay for Play(or commercial rolecall)

[Jon Lambert]

Marc Bowden wrote:
> --On Sunday, February 18, 2001 6:14 PM -0800 J C Lawrence 
> <claw at kanga.nu> wrote:
> 
> > GoP: Goal Oriented Play or Goal Oriented Player
> >
> > GoP is contrasted to other play styles, such as role playing and
> > socialising, due to its concentration on goal attainment usually to
> > the sacrifice of other values.
> 
> We refer to the majority of these sorts as "script kiddies" or the
> more charming "putz", depending on the tenor of their whining this
> week.

Eeek... hang on!

I use it to mean Game Only Player but in either case JC and I mean the
the same thing.

GoPers are simply players who play muds like they are games to
win. They play muds like one might play chess or contract bridge.
Min/Maxers, "Roll" players, etc.  Script kiddies and whiners are a
certainly a subset of GoPers.  That particular subset is analogous to
those who simply can't be trusted to be the banker in monopoly; or the
kid who cries and threatens take the game ball home after being called
out in a neighborhood baseball game unless the rules are changed to
suit them.  Most GoPers I know aren't whiners or cheaters.

I certainly don't intend GoPer as an unendearing label in regard to
muds in general.  The caveat is that if a mud is advertised as an RP
mud and I come to RP, then GoPers are about as welcome as ants at a
picnic.  GoPers have their own muds, they should just stay put there.
:-P

Pure GoPers and Pure RPers simply don't understand each other on many
levels.

Take a typical sword for example...

A GoPer sees that sword as a level 15 +7 to-hit +10 to-damage flagged
weanie tool that soon will be discarded in favor of a level 25 +14
to-hit +36 to-damage flagged flaming, sharp, trollkiller tool.

An RPer sees that sword as a leather handled ivory inlaid curved sabre
with a few nicks and notches in the guard.  The nicks and notches have
stories to go along with them that they will gladly share.  It may be
a bit off-balance, but since the insignia and inscription etched on
the blade clearly show it was given to him by the Duke of Ereboria in
honor of many years service, it will probably never be discarded for
another weapon until it breaks or is beyond repair.  And even then
will still probably be worn at ceremonies and hang above the RPers
fireplace mantle when not in use.
 
Now when these two run into each other on a mud, that GoPer is gonna
ask that RPer "Whats the stats on that weapon fella?" and the RPer is
going to start talking about the weapons history and the notches on
the guard.  The GoPer is going to retort, "No dumbass, what's the
to-hit and to-damage numbers?", to which the RPer will say "Excuse me,
oh mindless babbler" and type IGNORE MORON (assuming the mud supports
it) thereby banishing all traces of the strange rude math-obsessed
creature.

Both the RPer and GoPer will walk away thinking the other is the most
irritating player on this mud.  That is until they run into the next
one.

Obviously I prefer to play the RP-only games, but I will play GoPer
games.  My philosphy is when in Rome do as the Romans do.  The problem
is many mud admins can't make up their minds whether they are Rome or
Constantinople and try to be all things to all players.  I don't see
it happening, well actually, I see it happening but I don't see it
working anywhere. :-)

--
--* Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD        Email:jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com *--
--* Mud Server Developer's Page <http://tychomud.home.netcom.com> *--
--* If I had known it was harmless, I would have killed it myself.*--

_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev