[MUD-Dev] Maintaining fiction.

[Brian Hook]

At 10:58 AM 6/5/01 -0700, Trump wrote:

> While it's nice to see that at least one person got the point of
> the original post, it's frightening that many were too distracted
> by the specifics I chose for implementation to get the big
> picture.

Well when a sample implementation of a theory looks scary, then that
will carry over to people's perception of the theory.

>    If you want to promote roleplay in your so called RPG you need
>    to reward it where possible, lead by example and avoid anything
>    that might jolt someone out of thier suspension of disbelief.

I completely agree.  The difference is that you have very different
ideas of what constitute the above compared to mine.  I think that
was the main sticking point I, and many others, have.

I am all for in-game mechanics that encourage you to act "in
character", so long as it doesn't strait jacket you into playing a
very specific role the game designers want you to play (instead of
what you want to play).

>    games commonly place fiction breakers even in the basic
>    gameplay (showing damage numbers).

That does not break the fiction for me, or for many people.  It's a
part of the vernacular.  Turning a page while reading a book doesn't
break the fiction for me, because that is part of the mechanic when
I read the book.  Your mind is very malleable when it comes to
accepting things and moving on if it allows you to enjoy yourself.

>    20%.  If you want your MUD to just be a hack and slash
>    adventure game, that's fine, this discussion has nothing to do
>    with those types of games.

Believe it or not, it's still an RPG if the role you play is that of
a sword wielding barbarian.

> So, instead of saying what *I* would do.  Let me ask what *you*
> would do to make your RPG more of an RPG and not just an Adventure
> game?

I would provide in-game mechanics that encourage and reward
roleplay, and that moderately punish obvious out-of-character
actions (e.g. dark elf wielding Holy Avenger).  What I would NOT do
is obsess over the specific terminology for the basic technological
infrastructure that is required to play the game.  I would also
avoid designing in limitations that make the game less fun to play
for my target audience.

It's all well and good to design a game that appeals to a niche
audience of "hardcore roleplayers".  Hell, you can do that right now
on IRC and get into a game of V:TM that is diceless.  What I take
exception to is that a game can't be considered an RPG unless it
falls under someone else's rather arbitrary set of rules that
determine immersion or not.

Brian Hook

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